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Amanpour

Interview with Held Hostage by Hamas for More Than Two Years Evyatar David; Interview with Jared Genser; Interview with Musician Judy Collins; Interview with Singer-Songwriter Margo Price. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired August 26, 2026 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[13:00:00]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone, and welcome to "Amanpour." Here's what's coming up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EVYATAR DAVID, HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS: One hour I can be fine and happy and the second one I can remember something from

captivity and get flashbacks. And also, I can wake up at night from nightmares.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: After more than two years held hostage by Hamas and almost a year since his release, Evyatar David speaks to me in his first

international interview about the trauma that followed him home and the fight to rebuild his life.

Then fears grow that former Pakistani Prime Minister and star cricketer, Imran Khan, may not survive prison as concerns mount over his health and

the conditions of his detention. I speak to his international lawyer, Jared Genser.

Plus --

DOLLY PARTON, SINGER AND PHILANTHROPIST: I count my blessings more than I count my money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: -- remembering Dolly Parton, an American icon whose music and generosity touched millions. Singers Judy Collins and Margo Price join me

to reflect on her extraordinary legacy.

Welcome to the program, everyone. I'm Bianna Golodryga in New York sitting in for Christiane Amanpour.

They were the harrowing pictures that shocked the world. A young man severely emaciated, forced to dig his own grave in a tunnel beneath Gaza.

Evyatar David was at the Nova Music Festival and was among the 251 people kidnapped from Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023. He spent more than two

years in captivity before being released as part of the U.S. brokered ceasefire agreement last year. In the months since, David has been

overcoming unimaginable trauma as he learns to rebuild his life.

Now, in his first international interview, he's ready to speak about what he endured and to share an extraordinary message of resilience. Evyatar

David joined me from his home near Kfar Saba earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: Evyatar, thank you so much for joining us today. You chose this moment for your first international interview since you were released from

captivity after 738 days last October. Of course, the world was shocked and horrified when Hamas released that propaganda video of you emaciated. It's

food deprived, starved, forced to dig your own grave. Now, almost a year later, you are home. You look amazing.

But I know that you've said surviving captivity is one thing, but complete rehabilitation is a different battle. Where are you in that battle today?

EVYATAR DAVID, HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS: First of all, it's very complicated. Even myself, I'm not sure yet where I'm really

going because, you know, all that thing, it never happened to me. And almost nobody had like a similar experience before. So, it's new to me and

to anybody here. And I'm trying to understand how to do like good rehab and how to help myself with all of this.

GOLODRYGA: As noted, physically, you have made quite the recovery compared to that horrific image of you digging your own grave. But once you describe

the PTSD that you've experienced and the flashbacks continuing to an Israeli journalist and you said that they come and they go, what does a

good day look like right now? And what does a bad day look like?

DAVID: It's not about days. It's about just it can surprise me at any time. One hour, I can be fine and happy. And the second one, I can remember

something from captivity and get flashbacks. And also, I can wake up at night from nightmares. So, it affects all of my day after that.

[13:05:00]

It's very unstable. It's not by days. It's by random time. It can happen any time.

GOLODRYGA: I was able to witness some of those incredible reunions of family members with loved ones and hostages who were released. I was there

in Israel for a number of the releases as well. You had the world covering those moments, the reunion last year with you and your family. The Israeli

media was covering it day in, day out. Now, almost a year later, is it harder or is it easier without all of that media attention?

DAVID: It's harder. It's harder. But I think it's very important that I can use this for good reasons and for important goals that I have. But

sometimes it's hard. Yes, it's not that easy. You know, I was a regular person before. No one knew me before. And now, it's very different. And it

still takes time to process all of this. And it's not that easy.

GOLODRYGA: I can't imagine what that process is like for you. But let's talk about some of the positive media attention. And that happened last

week. You were at Eliya Cohen and Ziv Abud wedding. Eliya, another hostage. He survived captivity. This was a celebration that two years ago not many

would imagine would ultimately happen. And yet, there was faith, there was hope that there would be reunions like this one. And they were married.

