Affairs? Drugs? You could ask Dolly Parton about anything and get a laugh. Just stay away from politics …

One autumn day in 2023 I bathed in the luminous glow of this utterly authentic star – and while she did have one weak spot, her life and music will speak for themselves Celebrity tributes pour in for Dolly Parton Dolly Parton’s 10 best deep cuts Alexis Petridis on Dolly Parton’s peerless career The great privilege of my kind of journalism is to get the chance to meet extraordinary people – some…