Dolly Parton’s first album was released in 1967 and ten years later she was performing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Without leaving her interview chair, she whips out a guitar and begins playing what is now one of the most popular Dolly songs (behind “Jolene” and “9 to 5” of course). She prefaces the tune by saying that it was a song her mother has always hated.

She goes on to explain that at the time her mother was ill and that if she heard this song and got angry it might help her to get her strength back sooner. Talk about tough love! Dolly Parton’s mother, Avie Lee Caroline, did make it through and lived until the age of 80, so maybe there was something in that logic. What’s the song? “Traveling Man” is the tune and you can see her perform in the video below.

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