How Does Dolly Do It All?

Country music fans are shouting, “Hello, Dolly!” again, since the Nashville legend has been touring this summer behind her new CD, “Pure & Simple.”

Released Aug. 19, it’s her 43rd studio album, made up of all love songs, with a stripped-down production (think acoustic) that hearkens back to her roots. The CD debuted at No. 1 in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia.

She was hesitant to mount an extended North American tour, her largest in 25 years, with some 60 dates in the U.S. and Canada.

“I may not be pure, but I’m as simple as they come!” jokes the 70-year old about the title.

The singer co-produced the album and wrote all 10 songs. Two offerings, “Say Forever You’ll Be Mine” and “Tomorrow is Forever,” are new performances of songs she originally sang as classic duets with Grand Ole Opry star Porter Wagoner in the ’70s.

Parton says the inspiration for a collection of love songs is her reclusive husband, Carl Dean, to whom she’s been married for 50 years. The two celebrated their anniversary by renewing their vows in late May of this year. In a statement, Parton said, “If I had it to do all over, I’d do it all over again, and we did. I’m dragging him kicking and screaming into the next 50 years. Wish us luck.”

In concert, she jokes that the reason the marriage has worked for 50 years is because she’s been on the road for 45.

Parton is doubtless one of the most famous women in the world. But she says she was hesitant to mount an extended North American tour, her largest in 25 years, with some 60 dates in the U.S. and Canada. Her reason? Since she no longer has hit records on the radio, she was afraid people wouldn’t buy tickets.

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She needn’t have worried. Not only have Parton’s old fans turned out in droves, but new ones, too — many of them surprised at how many instruments (including the saxophone) Dolly now plays on stage.

Elizabeth Clifford, of Louisville, Kentucky, saw her first Dolly show recently, in Evansville, Indiana, and declared it “the best concert I’ve ever seen. She’s got talent coming out of her ears, along with that undefinable magic that takes hold of you and sweeps you right in.”

Dolly’s staying power also has much to do with her unsinkable personality (a Smoky Mountain Mae West), the feathery characteristic of her child-woman voice, and the quality of her songwriting and delivery. (In concert, she mixes spirituals with her trademark country, bluegrass, and pop-tinged sound.)

She is the most decorated female country performer in history, selling 100 million records, winning seven Grammys, and scoring 25 No. 1 songs on the Billboard Country charts — a record for a female artist.

“Dolly’s blend of wit, poetry, and her Appalachian honesty have given her music a durability that’s lasted over half a century,” said Rich Kienzle, country music critic and author of the new biography, “The Grand Tour: The Life and Music of George Jones.”

“She’s worked in various styles, yet she always comes back to the basics. She’s been an enormous influence on contemporary singer-writers like Ashley Monroe and Kacey Musgraves.”

And on Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. The new “Complete Trio Collection,” Parton’s collaborations with the two in the ’80s and ’90s, is available Sept. 9.

But Parton is also an actress (starting with “Nine to Five” and “Steel Magnolias” in the ’80s), businesswoman (the Dollywood theme park in East Tennessee), humanitarian, and author. Her new children’s book, “Coat of Many Colors,” which pairs pictures with her buoyant song lyrics, will be published Oct. 18. Proceeds will go to her nonprofit Imagination Library, which promotes childhood literacy.

And on Nov. 30, NBC will air “Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love,” the sequel to last December’s family film, “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors,” which drew 13 million viewers. In the new movie, she plays the town trollop who inspired her flashy look.

Meanwhile, her current tour continues through Dec. 10. Recently, a talk show host asked her if she has any pre-show rituals.

Yes, she said. “I pray and pee, in that order.”