When you were watching them under that chuppah, after everything they've experienced, that you've experienced, what was that like?

DAVID: I think for me and for everybody, all of the former hostages, it's like a huge victory for all of us. They tried to take all of us and take

our lives and ruin our family's life and everybody here's life. And eventually they didn't manage to ruin Eliya and Ziv's life. Eventually they

got married under the chuppah. And it's the biggest closure and victory.

GOLODRYGA: And that was just one of two weddings that you've recently attended. Your own brother, the week prior, got married as well. I

interviewed your brother. Your brother became such an ardent defender and spokesperson for you and other hostages on media day in and day out with so

many other family members pushing, demanding your release. Here you were at his wedding, playing the guitar as your sister sang. What has music meant

for you in this road of recovery?

DAVID: Music, it's very -- like, when sometimes I feel sad or upset or something, it's like one of the best things I can do to myself. If I want

to run out of the thoughts, it's one of the biggest tools in my recovery. I can say it for sure. It does make me feel calm, unstressed. I don't know

what I would have done without music, without playing guitar. I'm glad I have it.

GOLODRYGA: We are so glad you have it back in your life as well. And, Evyatar, you told Israeli media, quote, "People think captivity is death,

but there you want to live even more." Help us understand what did living more look like day in and day out when you were held in some of the most

horrific, imaginable places in the world in those tunnels in Gaza?

DAVID: First of all, the thought that I will get back to my family again, to my parents, to my sister, to my brother, it kept me, like, very strong,

because I knew there's a lot to come back for. It's worth to survive, even if it's, like, feel almost impossible.

So, the family, friends, and all the love outside just hoped so much to go back there, to go back here to the outside world. And I know it's just

worth to survive. Outside just hoped so much to go back there, to go back here to the outside world. And I know it's just worth to survive.

[13:10:00]

GOLODRYGA: Part of what kept you alive emotionally and physically was being in captivity with one of your childhood best friends, Guy Gilboa-

Dalal. You were with him almost in the entirety of your time in captivity there in Gaza. And you've said that you kept each other alive in different

ways. You helped him physically. He helped you mentally. You would ask him, tell me something good. How on earth could he find something good to tell

you to keep you going all of those horrific days in captivity?

DAVID: You can always find something good. It's about how you think, how you're looking at things. So, we knew it could always get worse. It doesn't

matter how our conditions is bad. It could always get worse. So, you can always find good things, always. Yes.

GOLODRYGA: He was counting out the food rations that you were given on the days that you were fed. There were far too many days, however, that you

weren't fed. And that brings me to that video that the world saw of you emaciated, forced to dig your own grave. You've said that it was the

commander, the Hamas terrorist commander, who picked you for that video because you looked worse than everyone else that was there with you.

And he forced you to write out a three-month calendar and list day by day the amount of food that you ate. And a number of those days, there was no

food that you were given. Just talk about that moment.

DAVID: So, yes. One day before the video, so the commander went inside our tunnel, and he just took a picture of my body and guy's body. And he saw I

look worse than him. So, they decided to take me for the video. To -- yes, I'll be the actor of the video.

And, again, everything you see there, like the paper with all the days, like what I eat, what I don't eat, what I eat, it's all staged but it

relies on the truth, because we didn't eat for three months. We were in extreme starvation. We were in starvation, like all the captivity, but

specifically on those three months, it was the worst.

Everything I'm saying there and doing, they tell me what to do. But, of course, how you can see my body, it's all through. I couldn't, I could

barely move, could barely do anything. When I tried to dig the grave, just to hold the shovel, it was almost impossible. Probably the hardest physical

thing I ever did.

And guy were in the video always behind me, they didn't take any picture of him. And it was really like mental abuse. All those three months and this

specific day with the video, even when they're telling me to go with them for the grave, when they wanted me to dig. So, they took me like 50 meters

walk. And for me, it was almost -- I almost collapsed. It was almost impossible for me to do. And I'm telling them that it's very hard, but they

didn't really listen, didn't really care.

