On September 19, 1979, Dolly Parton took to "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" with more than her trademark sparkle and wit. Guitar in hand, the 33-year-old country star unveiled a one-of-a-kind song she had written just for Carson — a heartfelt “thank you” for the role he and his top-rated show played in catapulting her career to new heights.
With her playful humor and unmistakable twang, Parton explained to Carson: “Well, I wrote this song because it’s been real good for me ever since I started on your show. And you said one time, once I got to be real famous I probably wouldn’t come back on the show — but I always will. I’m here about as much as you are.” The audience roared, Carson chuckled and what followed was a musical love letter brimming with gratitude and glittering imagery.
In the ditty, Parton charted her rise from humble roots in the Smoky Mountains to the glamorous world of Hollywood stardom. The lyrics sparkle with jewelry references, perfectly suited to her rhinestone-studded persona.
She sings, "I went from pop beads to diamonds, from car coats to fur / From Kmart to Guccis, from here no tellin' where / From Hillbilly Heaven to a penthouse on the coast / But I never really made it till 'The Johnny Carson Show'."
In four clever lines, she distilled an entire rags-to-riches journey into a shimmering snapshot, the diamonds symbolizing how far she had come.
True to form, Dolly laced her tribute with humor. At one point, she quipped that fans sometimes confused her with flamboyant performer Monti Rock III — a joke that played off their shared love of big hair and campy glamor. The crowd erupted, and Carson, delighted, leaned into the bit. It was classic Parton: always quick to poke fun at herself while dazzling everyone else in the room.
By the time she strummed her final chord — acrylic nails clicking against the strings — Carson leaned in with genuine affection, thanking her for the gift. The audience rose in applause, but it was Dolly’s sincerity that lingered. As she sang, “I never really made it till 'The Johnny Carson Show',” it was clear she meant every word.
The moment captured everything that makes Parton a legend: her humility, her wit and her unmatched ability to weave storytelling, humor and heart into song. Already a country star with hits like “Jolene” and “Coat of Many Colors,” she was on the brink of even greater fame. Within a year, she would dominate the pop charts with “9 to 5” and break through to a new strata of superstardom.
Today, at 79, Dolly Parton remains a cultural icon — a Country Music Hall of Famer, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, philanthropist and businesswoman whose career has spanned more than five decades. Yet moments like her 1979 ode to Carson remind us that she never lost sight of the people who helped her shine.
Below, we’ve included the video and lyrics to Dolly’s “A Thank You to Johnny Carson.” We invite you to listen, sing along, and enjoy one of music’s brightest stars at her most playful and sincere…
"The Johnny Carson Show"
Written and performed by Dolly Parton.
I have come a long way from the hills of Tennessee
And I've worked hard to make the folks back home real proud of me
Now everybody knows my name no matter where I go
But I never really made it till "The Johnny Carson Show"
Now I have dreamed of stardom since I was just a kid
And me 'n' Dollar dreamed beneath this thirteen dollar wig
In my bell-bottom jumpsuits with my rhinestones all aglow
I became an overnight success from "The Johnny Carson Show"
From polyester paradise to silk and satin frills
From a forty-eight foot mobile home to a mansion on the hill
From moonshine to rare wine, from a Packard to a Rolls
But I'd never really made it till "The Johnny Carson Show"
Now there's only one small problem, sometimes I get disturbed
The folks sometimes get me confused with Monti Rock the third
But still I think it's worth it and I just thought you should know
That I'll always owe a special thanks to "The Johnny Carson Show"
I went from pop beads to diamonds, from car coats to fur
From Kmart to Guccis, from here no tellin' where
From Hillbilly Heaven to a penthouse on the coast
But I never really made it till "The Johnny Carson Show"
Credit: Screen capture via YouTube / Bill Poole.