Being a country music artist isn’t for the faint of heart. The job entails a lot of long hours, a lot of traveling, and a schedule that never stops. For that reason, it makes sense that some country artists choose to retire and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
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But some country artists still want to keep working. We found three country artists who are still making music, more than 50 years after their careers first began.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton was just 18 years old when she moved to Nashville from her home in the Smoky Mountains. In 1967, Parton was 21 years old when her debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, was released.
Parton, who will turn 80 next month, is now working harder than ever. In addition to still expanding her country music career, her Dolly: A True Original Musical will hit Broadway next year. She also has a Songteller hotel opening in Nashville, and has numerous other business ventures, including her line of wine, beauty products, food items, jewelry, and much more.
Even more surprising, the “I Will Always Love You” singer still has more she wants to do.
“People say, ‘Well, you’re going to be 80 years old.’ Well, so what? Look at all I’ve done in 80 years,” she reflects to People. “I feel like I’m just getting started. I know that sounds stupid, but unless my health gives way, which right now I seem to be doing fine.”
Willie Nelson
Before Willie Nelson was a successful singer, he was a songwriter. Nelson found success with songs like Patsy Cline’s “Crazy“, Faron Young’s “Hello Walls”, and more.
Nelson was 29 years old when his first album, …And Then I Wrote, was released. Last month, Nelson released Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle, his 78th solo album and 155th of his career. The record is his take on some of Merle Haggard’s biggest hits.
Now 92, Nelson is still performing and plans to keep working as long as possible. In a recent interview, Nelson said every time he thinks about quitting, the music lures him back.
“Oh yeah, I quit every night,” he says (via Fox News). “After every tour, I say this is it. And then I get the urge again to go back.”
The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys actually began as The Oak Ridge Quartet in the early 40s, as a gospel group, later changing their name to The Oak Ridge Boys. For almost 50 years, The Oak Ridge Boys consisted of the same lineup, one that ended at the end of 2023, when Joe Bonsall came off the road due to his battle with ALS.
Bonsall, who passed away in 2024, was replaced by Ben James. James joins William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban, and Duane Allen, all of whom have been part of The Oak Ridge Boys for decades. Golden joined in 1965, leaving the group in 1987, and returning in 1996. Sterban joined in 1972, while Allen became an official member in 1966.
The Oak Ridge Boys’ latest album, Mama’s Boys, came out in 2024. Duane Allen says the remaining members have no plans to stop working.
“They said, ‘We’ve all talked, and we want to keep working. We’re not through singing yet,’” Allen tells Taste of Country.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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