And also, when they take me inside their room, the terrorist room, I can hear them laughing and eating cakes and drinking tea. Like there is no

person that walks next to them and looks like a skeleton. It's surreal. It was very frustrating. But this is how they are, they are very cruel.

[13:15:00]

GOLODRYGA: Cruel is an understatement. Did they ever tell you why they were starving you?

DAVID: Yes. They told us that there is no food in Gaza. But we knew it's not true because we always saw them, the terrorists, they were fat and they

had muscles. And we knew they were lying to us and they're doing like, they're starving us for sure. There's no other excuse.

GOLODRYGA: I've spoken to a number of surviving hostages who talked about the pain of starvation, how emotionally stressing that was, the

psychological toll that it took on them. Something that they still grapple with today. You said that you almost came to peace with dying in Gaza due

to bombing or fighting. But you couldn't wrap your head around dying from starvation. Can you talk about that?

DAVID: So, yes, the starvation, this is something we had, the whole captivity, for me and all the former hostages. And beyond the lack of food,

beyond the physical feel that you're always hungry, it's the mental feel that you have nothing to eat. You can't choose what to eat, when to eat,

how much to eat.

You don't know if you're going to have food in one hour, if you're going to have food tomorrow, in two days, you have no idea. This is the most -- one

of the most harder things there, that you have no idea what's going to happen. And maybe you're going to die out of starvation.

So, it's very hard and it makes you feel very stressed. And sometimes you can get mad at one of your friends just because you're hungry. And you can

fight about any small thing because you're so, just because of the stress. And it's probably one of the hardest things.

GOLODRYGA: You had blow-up fights with Guy over the amount of food that they gave you and how he chose to ration his food for the next day. You

accused him of drinking too much water or using too much water at one point. I mean, this was the emotional and psychological terrorism at play

as well.

That video was released, I believe, around your father's birthday, just adding more pain for you and your family. They ultimately made the

agonizing decision to release that video to the public. Have you spoken with them since you've been home about what led to that decision? And do

you think it ultimately led to your release?

DAVID: Yes. I think it was very random. I don't think they did it especially because it's me. It could be any, each and one of us. And I

think it was an important step for my release, for all the others to release. Because the mistake they did in the video when you can see the fat

hand of the terrorist when he gives me a can of beans. So, you can clearly see the lie, OK, that there's no food in Gaza. Because you can see this

terrorist is eating very well and they don't give us food. So, yes, I think it was a very important step.

GOLODRYGA: You've talked about now, almost a year later, the continued PTSD, the flashbacks that you face, the nightmares, the good days, the bad

days. I want to be extra careful in broaching this topic with you. Because I know that a number of the Nova survivor community has taken their own

life, or there's concern about that risk for some of them that are still grappling with the trauma that they experienced.

When you hear news like that, what goes through your mind and what is your message to those survivors about continuing to fight through those demons?

[13:20:00]

DAVID: I think when you feel in your lowest, it's the perfect time not to give up, because that's the point that can break you. And once you

understand it and you don't let it break you, you just keep going, you'll find yourself in a better place, for sure, I can say it. It doesn't matter

what you've been through, what kind of trauma you have, this is the best thing you could do to yourself. Just don't give up when you feel you're

going to break, because this is where the turn point can be.

GOLODRYGA: I know your friends and family launched a crowdfunding campaign so that you could focus entirely on your healing. Survivors, though, have

testified in the Knesset about months-long waits for psychologists and caps on their therapy sessions. You're living inside the system.

Do you think the government is doing enough right now to help those who have survived? And what could you tell this government or the next

government, because there are elections just weeks away, about what they could do differently and better?

DAVID: So, right now we don't have enough help. This is why I do the campaign that my family and friends did for me, for raising money. I

wouldn't do it if I had more help. And I hope the next government will do better. I don't know who it's going to be, but I trust them they will do

better.

GOLODRYGA: Do you still have trust in Prime Minister Netanyahu to do better?

DAVID: Anything can change. It's very unpredictable. But I know I need to focus on my recovery right now. And I have a lot of help here from my

friends, from my family, from the people. And without it, I couldn't do it.

