Dolly Parton Says She Started Making Christian Music After God Called Her To Share Faith
Country music icon Dolly Parton spoke at length about her decision to focus on making Christian music, revealing that she sees her music not as a job but as a “ministry.”
The 62nd Grammy Awards ceremony is set for Jan. 26, 2020, and Parton has two nominations for collaborations she has worked on in the past two years, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.
Parton’s first nomination is in the Gospel/ Contemporary Christian Music category for her collaboration on the single, “God Only Knows,” with the band King & Country.
The second is for her song “Girl in the Movies,” which she and Linda Perry penned for the 2018 Netflix move, “Dumplin’.”
In light of her recent nominations, Parton spoke with People, opening up about why she started focusing more on making Christian music.
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“I’ve done so many things,” Parton, 73, told People. “And I see that I am in a position to help. People look at me like someone they’ve always known, like a mother or sister. If I say something good, people might listen.”
As for her decision to make Christian music, Parton revealed she felt that God was calling her to do so.
“I’ve just felt like God was calling me into that,” Parton said. “I’ve always felt like my music was more my ministry than a job. I just feel that this day and time, we need more people that are in a position to help to try to do something, if they can, to brighten the world a little bit. That’s what I’m hoping to do now.”
In addition to her collaboration with King & Country, Parton participated in two other faith-based song collaborations recently, including “There Was Jesus,” with Christian artist Zach Williams and “Faith” with DJ duo Galantis.
Parton revealed that the timing of making the three songs seemed orchestrated by God.
“I felt really blessed because I had decided just in the last few months that I was going to try to do more faith-based things or at least more uplifting music,” Parton said.
“Then right out of the blue came King and Country and their ‘God Only Knows.’ And then the Zach Williams song, ‘There Was Jesus.’ All three of those just came and I went, ‘Well, that must be an answer.’ I’ve got three faith-based songs out now, which I feel very good about.
“Whether you believe in God or not, we need to believe in something bigger and better than what’s going on because we’re not doing too hot. We need to try to do a little better.”
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Parton continued by saying while she does not want to force her beliefs on anybody, she hopes that people will see her life as pointing to God and not to anybody else.
“I’m not trying to tell anybody how to be,” Parton said. “I just say who I am and how I am.”
“If there’s something you see in me that’s got a light, then I like to think that’s God’s light — not my light,” she continued.
“In my faith, it bothers me sometimes when I see people worshiping the stars and all that. I’m like, ‘Oh Lord, don’t ever let me go there.’ That’s why I want to ship that on up to God. I don’t need nobody worshiping me. If I do shine and radiate, I’d like to think that is God’s light and I’d like to pass that on. I want to direct people to Him, not me.”
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