Dolly Parton made no secret of her love for Johnny Carson. During a 1979 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, the late, great country star gushed over the famed host.
“I only like the showโwell, I think other people do a good jobโbut I only really like to watch it when you’re on,” Parton told the host. “I don’t call it The Tonight Show. To me, it’s The Johnny Carson Show. I’m serious!”
Videos by American Songwriter
Parton then started to strum on her guitar, prompting Carson to ask, “You want me to hold that for you?”
“No, I’m going to pick it a little, as good as I can with these nails,” she quipped, referencing her lengthy acrylic nails. “It’s all in the words. I think it is. It’s not supposed to be too serious.”
Dolly Parton Sings for Johnny Carson
With that, Parton began playing in earnest, and started singing the song she penned for Carson.
I have come a long way from the hills of Tennessee
And I’ve worked hard to make the folks back home real proud of me
Now everybody knows my name no matter where I go
But I never really made it till The Johnny Carson Show
Now I have dreamed of stardom since I was just a kid
And me ‘n’ Dollar dreamed beneath this thirteen dollar wig
In my bell-bottom jumpsuits with my rhinestones all aglow
I became an overnight success from The Johnny Carson Show
From polyester paradisะต to silk and satin frills
From a 48 foot mobile home to a mansion on thะต hill
From moonshine to rare wine, from a Packard to a Rolls
But I’d never really made it till The Johnny Carson Show
Now there’s only one small problem, sometimes I get disturbed
Folks sometimes get me confused with Monti Rock III
But still I think it’s worth it and I just thought you should know
That I’ll always owe a special thanks to The Johnny Carson Show
I went from pop beads to diamonds, from car coats to fur
From K-Mart to Guccis, from here no tellin’ where
From Hillbilly Heaven to a penthouse on the coast
But I never really made it till The Johnny Carson Show
The song clearly moved Carson. He leaned over his desk to offer Parton a hug and a kiss on the cheek after she finished her performance.
Photo by: Gary Null/NBC via Getty Images
More Features
-
British pop group The Kinks, circa May 1964. Clockwise, from left: drummer Mick Avory, guitarist Dave Davies, bassist Pete Quaife (1934 – 2010) and singer Ray Davies. (Photo by Tom Hustler/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – Kane Brown performs onstage during the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 17, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for ACM) -
(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Bon Jovi, live, Moscow Music Peace Festival 1989 at Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, USSR, 12th and 13th August, 1989. (L-R) Richie Sambora (guitar), Jon Bon Jovi (vocals). (Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) -
CARDIFF, WALES – JUNE 24: Robert Smith of The Cure performs onstage during a concert at Blackweir Fields on June 24, 2026 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Maxine Howells/Getty Images) -
Paul McCartney of The Beatles, at press conference to announce Leicester University's art festival, held at the Royal Garden Hotel, London, 5th February 1968. (Photo by Blandford/Mirrorpix/Getty Images) -
Sandy West performing with the Runaways -
Musician Toby Keith performs on stage during the 2009 CMT Music Awards at the Sommet Center on June 16, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) -
Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images