GOLODRYGA: That is the most important for sure. I do want to ask you, because you have real unfortunate insight into this, more than anybody

involved in these talks. Three weeks ago, the Board of Peace announced what President Trump called a historic agreement for Hamas's complete

disarmament. You spent over two years underground with some of these men, these terrorists. You know them in a way no negotiator ever will.

Do you believe Hamas will ever truly give up arms? Do you allow yourself to envision a Hamas-free Gaza and peace?

DAVID: No, I don't think it's possible, because they're pure ideology. They just want the whole land. They don't really care about Gaza. They

don't really care about nothing else. They just want the whole land. So, nothing will satisfy them until they get it. It's -- they're getting

educated about it from their homes, from their parents. It's endless. I could see it in their eyes. It's the thing that they want the most. I never

saw something like that. It's scary, really.

GOLODRYGA: When you say they don't care about Gaza, do you mean their fellow Palestinians?

DAVID: I know that a lot of people from Gaza are actually afraid of Hamas. They say that Hamas don't really care about them, and they just want power.

The only thing they care about is that they want the land of Israel, they want Jerusalem, and they want to kill everybody that's here, if you're a

Jew.

GOLODRYGA: Well, Evyatar, I know you've said that your dream now, going forward, is a simple one. You want to heal, you want to marry, you want to

start a family, and to truly return to normal life. At 25 years old, I wish you all of those dreams coming true and much more. Thank you so much for

sitting down and joining us today.

DAVID: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID: And in spite of it all, Evyatar, along with his brother, will be touring the United States in September speaking about his captivity,

something he says is helping him in his recovery.

[13:25:00]

And still to come for us, as concerns mount over Imran Khan's health, I speak to the former Pakistani prime minister's international lawyer about

the conditions he's being held in

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan may not survive prison. That's the warning from his sons as fears mount for his health, and

his lawyer describes deplorable conditions. Khan was taken to hospital last week under heavy guard, where doctors pronounced him fit. But the

government defied a Supreme Court ruling directing that he be examined at a private hospital. The former cricket star has been in prison since August

of 2023, facing more than 100 cases that he says are politically motivated.

Khan's international lawyer says his treatment amounts to, quote, "slow motion murder." And Jared Genser joins me now from Bethesda, Maryland, with

more. Jared, welcome to the program.

So, as I just said there in the introduction, the legal web surrounding Imran Khan includes some 100 cases. Remind our viewers of what he's being

accused of and what the legal strategy is now to dismantle the charges he's facing.

JARED GENSER, INTERNATIONAL COUNSEL TO IMRAN KHAN: Yes. I mean, I think that, you know, ultimately the current regime saw that Khan was

exceptionally popular and as elections were beginning to approach, decided to lock him up in order to ensure that he would not be able to be reelected

to become prime minister. And they did that by leveling charges against him all across the country of all different kinds. Everything from corruption

to conspiracy to commit violence you know, pretty much any- anything that you could throw at him you know, national security offenses and so forth.

And that's where things have stood.

He's now been in prison for more than three years on now two convictions that he has so far, but with literally, you know, 100 plus still remaining

and with no path forward towards his release, at least at this stage.

GOLODRYGA: When was the last time you were able to speak with him? Have you been able to speak with him?

GENSER: Yes. I actually haven't been able to speak to him. His own lawyers have been denied access to him repeatedly. It's been at least at least six

or eight months since his lawyers saw him. His family has only seen him once now in the last eight months and that was very recently.

[13:30:00]

But a big part of the strategy of the Pakistani regime is to really -- is really to try to crush his spirit so that he either confesses to a crime

that he of course didn't commit or you know, otherwise, you know, break him psychologically. And they're doing that with, you know, really the most

intense and harsh conditions of imprisonment that I've seen really on any case that I've worked in my more than 25-year career.

GOLODRYGA: Given that you haven't been able to speak with him, his lawyers haven't been able to speak with him, and as we've said, his sons are

concerned a-about his health and his welfare and concerned that he could perhaps die if he doesn't get proper healthcare what do we know about his

physical ailments right now, and why do you think the government won't allow him, as the Supreme Court ordered, to be evaluated independently at

Shifa Hospital?

