How Dolly Parton’s Tour Bus Changed John Madden’s Life

Dec 29, 2021 @ 6:05pm

(Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

As the sports world mourns the death of football legend, John Madden, interesting details about his life are emerging among the countless tributes to him.
John Madden didn’t like flying, he suffered from claustrophobia and was unsettled by taking flight after a 1960 plane crash that killed 22 people, including 16 members of the California Polytechnic State University football team, shook him.
Madden often traveled to games via trains and buses, but it was CBS executive producer Terry O’Neil’s idea to rent Dolly Parton’s bus when she wasn’t touring, that changed everything.
The success of getting Madden to multiple games within a week spawned a partnership with Greyhound where a bus was turned into a $500,000 custom abode, later named the “Madden Cruiser,” that took the sports broadcaster from city to city.
The cruiser became famous in its own right and can be seen at the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Dolly’s tour bus is on display at Dollyland.