By Joanie Cox
Not too many artists are touring in support of their 41st studio album, but Dolly Parton is. The bubbly, blonde country music legend is in the middle of her Better Day World Tour, which she took to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino’s Hard Rock Live Oct. 18. As Parton performed her catalogue of hits which included “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” “Here You Come Again,” “I Will Always Love You” and covers of “Rocky Top” and “Stairway To Heaven,” it was obvious the people in the crowd had their favorite decade of Parton’s music when the pockets of sing-alongs started.
What I love most about Parton is even after 110 singles, a successful acting career and owning her own theme park, she still doesn’t take herself too seriously. Parton opened the show covering Katrina And The Waves’ ‘80s classic, “Walking On Sunshine.” Wearing a hot pink, sparkling, sequin dress, Parton strutted around stage with the energy of an entertainer that seemed nowhere near 65 years old.
In addition to singing pitch-perfect a cappella gospel songs, Parton demonstrated her instrumental talents as well. Throughout the show she played a guitar, banjo, saxophone, piano, autoharp, recorder, fiddle and dulcimer. She told jokes between songs and did something I haven’t seen younger acts do on tour lately–she shared stories about her life and the lessons behind the lyrics she wrote.
“I grew up one of 12,” Parton said. “We always had love, kindness and understanding in my house and money can’t buy that. I treasure all the people in my life. I call them my Smoky Mountain rainbows.”
While she seems to have an affinity for performing covers live (she performed ‘Shine’ by Collective Soul, Dusty Springfield’s ‘Son of a Preacher Man’) the best portion of the show came during the moments Parton was the most simple. She sang an a cappella version of “Little Sparrow” with her backup singers and the entire arena was silent. After a 20 minute intermission, Parton returned to the stage in a different glittery getup and delivered more of her hits to the crowd but the gem of the last portion of the show was a song off her latest album titled “Sacrifice.”
She dedicated the inspiring tune to anyone starting a business or a new endeavor in their lives. And the words were genuine. “But empty or full, I’ve carried my pail/You don’t drink the water if you don’t dig the well/Through blood sweat and tears I have built a good life/But it didn’t come without sacrifice.” It’s the must download tune off her Better Day album, which came out in June. Through her latest release, Parton hopes to inspire the world that “Better Days are to come for all of us’ and she wrote the album to give people ‘a little sunshine and ray of hope.” Judging from the smiles on faces of fans on the way out, it appears Parton reached her goal that night.