GENSER: Yes. I mean, that's a great question, of course. I think to understand why he is facing serious health challenges despite having gone

to prison with very few to none. You know, for more than three years now, he's been held in prolonged solitary confinement that constitutes torture

under international law. He's being held in a 1.8 by 2.4-meter cell with no ventilation, no windows or natural light, and a toilet crammed into that

small space too. Poor food and water that have caused him extensive vomiting, nausea and weight loss and repeated denial of access to medical

care. As a result of that, despite him having complained for months, he's now lost 85 percent of his vision in his right eye.

And when you put that together with, you know, the threats, the intimidation and the harassment that they're subjecting him to in prison,

including threatening to harm his wife, who's also a political prisoner this is why his health has been deteriorating.

I think we are concerned of course you know, given he's in his early 70s about the impact of the stress and the anxiety, you know, on his heart

health. Obviously, you know, he has had high blood pressure and it's kind of gone up and down and hasn't been properly medicated, and obviously that

could lead to stroke. And there are wide array of smaller ailments that he has.

But I do think that it's really, really important to emphasize, you know, the Supreme Court of Pakistan finally put its foot down and said enough is

enough by ordering him to be taken to this private hospital, ordering that a independent medical board be set up, including his own doctor, to do a

complete and full evaluation and to keep him in the hospital until all the issues have been resolved, and to hand over all of Khan's medical records

to the Supreme Court. None of those three things happened.

Instead, he was, you know, taken to a public hospital, examined in a cursory way by a handful of government doctors declared, you know, fit as a

fiddle, and then sent right back to prison. And you know, obviously if the government really wants the world to believe that he's being treated well

or that he has no health problems, there's a very simple way to do that, which is to both provide him access to this independent medical panel and

to release his medical records. He hasn't even seen his own medical records that the government doctors themselves have.

GOLODRYGA: Well, we should note that Pakistan has routinely denied the families and you and his lawyers' accusations. And I'm going to read this

statement, the government of Pakistan categorically rejects the claim that Mr. Imran Khan Niazi has been kept under a seven-month communications

blackout or denied access to his family, lawyers, and doctors. That allegation is contradicted by the documented prison record and seeks to

manufacture an international controversy where the evidence shows repeated and substantial access. Available clinical entries describe Mr. Niazi as

oriented and stable and do not record any acute or unmanaged deterioration.

And we have reached out to the Pakistani government official spokespeople to come on the program as well. That has not happened. They have not agreed

to it yet, but of course that, that invitation is a standing one.

You have coordinated a push for Western capitals to intervene here and put pressure on the Pakistani government. Why do you think that has failed thus

far?

GENSER: Unfortunately, there are a lot of challenging circumstances around the world that are very fast-burning as we know from your prior segment on

what has been going on between Gaza and Israel. If you look at the Russian invasion of Ukraine and so forth, then this has just not been as high a

priority.

The reason for the push for Western capitals is that we actually have had very, very strong support from the United Nations already, and we believe

that will lead ultimately to more support from the West. You know, the government of Pakistan, as you just read, strongly disputes the claims that

I -- you know, that I'm putting forward. But I'm not asking anybody to take my word for it. As his lawyer, obviously, I'm representing my client and

working hard on his behalf.

But, you know, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention examined his case in detail, issued a 20-page judgment saying he was being

held illegally and in violation of international law, demanded his immediate release.

[13:35:00]

The U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture issued multiple public statements with serious concerns about how he's being mistreated, and that it might

amount to torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. And the Committee on Torture at the U.N., which oversees Pakistan's

reporting process as a member of the Torture Convention, also raised the cases of him and his wife and serious concerns as to how they're being

treated.

So, you have all these, you know, independent international and United Nations-affiliated organizations speaking out against how he's being

mistreated. And, you know, there's a very simple way for the government of Pakistan to demonstrate that statement has any substance to it, which is to

give him access to the independent medical panel and allow him and his family and the Supreme Court to have all the medical records, and then we

can get to the bottom of exactly what's going on.

