Dolly Parton worries about being "grounded here for ever" if technology means her career can continue after she's dead.
The 77-year-old singer is content with her musical legacy and isn't sure she would want artificial intelligence (AI) software being used to create new songs or recreate her likeness on stage after she has passed away because she doesn't want her soul to stay "on this Earth".
Speaking to reporters in London on Thursday (29.06.23), she quipped: "The only intelligence I have is artificial. Everything I have is artificial."
She then added: “I’ve left a great body of work behind and I don’t know at this moment in time how they’d manage to keep me around.
“I’ll have to decide how much of that hi-tech stuff I want to be involved in, but I don’t want to leave my soul here on this Earth.
“I feel like I’d be grounded here for ever. When I go I want to fly away. I ain’t leaving any time soon if I can help it.”
The 'Jolene' hitmaker insisted she doesn't feel her age and quipped she looks younger than her years thanks to a trio of measures.
Asked about the secret to looking young, she said: “Good doctors, good make-up and good lighting.
"How else would I do it? I keep trying. I try to stay young in spirit and I think that spills over a little bit. I’ll never feel as old as I am.”
Dolly - who is married to Carl Dean - will release a 30-track album 'Rockstar', which features some original songs and a string of rock covers, in November and she urged fans to buy the record.
She laughed: “I hope it’s a big hit because it costs a lot of money to look this cheap. I need the money.”
