SMOKY MOUNTAIN JUKEBOX
So anyway, I wasn't feeling too well yesterday but last evening I took my wife along to see Dolly Parton and her band in concert. It was a great night and Dolly was really excellent. The thing that impresses me about her is not her superficial front (formidable though it is...) but rather her depth as a song writer, musician and raconteur. She has written some fantastic lyrics and she is a one-off - with a forty year plus career. Here's a good ol' tune she did last night...it has poignancy and meaning...
David Vance
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Reader Comments (11)
Careful! This could end up a discussion about 'formidable fronts'!
I'm sure many people would want to raise a couple of things on this topic.
Colm,
I always can rely on you! It's a great lyric though, the sort that is so rare in these times.
David
Actually I think Dolly is great. A very astute, intelligent, skilled songwriter and great personality. She's the sort of person who - if you aren't thinking other things about her - would also be great to have as a neighbour.
Colm,
Agreed. She is one smart lady - and there is no one else around like her. She is 62 years old now and the cosmetic surgery has been done to her outside but she exudes charm, wit, and wisdom. That is more than you can say for most.
Great song. I never knew it was based on some particular person's childhood, still less on Dolly's. Well done.
She's a character all right with some talent.
...I should hope so too, Mahons; being one of 12 siblings, ONE of them must come up trumps!
Law of averages.
Dolly rocks!
she's singing about her childhood - pre-Nanny state, self-reliance - great song.
Her playful, folksy ways can mislead people. As said above, she is just an astonishing talent.
from her entry in wiki:
"Parton is a hugely successful songwriter, having begun by writing country music songs with strong elements of folk music in them, based upon her upbringing in humble mountain surroundings, and reflecting her family's evangelical Christian background. Her songs "Coat of Many Colors" and "Jolene" have become classics in the field, as have a number of others. As a composer, she is also regarded as one of country music's most gifted storytellers, with many of her narrative songs based on persons and events from her childhood. Parton has published almost 600 songs with BMI to date and has earned 37 BMI awards for her material."
I've always liked "Jolene", and think that her version of "I Will Always Love You" is the definitive version.
About that last one ( also from wiki)
"In 1974, her song, "I Will Always Love You"... was released and went to #1 on the country charts. Around the same time, Elvis Presley indicated that he wanted to cover the song. Parton was interested until Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, told her that she would have to sign over half of the publishing rights if Presley recorded the song (as was the standard procedure for songs he recorded). . Parton refused and that decision is credited with helping make her many millions of dollars in royalties from the song over the years. It was decisions like these, in fact, that caused her to be called "The Iron Butterfly" in showbiz circles. She also claims to have made over $6 million from Whitney Houston's cover version of this song."