But the reality is that, you know, this is just yet another tired, worn-out statement from a government trying to deflect attention from -- you know,

from the way in which they're treating this person you know, Imran Khan who's a hero to his people and well-known globally. And, you know, this is

all being done for a very important purpose, not just to stop Khan from being able to reengage in politics, but also to send a clear signal to

ordinary Pakistanis that, you know, see what you -- we can do to Imran Khan, and we can do that with impunity, and if you protest or speak out,

you know, we'll do far worse to you.

So, this is all part and parcel of a strategy for a dictator, you know, General Munir, to maintain an iron grip on power.

GOLODRYGA: A hero to his supporters. Obviously, those who are his critics view him differently. Nonetheless as it relates to his children who are

British citizens they have publicly appealed directly to the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, over the U.K.'s diplomatic silence, as has his ex-

wife his former wife, also a British citizen, who's condemned the U.K.'s silence. So, we'll continue to follow this story.

Jared Genser, International Counsel to Imran Khan, thank you for joining the program.

GENSER: Thanks so much.

GOLODRYGA: And just to note, this program, as we've noted, continues to seek the view of the Pakistani government.

Coming up for us, as tributes to Dolly Parton continue to pour in from around the world, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Judy Collins, who

collaborated with the legend herself, and country star Margo Price, who calls Parton a major inspiration.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:40:00]

GOLODRYGA: Now, to the passing of an icon. The world is mourning Dolly Parton, the ultimate unifier whose impact was felt far beyond the country

music which she was famed for. From her admittable character and unapologetic style to her sunny outlook, immense generosity, philanthropy,

and unbreakable spirit. And of course, the music. Parton leaves behind more than 3,000 songs turning hardship, heartache, and hope into music that will

long outlive her and all of us.

Joining us now to reflect on her extraordinary legacy is singer-songwriter Judy Collins who performed with Dolly a number of times. Judy, I'm so sorry

for your loss. It is really the world's loss, but you had the privilege of knowing Dolly Parton and spending so much time with her. You've worked with

her, you knew her personally, you've recorded. She recorded your songs, you've recorded her songs. Just give us a sample of the icon that you

called a friend.

JUDY COLLINS, MUSICIAN: Well, first of all, she was an extraordinary person. Just deeply humane and generous, incredible generous to a fault

with her talent and also her personal commitment to children and to the world. And I think she made everybody's life brighter. She certainly did

mine.

She and I worked on both sides now, which was on one of her albums. So, I had a duet with her a couple of times. She recorded a song of mine called

"The Fisherman Song," and I was so honored that she would record one of mine. And I was always inspired by her. There was a lift to her presence as

you can see it in all the pictures, and I could see it in all the things that I saw about her.

GOLODRYGA: Just pure sunshine and an authentic person through all of these years. Always held steady to who she was, to her beliefs, her convictions,

but she never tried to sell that or push that on anyone else. And that's why I think she's one of the few people everyone around the world loves.

There's not one bad thing anyone can say about Dolly Parton.

You came up through folk music and Dolly came up through country music, different genres, different audiences. But of course, you came together,

and there's so much melding in music genres as well. I want to ask you about Dolly's music from a folk music perspective.

In 1990, actually, our producer, Alicia, was telling us this story to speak about how internationally beloved Dolly was. Alicia is Irish, and she

talked about an experience that her dad was fortunate enough to see, and that was when Dolly visited a pub in Ireland, watching local musicians

perform traditional Irish music. They asked her to join them and then sing her song, "Coat of Many Colors." Let's listen to it.

COLLINS: Oh, yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: How does this song stack up against the traditional folk music that you used to sing in Greenwich Village in the 1960s?

COLLINS: Oh, it was very close. Certainly, "Wild Mountain Thyme" comes to my thinking. But whatever she did, there was a liveliness and a brightness.

