Dolly Reveals Best Kept Secret During Surprise Visit To Senior Center

Country Star Dolly Parton‘s dream is “to make as many people happy as I could in this life.” She’s making that dream come true.

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It’s easy to see why the fiery, yet diminutive lady is one of the world’s most beloved singers. The rags-to-rhinestones Tennessee star has never ever forgotten where she came from.

Dolly, one of the youngest 72-year-old entertainers on the face of the earth, made a surprise visit to the senior center located in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee. Formerly known as the Fort Sanders Sevier Senior Center, the naming rights recently expired. Waiting in the wings was Dolly, with a wish to support the center and rename it in honor of her parents, Robert and Avie Lee Parton.

The new name of the center is the “My People Senior Activity Center.” It’s a tribute to everyone who supported her climb to the top.  “My People” is the name of a song Parton helped write and release in 2013. It’s also the name of her fund that benefited families who lost their homes to the devastating wildfires in the Great Smoky Mountains.

“I’m so honored and so proud to be here,” Dolly shared, “and I want to thank everybody that’s had a part in this, and for years, I talked about my brothers and my sisters, my mom and dad and my aunts, uncles, cousins, and I call them my people,” Parton said, according to Knox News.

“Of course, you know I’m a senior, too. When I was over in Sevier County High School, I couldn’t wait to be a senior, and now that I’m in my second childhood, I’m a senior again,” Dolly quipped.

She added, “Anyways, I saw one of my old boyfriends from high school. He said, ‘Dolly, you look like a million dollars.’ I said, ‘Well, thank you. That’s just about how much it’s cost to make me look like this.'”

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Parton couldn’t help but share her secret to staying young at heart, telling the seniors: “I just keep myself busy, and I think that’s the key to staying young, and I’m proud to be a senior citizen.”

What would you do if Dolly showed up to teach at your workout class?  We’d love to know your favorite Dolly song, too! Share your thoughts with us below.