Dolly Parton has long been an icon in Tennessee, her home state, where she's beloved for her philanthropy and raunchy wit. And in a moment when celebrities are almost expected to take political stances, Dolly is noticeable for her lack of controversy. How does she manage to charm everyone? What does that say about her as a person? 

No, this is not an interview with Dolly Parton. But it is an interview with Jad Abumrad, another native Tennessean who has spent months interviewing Dolly fans, Dolly experts and Dolly herself for his new podcast Dolly Parton's America.  

"For me, what's fascinating about Dolly is not that she's liberal or conservative but that she defies all those categories," he says. 

Movers & Thinkers is a production of Nashville Public Radio. It's hosted and produced by Emily Siner, edited by Blake Farmer and Anita Bugg, and mastered by Carl Pederson. Find more in-depth interviews with fascinating Nashvillians at wpln.org/movers.