Here She Comes Again

On Sunday night, my husband, daughter and I took my mom and her husband to see Dolly Parton in concert at her sold-out Wolf Trap show.

When I mentioned this on my blog yesterday, a commenter noted, “I’m actually a big Dolly fan myself. I think she is an amazing and unbelievably talented artist. We’re talking about Dolly, the cloned sheep, right?” I replied, “I’m referring to the blonde one that a lot of hillbilly men lust after. So, really … it could be either one.”

I bought tickets to the concert under the guise of a birthday gift for my mom, but truth be told, I love Dolly. (The artist, though I’m sure the cloned sheep is very nice.) I have been a fan since I can remember, through all the different stages of her career.

Dolly’s “Here You Come Again” is the first album I ever purchased and the only the second item I ever bought after saving my meager allowance. I splurged first on a Magic 8-Ball that I subsequently asked if I would buy Dolly Parton’s album.

Signs obviously pointed to yes.  

I remained a fan when Dolly began acting. The support wavered a bit with 9 to 5, but it came back strong with Steel Magnolias.

Even when my mother placed third in a Dolly Parton look-alike contest (completely true) during a time of my life when all I wanted was for no attention to be drawn to me or anyone else in my family, I stayed true.

Dolly is everywhere. A few years ago, I was delighted to discover my good friend and Kentucky Junior Miss pageant winner, Amy, defeated another girl who did a monologue of Dolly’s song “Me and Little Andy” as her talent the year Amy won. Amy shared this videotaped spectacle during a gathering at her house one evening. And I have to say, there is nothing quite like having a few cocktails and listening to a tweener with a thick Kentucky accent give a dramatic reading of what is quite possibly the cheesiest country song, ever.

Now that I have a daughter, I’m told that she will appreciate Dolly in a whole new way — in reruns of her Hannah Montana show and as one of the voices in the animated film Gnomeo & Juliet.

Truly, I appreciate Dolly’s business acumen, self-deprecating humor and ability to stay relevant for more than 40 years as much as I appreciate her musical talent. And since I’m only human, I also appreciate her tremendous assets …

… those being her theme park and production company, of course.