And of course, I'm Irish, Irish and English. And, you know, I was listening to an interview with Dolly, and the interviewer said to her, you've had the

most extraordinary career. Really, you've done everything. Why isn't it time for you to retire? And she said, listen, I'm never going to retire

because, you know, it takes a lot to look this cheap. I thought that was Dolly at her funniest and her most honest.

And I just -- I have such, I sang with her at, at the wonderful, the wonderful gala that we have every year in, in the East. And we sang

together. And that was just a thrill and an honor to do was to sing with Dolly Parton. And I think everybody felt the same. And when she sang on

television, I think most of us wanted to join her.

GOLODRYGA: Of course. And she was so welcoming to an audience. That was obvious, how captivating she was, why the world was enamored with her. But

when you would meet her in person, one-on-one, I was fortunate enough to meet her in 2013 and interview her.

[13:45:00]

And you are the only person in the room and whatever story you're telling her, she is listening to intensely. She was very self-deprecating, but she

very much knew her own self-worth as well.

COLLINS: She did.

GOLODRYGA: Going back to the point that, that, that I raised earlier about how she was this unique unifier. The fact that you have President Trump and

the Democratic Socialists of America both issuing statements in support of her and mourning her loss just talks about that very rare phenomena now.

What do you think about her made her so universally beloved?

COLLINS: Well, she was earthy. You know, she came from a background where she had to figure out what to do with her life. And when she began to sing

and she began to be in public. Everything that she touched, as far as I can see, was golden. And I was --

GOLODRYGA: We're just listening to -- we're playing videos of Dolly singing. So, I didn't mean to interrupt you. I know you can't see the

video.

COLLINS: Oh, that's all right. That's all right.

GOLODRYGA: But do you want to finish your thought?

COLLINS: Well, you know, she and I had a strange situation in our families. Both of us had brothers whose name was Denver. She had a brother

named Denver and I had a brother named Denver. And we laughed about it and talked about it. And we treasured those brothers whose names were Denver.

And that was something.

You know, she always shared pieces of her life with me and with other people because she was down home. She was somebody who you could talk to

about life and about troubles and about joys. And she was committed to what she did. And I respect that so much. The idea that there's something off

about being in the public eye and doing something for as long as she did.

And, you know, I've been doing it 87 years, so I know what this is like. This life of touring and, well, you may see in the background where I am,

I'm at a hotel, of course. And she would do the same thing. We had to go -- we had to pick up our baggage and we had to pick up our relationships by

phone so that we could talk to people. And it's a life that is very rarely appreciated.

And how should I say it? It's people who can do it and respond to an audience who wants you there and not make them feel like you're living on

some other plane. She was never like that. She was with us and she was a really down home, one-to-one, you know, I'm a human being. I'm a woman. I

have problems. I'm -- I've gotten through life like this. And I hope that my music can help you.

GOLODRYGA: She was very grounded, never forgot about her humble origins, her family, always continuing to give back to her community. She loved this

country too, which was just so inspiring to see what she was able to accomplish with her life. And let's not forget how funny she was, Judy. You

know that better than most.

COLLINS: Oh, yes.

GOLODRYGA: Judy Collins, we're going to have to leave it there. I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend, the loss to the world. I've just been

telling people we didn't deserve somebody like Dolly Parton. She left us way too soon. Thank you for sharing a bit of your experience with her.

COLLINS: Thank you. Her spirit has affected us all and it will continue to do so.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you so much for joining us to remember the incredible Dolly Parton.

COLLINS: Thank you. God bless.

GOLODRYGA: And more on Dolly Parton's legacy now. I'm joined by Grammy- nominated singer, songwriter, and country artist Margo Price from Nashville. Margo, the last time you and I met, it was here in New York. I

wish it was under better circumstances right now as we continue to grieve for Dolly Parton. But let's spend some time reflecting on her contributions

to the world through music, through her art, through her heart. You call her a patron saint of Appalachia.

MARGO PRICE, SINGER-SONGWRITER: She was spectacular. You know, she was famously nonpartisan, but she really did show us where her heart was

through the songs that she wrote and through all of the causes that she supported.

