Jamie Lynn Spears: 'Britney could have been the next Dolly Parton'

Britney Spears could have become a country music legend, according to her little sister Jamie Lynn Spears.

The 25-year-old admits the Spears family were shocked when young Britney announced she wanted to be the next Madonna - because she had roots in country music.

And Jamie Lynn, who is a bona fide country star now, admits her big sister could have been the next Dolly Parton or Loretta Lynn.

"We were from this little town in the middle of nowhere," Jamie Lynn told Entertainment Tonight. "She (Britney) says, 'Hey, I want to go do what Madonna does. I want to go do this...'

"What is this girl from Louisiana going to do up there with all these other pop stars? It would have made a bunch more sense from our small town of Louisiana for Britney to do country."

The Spears sisters are still as close as ever, and Britney recently surprised Jamie Lynn by showing up unannounced to introduce her at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, but the younger sibling urges fans not to expect a collaboration any time soon.

"I think Britney appreciates all music, but I don't ever see her doing a full country album," Jamie Lynn said. "What she is, is more than just music, she has created a real legacy. She will experiment with everything, and I hope she does, but I think she knows what she is doing."

Meanwhile, Jamie Lynn is getting set to release a new single, called Sleepover, on 24 June (16), two days before she appears in TV special, When the Lights Go Out, which will chronicle her life as a mother, wife, and singer-songwriter.