Dolly Parton has said that she is considering selling her back catalogue of thousands of songs, as big name artists attract sky-high valuations for their song rights. The “Queen of country”, whose 3,000 song credits including I Will Always Love You and 9 to 5, said she didn’t want to get caught out like some stars who had not sorted out their estate in their later years. “I’ve owned my own publishing company for years and years,” said Parton, in an interview with Music Week. “It’s very possible that, for business reasons, estate planning, and family things, I might sell the catalogue I have now. I’ve often thought about it and I’m sure that I could get a lot of money for it.” Given the enduring popularity of the 74-year-old’s songs – Whitney Houston’s 1992 cover of I Will Always Love You was a global phenomenon – the sale of the publishing rights is likely to spark a bidding war. Earlier this week, Bob Dylan sold the publishing rights to his 600-song catalogue, which includes Like a Rolling Stone and Blowin’ in the Wind, for more than $300m to Universal Music. However, Parton said that she wouldn’t want to give up complete control of her songs, no matter the size of the payday. “I would still have some control, no matter who I sold to, and my credit for the songs,” she said “As a songwriter, I never cared about the money. I did make money, but I always just wanted my name on my songs.” The publishing rights to Parton’s songs are currently licensed to Sony/ATV.