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John Aizlewood's rating
, The weird and wonderful world of Barbie Dolly
By
John Aizlewood
20 Mar 2007
"I saw Jolene a few days ago," cackled Dolly Parton, referring to the lustful banker, after whom the song - Parton's best known - was titled. "She's real ugly now."
The hapless Jolene (she never did take Parton's man, apparently) may have not weathered the years especially well, but nobody, you suspect, gets the better of the five-foot-nothing force of nature from Tennessee.
Reba McEntire may have sold more albums, Tammy Wynette may have been a better singer and Faith Hill might have more sex appeal, but Parton is the empress of country.
Last night, before an audience comprising mostly gay men ("I see we've a lot of Elton John's friends here," she mused) and gangs of giddy women, she proved why.
What the innocent passer-by is never quite prepared for is the sheer, wonderful weirdness of it all. Parton's giant blonde wig and too-thin chicken legs suggested Lily Savage's malnourished aunt, while her freakish breasts ("the girls", as she referred to them) and Hula Hoop-sized waist explained why her next album is entitled Backwoods Barbie.
For over two hours (including a brief interval), the 61-year-old glided through hits, a smattering of covers (even the ghastly Imagine benefited from a gospel-tinged arrangement), plus hidden gems from her enormous back catalogue.
There may have been strictly no close-ups of Parton on the giant screens, but there was lots of chat, much of it concerning money and all delivered in her sing-song voice.
She outed herself as a wig wearer (but not as an Autocue user), she admired "the girls" and she talked of her six brothers and five sisters: "People asked if we were Catholic. No, mummy and daddy were just horny hillbillies."
Yet, beneath the entertaining patter, there lurks a singer-songwriter of genuine depth, who sang the first half of Little Sparrow a cappella to a backdrop of reverential silence. She tried her hand at harmonica, banjo, penny-whistle, fiddle, piano and guitar and was so confident of her repertoire that Jolene was dispensed with second song in.
Even so, the crowd loved 9 To 5, probably because it spoke of their own lives, and Islands In The Stream hardly suffered from being sung with a backing singer who resembled Johnny Vegas gone to further seed rather than Kenny Rogers.
Meanwhile, her tale of refusing to allow Elvis Presley to record I Will Always Love You lasted longer than the song itself. Marvellous.
Dolly Parton plays Wembley Arena on Sunday.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (8)
What can I say? The single most amazing night of my life!!!!! Dolly is a goddess - pure and simple. Everything about the fabulous dynamo is awe-inspiring - her miniscule frame, enviable boobs, porcelain complexion, masterful songwriting and that VOICE......goosebumps, shivvers....the works......never mind the £65 I actually paid, I'd sell my first born for another opportunity to repeat the experience!!!!!
- Eleanor Macmorran, Inverness, Scotland, 29/07/2007 06:28
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Attended her belfast gig. It was total rubbish and I felt totally ripped off, There were no large screens and you could barely see her on the stage. As well as that she never shut up talking total drivel, NEVER AGAIN!
- Briege, Ireland, 04/04/2007 01:15
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My 28 year old daughter and I saw Dolly on Friday in Glasgow. My daughter said it was the best concert she had ever been to and we have been to see Cliff Richard (twice with my daughter - many more times with friends!), Il Divo and she has been to see Kylie and Robbie Williams (twice)! She was fantastic and there were people dancing in the aisles. I can see the point of no standing - other people have paid a lot of money to see her too and that was impossible when people were standing but there were photos taken and no-one objected - you just have to come to Scotland where we are more tolerant!
- Linda Malcolm, Livingston UK, 26/03/2007 14:16
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My daughter and I attended the Dolly Parton concert at the Newcastle arena 21st March 2007. We had fantastic seats and had one of THE BEST nights of our lives. Dolly was fantastic and looks great. When she sang Little Sparrow you could have heard a pin drop in the audience, it was amazing. We loved all her little stories and even if they are scripted she makes them sound like she's telling them for the first time. We love you Dolly!
- Linda, Wallsend, Tyne & Wear. England, 22/03/2007 22:43
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We attended the Dolly Parton concert at the metroradio arena, Newcastle on 21st March 2007. We had seats in Block 104, Row K, seats 121 & 122. Dolly Parton was barely visible from where we sat, the large screens were not much use, the sound systems was very muffled and distorted her voice dreadfully. It was difficult to catch what she was saying when she was talking and on the quieter numbers, her voice was poor and her sound system did nothing to help the situation.
We paid £110.00 for the two tickets. On the whole, a very expensive extremely disappointing and lack lustre night out. A dolly good rip-off!
- Ben, Wigton, Cumbria, 22/03/2007 12:16
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This was my first ever encounter in the Dolly World and I must say, I am a convert! We were in Row 6 and she was amazing vocally, instrumentally and comically. I must say though, her strict rules (carried out by Russian security) of no standing, dancing or photo's took away some joy but never the less, one top night for all the family.
- David Huw, London UK, 20/03/2007 15:14
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My first experience of Dolly live, and it did not disappoint one bit. In fact it surpassed all of my expectations - and they were pretty high to start with! The woman is a legend in her own lifetime. Every song sounded like a classic, and every story made me love Dolly even more! Never have I seen such a genuine performer who enjoyed themselves so much on stage. It was an emotional rollercoaster of a concert I tell you and I could not have asked for more. She truly is the Queen of Country. Long live Dolly!
- Vicky Carter, London, England, 20/03/2007 14:56
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Dolly - a living legend, a true musical genius and a genuine icon. She was all of that last night and so much more and I loved every minute. Dolly just makes you feel special, like she's singing just for you and songs like Little Sparrow, Coat of Many Colors and Smoky Mountain Memories were beautiful and poignant... and her voice was incredible. She spoke of her genuine love and affection for her fans and for helping make her dreams come true and she knows how much we adore her. From the opening number - Baby I'm Burnin' - to the close - He's Alive - I was captivated. I think a lot of people were. There was certainly a lot of energy in the arena and songs like Jolene and 9 to 5 went down extremely well. My highlight - always my highlight when I see Dolly in concert - was I Will Always Love You. And I will Dolly… you were and are simply amazing. A “diamond in a rhinestone world”. Welcome back to the UK!
- Gerard Mcguickin, London, UK, 20/03/2007 11:44
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