Why did you decide to hire people with traditional Appalachian skills at Dollywood?
I wanted people working there who were connected with the land and the local culture. They made it real, not phony. It made me feel comfortable. And I guess I thought it would make the visitors feel that way, too. Are you worried that Dollywood will eventually lose the real in favor of the commercial and packaged? We need to remain true to what we have. In the Smokies, there’s always been so much know-how—that pioneer spirit. I’m keen to maintain the soul of the place. To celebrate God’s beauty—that means go for a nice walk, smell that air, feel the temperature, hold on to the sense of the moment, take a drift on a trail, look deeply into the stream. That means so much more than all the artifice in the world. Great Smoky Mountains is one of our most iconic and visited parks. Are you concerned about the health of a national treasure that has been a part of your life for decades? Absolutely. We’ve just got to pay closer attention to life—and the life of the park. I’ve written this new CD
