I Just Love You Pure and Simple. Pure and simple and sublime.

Dolly Parton’s music has always been about love. For decades she has captured our hearts whether it was a song about a mother’s love (Coat of Many Colours), romantic love (Islands In The Stream) or losing love (I Will Always Love You.) With her 43rd album Pure and Simple Parton returns to her roots. A stripped down show is also what fans can expect when Parton brings her Pure and Simple tour to Calgary September 16th and Edmonton September 17th.

"I just wanted to do a plain and simple album. We decided early on that we were going to do a tour. We did production and calling the tour Pure and Simple and I didn’t have time to do an album but we needed one. It’s my 50th anniversary this year so I wrote an album of love songs. Since they were pure and simple in their nature it seemed just natural to scale it down and not have a big production. A lot of the songs sound like my early productions and a lot of people seem to like it," Parton told a media conference call recently. "I’d like to think that my old fans will like it and I will pick up some new ones. I wasn’t going for a different sound. I just wanted a pure and simple sound reminiscent to the songs I did early in my career."

The album shot to #1 on country charts around the world, showing that fans both old and new have clicked with Pure and Simple. One of the standout songs is I’m 16 which Parton feels would make a great music video.

"We have not done any videos or even talked about it yet. We are on tour. I think they have recorded me singing on stage and they might put that out as a video. Once the album comes out and we see what people are responding to and if they decide to play some on the radio then we may do a video based on that. There is one song on my album that would make a fantastic video which is I’m 16. I had the most fun writing that song. I based it on one of my sisters who had gone through some bad relationships and thought she was never going to find true love. Of course she up and did and they act like they are 16 years old. I thought what a cute idea, love is so rejuvenating and makes you feel young again. When I was writing it I thought Oh my lord this would be the greatest video ever! To get a bunch of old people thinking they were still young and dressing in poodle skirts and doing the jitterbug but then have a young couple flashback to where they are skinny dipping and doing all the things kids do. There is a line it goes to show you’re never old unless you choose to be. I’ll be 16 forever just as long as you love me. That would make a good video."

When the reporter suggested the video would include some senior citizen nudity, Parton’s musical laugh echoed over the phone.

"I’ve got my giggle box turned over," she said, instantly charming everyone.

Parton’s charm, along with her songwriting ability, is one of the keys to her longevity in an often harsh industry. Just like our first interview with her in the November 2009 issue, Parton is a pleasure to talk to. For many the connection also lies in her longstanding support and love of the LGBT community.

"I would like to think they know I love them and accept them. I have a lot of gays and lesbians in my family and in my businesses. I don’t even think about if you are straight or gay, I love you because I love you and I think people respond to that. Everybody should be allowed to be exactly who they are and love who they love. We are all God’s children and have the right to our own happiness. I’ve been loved for being accepting I guess. I have been persecuted for the way I look. I just care about the soul and the heart of people," she said. Country music fans (and stars – Blake Shelton has recently been taken to task for some homophobic remarks for example) aren’t always known for being open minded, something Parton hopes will change.

"What really gets me is there are so many country people that are supposed to be good Christian people. If they would exercise more of what the bible says – to love your neighbor and not to judge – God is the judge. There is room for everybody to be more accepting of all people. There is so much prejudice in this world. We are all God’s children and should love and accept one another. People should get over themselves and think about what would make this world a better place. A good place to start would be to allow people to be free and happy in their own selves. I can’t imagine that you can be happy judging and criticizing people."

Whether it is Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, kd Lang or current country artists like Taylor Swift, female country artists often have a strong connection to the lesbian audience as well.

"Music speaks to all women. We are women in this business and my songs are very positive towards women and to do what you want to do. Just the fact that we are hanging together doing our thing, the stories and emotions are things we all feel whether we are gay or straight."

History will be made this weekend. Dolly Parton will be the second performer at Edmonton’s new Rogers Place arena – the first being Keith Urban. Parton was excited to perform in the new venue as one of the first to grace its stage, stating that she has visited friends in Edmonton many times and loves Alberta. Reviews for the tour thus far have been glowingly positive.

"Knowing that I’m going to be performing in a new building, I’ll try to just work extra hard and make a special memory for all of us. People just seem to love (the show.) It seems like a more intimate setting and they can hear me better because there are not a lot of distractions. We are focused on each other and I am enjoying it. I love singing with great musicians but I don’t have to sing hard. It has been a very pleasant and enjoyable thing."

Staying healthy on the road is a challenge for the confessed potato fanatic.

"When I am on tour I have to try and stay on a low carb diet and I am a big eater. I have to stay in my stage clothes. On days off though I am a big junk food person. Potatoes are my weakness, every diet I ever fell off of has been because of a potato in some form. I have always got to have my starches like macaroni and cheese that are comfort foods. I am short and older and don’t get as much exercise as I should so I have to balance it out because I have the tendency to get fat if I ain’t careful cause I’m little. I eat the potatoes on my days off, everybody seems to think that I spend a lot more energy then I feel like. I am just an active person and kind of hyper and in motion all of the time. Hopefully I burn off some of the stuff I eat on those off days the next night."

In a disappointing trend, more and more current artists are playing 80 or 90 minute shows it is incredible to see established artists play for 2+ hours. Preparing for a tour mentally and physically at 70 is a challenge as well as deciding on which songs between the new album and her many classics is really difficult.

"I love doing shows and the audience gives me a lot of energy. The hardest part of doing a show is actually working it up and deciding what you are going to do. I still love it like I always did and pace myself pretty well. I try to choose the songs based on the dynamics of the show and keep the energy level at a good pace. I love to tell stories and place them throughout the show so we are all in it together. I base some of my talking on the audience, I can tell if they are into the stories and will talk more if they are more into the music I will do less talk and more music. If you are in tune to your audience you will do a good show."

It is clear in her shows and in speaking to her how much Parton still loves all of this – performing, her interactions with fans, and even doing press – something that is becoming rarer among artists at her level. Although this is Parton’s first large scale cross Canada tour in decades, one can hope it is not the last

"I love it as much as the day I first performed. I really can’t tell you how I love to do it now and how important it is. I want to do this forever. I recognize the number of my age and so I ain’t got as much time as I used to have so I want to make the most of every single minute. I will never retire. I hope to drop dead in the middle of a song on stage in the future. I really do love it because time is precious and I have accomplished so much. I have to be responsible for the dreams I dreamed of accomplishing. I don’t ever want to be slack or take that for granted and I am so appreciative to the fans and grateful to god for that opportunity."

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