While Dolly Parton will always be associated with Tennessee – her place of birth, the home of country music and her theme park Dollywood – the singer has a long-standing connection to and love for London.
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singer → associate → London
The “Jolene” performer, who died on Tuesday 25 August aged 80 after a “brief battle with cancer”, first visited the UK more than 50 years ago, and maintained a love affair with the capital for decades.
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who → die → decades
In 1975, one year after the release of “I Will Always Love You”, Parton performed in the UK for the first time ever at the Festival of Country Music at Wembley Arena.
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Parton → love → Arena
It was a special experience for Parton, the singer revealed in a 2023 interview, as this was her first ever trip abroad.
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this → reveal → interview
Parton explained that she “loved England”, saying: “I couldn’t believe that there was a world like that.
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I → explain → that
Imagine, we used to read about the kings and queens in books.
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we → imagine → books
I loved all that royalty stuff.
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I → love → stuff
I was always impressed by the robes and jewellery – the stories were like fairy tales to me.
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stories → impress → me
“But then, when I actually saw castles and churches and all the stuff I had in my mind, it was amazing.
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it → see → mind
We don’t have stuff like that in the United States.”
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We → have → States
Parton continued: “I took the tour of Buckingham Palace and all those places where they tell you the stories of dungeons and things like that.
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they → continue → that
To see it for real, all the history and buildings that are hundreds of years old, was fascinating to me.
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that → see → me
In March 1983, Parton made a trip to the capital to perform a legendary show at the Dominion Theatre, which was broadcast as a televised special on HBO.
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which → make → HBO
Dolly In Concert saw the star perform some of her most famous hits, including “Baby I’m Burning”, “Jolene”, and “9-5”.
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I → see → Burning
Welcoming the bustling crowd, Parton said: “The most exciting and beautiful city in the world and the sweetest people I’ve ever known.”
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I → welcome → world
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Alongside performing her musical hits, Parton even treated fans to her best attempt at a London accent while on stage.
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Parton → read → stage
The special also offered a glimpse of the country legend taking in some of the capital’s iconic sights.
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special → offer → sights
She could be seen taking a ride on a red double-decker bus, meeting the Horse Guards and flirting with a police officer and planting a kiss on his cheek.
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She → see → cheek
In a press conference, also broadcast as part of the special, Parton explained why country music appealed to Brits, saying: “I think it’s probably the same reason as the US.
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it → broadcast → US
It tells a real story about ordinary people, and I’d like to think in my case, told in an extraordinary way.
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I → tell → way
”
Just two months before her death, Parton shared footage of the show on her social media as she looked back on the iconic night.
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she → share → night
“Dolly in Concert wasn’t only a success, it was as fun for me as it looked!” she wrote.
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she → look → me
Philanthropy has always been a huge part of Parton’s life, with her Imagination Library programme allowing her gift books to children around the world in their pre-school years.
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programme → allow → years
The programme launched in the UK in 2007, and Parton came to London to meet kids from around London at the Savoy Hotel at the time.
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Parton → launch → time
Parton last played a London tour date in 2014, when she performed two nights at the O2 Arena on her Blue Smoke world tour.
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she → play → tour
The shows came just days after her Legends slot performance at Glastonbury, when Parton wowed a huge crowd on the Pyramid Stage.
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Parton → come → Stage
Looking back on the show in the wake of Parton’s death, festival organiser Emily Eavis described Parton as an “absolute delight”.
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Eavis → look → delight
“I will never forget her coming here in 2014 and bringing her incredible songs, overflowing joy and wonderful spirit to Worthy Farm,” she wrote.
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she → forget → Farm
“There was a vast crowd in the field for her slot, the sun shone, and when she walked out on to the Pyramid Stage she reigned supreme.
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she → be → Stage
However, Parton returned to the UK in 2019 for the opening night of 9 to 5: The Musical, the stage production of her hit 1980 comedy film of the same name.
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Parton → return → name
The production ran at the Savoy Theatre, with Parton drinking tea out of a Union Jack mug in a video announcing the West End show.
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Parton → run → show
Speaking about the revival, Parton said that the show was finding a “new life and a new reason and a new purpose” in London.
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show → speak → London
The Aporia
