Dolly Parton discusses her favourite songs to perform live
Country music owes an immeasurable debt to Dolly Parton; her influence on the genre is so profound that imagining it without her is nearly impossible.
From her soul-stirring melodies to her distinctive style, unwavering attitude, and captivating personality, Parton has not only become an integral part of country music but a timeless embodiment of its very essence.
Beyond her remarkable musical contributions, she has garnered consistent praise for bestowing country music with a distinctly cool and unique aesthetic. Her fearless defiance of convention has been widely celebrated, setting her apart as a trendsetter in the industry. Even greats like Shania Twain praise her for being a “fabulous storyteller” and “very much a stylist”.
Amidst the array of her accomplishments, honours, and accolades, Parton has consistently remained true to her heart in a manner unmistakably her own. Many of her hit songs are also her favourites – ‘I Will Always Love You’ is a song she holds close to her heart even today, as it holds a poignant connection to her close friend and fellow country star, Porter Wagoner.
Their bond grew strong while co-hosting Wagoner’s TV show, but when Parton expressed her desire to pursue her own path, Wagoner perceived it as a disloyal move, causing tension between the two. The song’s heartfelt lyrics encapsulate the complex emotions she experienced during that time, making it a profoundly personal and enduring piece of her musical legacy. When she first performed the song for Wagoner, he was in tears, saying, “It was the prettiest song I ever heard”.
The song held such profound significance for Parton that she made a courageous decision when Elvis Presley’s team expressed interest in having him cover it. The catch was that she would have to share the publishing rights, an opportunity she would turn down to secure her songs for her family’s future. That didn’t mean she wasn’t unsure if it was the right choice, though. As fate would have it, her uncertainty later vanished when Whitney Houston’s flawless rendition of the song took the world by storm.
This song, understandably, is also one of her favourites to perform live. “I always love singing [‘I Will Always Love You’],” Parton said, “Because every singer loves to sing a song and hear the dyamics where you can go up and down and then really let it go at the end”. There’s also an interactive element to Parton’s performances that influence her favourite live songs – if audiences respond in a particular way to one, she’s more likely to do it again.
This is something she enjoys during live performances of ‘9 To 5’. “The crowd goes crazy and starts clapping even when they just hear the rhythm of the song,” she says. For Parton, the energy of the audience is important, and if they’re enjoying it, so is she. ‘Coat of Many Colors’ is one that Parton has changed her opinion on through the years after having experienced a number of months where it was a little too painful to perform due to her mother’s passing.
“I sing [‘Coat of Many Colors’] all the time, but when my mother passed away it was just so hard, for several months, for me to be able to sing that song without breaking down,” she said. “But now I sing it and it takes on a different feel than it did when mama was living, it’s more of a precious memory”.
You can tell Parton feeds off the crowd; she sparkles more during the songs she loves, revelling in the fact that the audience is sharing the same love that she feels – it’s a warmth you can’t really compare anything to, and it’s clear she’s still got a hell of a lot to give.
