Veteran singer Dolly Parton has shied away from drugs throughout her career because she was never prepared to risk scrambling her brain.

While the 58-year-old country star has always enjoyed partying, coffee has always been her drug of choice.

She says, "Let's put it this way. I've been known to celebrate but I've never dabbled.

"I'm not against any of that. It's just that I've never felt a need to have that stuff in my life to any regular degree. My brain is pretty full as it is.

"I'm afraid to put anything in my body that might make my brain any more scrambled than it is. These days, coffee is about as much stimulation as I can take."

17/12/2004 19:59