Dolly Parton is looking back on one of the encounters of her youth, the day she met Johnny Cash. The country icon, now 79, said she first crossed paths with Cash when she was just 13, moments before he introduced her debut performance on the Grand Ole Opry stage. Parton remembered the overwhelming emotions she felt meeting a young Johnny Cash backstage.
Dolly Parton recalls being ‘starstruck’ with her first crush Johnny Cash
In an interview with PEOPLE, Dolly Parton recalled her “first big crush” moment, saying, “I was starstruck with Johnny Cash — that was when he was young.” She continued, “That was the first time I ever knew or understood what sex appeal was, or that feeling that made you just feel all kinds of things all over your body.” Although Parton had experienced “little crushes” on boys her age, none matched what she felt for Cash. She said his presence sparked emotions she didn’t yet have a name for.
“That’s when my hormones [were] beginning to rage,” she explained. “I just felt all those feelings for him, because he was very charismatic. I thought about it years later.” The singer further revealed, “That’s the first time I understood what they call charisma. Or whatever that thing is that people have. Well, he had that thing, and it worked its magic on me.”
Parton said she remained close with Cash through the years and even shared the story of her first major crush with him. She also teased his wife, June Carter Cash, about it: “I told June that years later. I told her, ‘I had him first. I loved him before you did.’”
Parton still treasures the memory of that night at the Opry, calling it a milestone in her rise as an artist. “I was just teenager, and I got to sing on the Grand Ole Opry — that was a magic night,” she remembered. “I felt special that night, too.”
Parton also reflected on her personal life, including her nearly 59-year marriage to her late husband, Carl Dean, who died in March. “Ours is a great old love story. Most people don’t stay that close that long,” she said. “That’s a loss. Nobody can ever know that unless you’ve experienced it yourself. He will always be in my heart and in my memories.” She added that Dean, who intentionally stayed away from the spotlight, played a crucial role in her success. “Without Carl, I wouldn’t be here,” she stated.