[13:50:00]

You know, I think songs like "9 to 5," songs like "Because I'm a Woman -- Just Because I'm a Woman," those songs became working-class anthems. And

she even did a cover of "Deportees" on her album "9 to 5." I think that whole album is just -- it's such a -- everything she gave to us, it was

such a gift.

GOLODRYGA: And none of it was forced, which is why I think that she was able to connect with everyone from different backgrounds, different music

genres, different politics, because that's who she was. She wasn't forcing this on anybody. She was telling the world who she was through her art.

You appeared with Dolly several times. Your first concert with her was particularly memorable. You helped celebrate her 50th anniversary, am I

right, as a member of the Grand Ole Opry?

PRICE: Yes, it was unforgettable meeting her. It was like meeting the Queen of England or something, maybe even better. Yes. She was just -- she

was so disarming and I was so nervous. And she -- we got together to take a hug and then our dresses kind of got stuck together for a moment and our

rhinestones were intertwined. And I was so worried. I was ripping her dresses. She said, oh, that's fine. You're just going to have to come with

me the rest of the day. We'll be stuck together.

But yes, she was such a treasure, such a joy to everyone. And, you know, she could laugh at herself when, you know, people would try to put her

down. She had a way of just brushing it off like it didn't bother her. And I think she was just an inspiration to women, to children.

My children were grieving her loss yesterday. I mean, they've been receiving books from her through the Imagination Library for so long, which

I'm very sad that I believe Republicans have just cut the funding to that program. But I digress.

I think, you know, she really showed us where her heart was through, you know, supporting the LBGTQ community, lifting up queer people, you know,

donating to the Moderna vaccine during COVID and supporting science and always supporting her hometown and giving back in a way that a lot of

celebrities just don't.

GOLODRYGA: In the Imagine Library, that was in honor of her father, who was illiterate and her goal of pursuing literacy for everyone, every child

in this country, no matter what their background, no matter what their parents' politics.

I want to ask you as a songwriter, she was a musical genius, writing over 3,000 songs, at least, some of the most famous songs in the world that both

she sang and other celebrities and other singers sang. And she said that writing songs was very easy, came very easy to her. I'm just wondering, as

a fellow artist, a fellow songwriter, someone who admires and looks up to Dolly Parton, is there a bit of you that just envies the fact that someone

can write the music the way she does so effortlessly and in a way that only Dolly could?

PRICE: Absolutely. She made everything look so easy because I think she was just so in love with the songwriting process and so in love with life.

I mean, and she touched so many topics, too. I mean, there's -- some of her earlier songs were about women being drug off to mental institutions. And,

you know, she had her song, "Dumb Blonde," that just really called out what it was like to be a woman.

I think she was truly a genius. And, you know, she wrote "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" in the same day. Like, not many people get one song

in a lifetime. And she just had such a compassionate lens, you know, even with her separation with Porter Wagoner when he was suing her for millions

of dollars. She wrote him a beautiful love song and said "I Will Always Love You."

GOLODRYGA: "I Will Always Love You." Yes.

PRICE: She just class. Yes. Class act.

GOLODRYGA: You mentioned the COVID vaccine. The fact that she made a parody of "Jolene" by singing vaccine. I think we have the video of that as

well at the time after she contributed a million dollars to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Do we have that? Can we play it quickly?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PARTON: I'm old enough to get it and I'm smart enough to get it. So, I'm very happy that I'm going to get my Moderna shot today.

[13:55:00]

And I wanted to tell everybody, I think you should get out there and do it too. I even changed one of my songs to fit the occasion. It goes, vaccine,

vaccine, vaccine, vaccine. I'm begging of you, please don't hesitate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: We will miss that voice. We will miss that smile. I believe she actually passed away at that same university where she changed so many

lives by donating a million dollars for that vaccine research and development. Dolly Parton, no one like her before, no one ever will be like

her.

Margo Price, thank you so much for your wonderful reflections. I look forward to seeing you in person next time.

PRICE: Thank you so much. We'll be covering a Dolly song. You can count on it.

GOLODRYGA: Can't wait. And that is it for now. Thank you so much for watching, and goodbye from New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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END