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Exclusive interview: Dolly Parton begins Aussie tour

Fifty years in the business and Dolly Parton is as fresh as ever – in mind and body.

In the midst of a world tour, the 68-year-old shows no signs of slowing down, having just released her 42nd studio album, Blue smoke.

“If I see something sagging, dragging or bagging, I'm going to have it nipped, tucked and sucked,” Parton said.

The singer’s overseas tour started in Auckland, New Zealand, and tomorrow night it will be Australia’s turn to see and hear her on stage.

Over the years, Parton has sold 100 million records, won seven Grammy Awards and says there is plenty more to come.

“Oh, I wake up every day with new dreams,” Parton said.

Never shy about using her life as song-writing inspiration, Parton says her famous song 'Coat of many colours' is about her poor upbringing.

“It’s a song that connected with me because when we were kids, we did it pretty tough because we were immigrants in the days of the late ‘50s,” she said.

“I sang it every night, I always see my mother, it always just takes my whole life back to during that time,” she said.

The good news for fans is that the country singer has no plans to retire.

I hope to just fall over dead one of these days, right in the middle of a song or something lovely that I'm doing,” she said.

“And people will say, ‘Did you see her? She just died with a smile on her face’.”