July 28, 2025
Lawrence Grobel is a close friend of Dolly Parton, as he recalled in his conversation with her about the chance of interviewing serial killer Charles Manson.
The Jolene singer, a firm believer in spirituality, advised her friend not to interview after he approached her for guidance.
"I think he’d steal your soul," the country musician told him, according to his diary entry. "I can’t even look at a picture of him."
Getting a step ahead, Dolly even told Lawrence if he were to interview him, "This devil (Manson) has come up between us. You and me would be more like in a battle and I’d be looking at you differently.
"Because it would change you and you may not even know it. The darkness is something not to get involved with."
Her way of expressing the concerns made an impact on him as he penned in his diary at the time that the 79-year-old "pretty much made my decision for me," he concluded, "No candy if I play with the devil."
Ultimately, Lawrence declined the interview, and his bond with Dolly seemed to remain.