Dolly Parton would duet with Jack White

The country music star is a big fan of the musician ' whose former band the White Stripes covered her hit 'Jolene' ' but insists she never collaborates with anyone for purely commercial or financial reasons.

She said: "There's been a lot of talk about Jack White wanting to work with me and I've always admired him and of course he lives in Nashville too.

"But I'm so picky about my music. I would never say never because he's so talented and I loved the way The White Stripes did 'Jolene', it's just that my music is so personal to me and I'm not going to work with someone just to have a hit."

As well as the White Stripes, several artists have covered Dolly's hits ' most famously Whitney Houston, whose version of 'I Will Always Love You' topped the charts worldwide ' and the singer says she finds it hard to pick a favourite, though she is always welcoming to new renditions of her songs.

She told Q magazine: "A lot of people have recorded my songs and I've loved everything that everyone has ever done with them.

"I can't really pick a favourite as they're like my children and I'm so proud of them all.

"Of course, Whitney made me the most money. I was blown away by her version, the way she took that simple song of mine and it became her song.

"Some writers say, 'Oh I hate the way they've done that' but I just think it's wonderful that people can take a song and do it in so many different ways."