Dolly Parton says praying is part of her pre-show ritual

Dolly Parton, the most honored female country performer of all time, has revealed that her pre-show ritual is to "pray and pee, in that order."

The 70-year-old country music star, with more than 3,000 self-written songs as well as an amusement park and roller coaster in Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee named after her, appeared Wednesday in an interview with TODAY to promote her 60-city tour "Pure and Simple."

The legendary singer also revealed what she does before every show.

"Well, I pray and pee in that order," said Parton.

The record producer, actress, author, and businesswoman doesn't shy away from revealing intimate details about herself and is known for openly talking about her Christian faith.

"People say, 'Well, I am surprised that you talk about your faith,' and I say, 'Why not? That's who I am. That's what keeps me going,'" Parton told CBN News.

She also attributes God as the inspiration behind her songs, including "I Will Always Love You," widely mistaken as Whitney Houston's song.

"Any time I write something that is just a line that I know didn't come from me, I just sort of say, 'Hey, give me a high five, Lord. Give me a thumbs up,'" said Parton.

She also credits her Christian upbringing and her grandfather, who used to be a preacher, to her spiritual songs such as "Letter to Heaven" and "Hello God."

Parton was born fourth of 12 siblings to a poor family. She released in December last year the made-for-television movie "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors" to pay tribute to her parents, Robert Lee and Avie Lee, whom she inherited her Christian values from.

"I grew up knowing that Jesus loves me. And I knew that through God all things were possible," said Parton.

As a Christian, Parton supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. She also claims to have best friends and business people of different faiths. She attributes her openness and acceptance for the diverse visitors of her Christian amusement park Dollywood.

"We're all God's children. No matter how we try to get to heaven, we all wanna go there. We just have our own routes to take, and that's how I look at it," she told Newsweek.

Parton also sends free books to children through her Imagination Library project.