Dolly Parton once said of our city, “I’ve always loved Las Vegas. It’s like a magical place. It is a special, special place. To have the show come from there, it adds a different kind of energy and a different kind of excitement.”
Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80, was a magical kind of lady.
The country superstar and cultural icon had plans for Las Vegas undercut by declining health. Her “Dolly: Live in Las Vegas” residency was twice canceled. Her six shows in December at the Colosseum were originally moved back to this September. In May, she cancelled the rescheduled dates entirely.
Parton said in a detailed and upbeat video message, “I have some good news and a little bad news. The good news is I’m responding really well to meds and treatments and I’m improving every day. The bad news is it’s gonna take me a little while before I’m up to stage performance level.”
Parton said she had suffered from kidney stones and related autoimmune weakness and digestive system concerns. The medication she’d been prescribed made her “a little bit swimmy-headed, as my grandma used to say.”
At the start of the ‘22 ACM Awards The “Jolene” superstar made an oblique reference to what would become a health concern three years later.
Talking of the Russia-Ukraine war, Parton said, “I don’t want to be political, and this is not. I’d rather pass a kidney stone than do that. I want us to send our love and hope to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. Let’s dedicate this whole show to them and pray for peace around this crazy old world.”
Parton wowed the crowd by wearing a mirrored, Vegas-fashioned pantsuit to kick off the show. She dueted with Kelsea Ballerini on terrific rendition of “Big Dreams and Faded Dreams.”
In the same ceremony, Kelly Clarkson honored Parton with a powerful cover of, “I Will Always Love You.”
“Dolly Parton had a way of making everyone feel special, and seen, and welcomed, and as if you were old friends. I will miss her hard. and her voice as I am sure millions will,” Clarkson posted.
The social post from the Colosseum: “Like so many, we are saddened to hear of the passing of Dolly Parton, a musical icon and tremendous humanitarian. Our condolences go out to her family, friends and fans around the world.”
Clarkson closed her residency at the Colosseum on Aug. 15.
Barbra Streisand, the superstar who was first to ever play International Hotel in 1969, referred to Parton as “a force of nature.”
Paul McCartney referred to Parton as a “magnificent star.” The rock legend added, “There was no greater honour for me than to have her sing my song ‘Let it Be.’”
Parton premiered on the Strip at the Riviera in February 1981, headlining a 22-week run covering three years (earning a reported $7.7 million in that series). This was an old-school Strip residency.
In February 1990, Parton and Kenny Rogers played a week at the Mirage while Siegfried and Roy were on break. She returned for four shows in 1993. She also headlined at Star of the Desert Arena in Primm in 2014.
Parton’s good friend and frequent Las Vegas headliner Reba McEntire posted, “Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side. Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart.”
Up until her dates at the Colosseum, Parton had pooh-poohed the idea of returning to an extended run on the Strip.
“I really haven’t given that any thought. It’s not likely, because I’ve been performing for so many years,” the legend once said during a Zoom chat. “I’ll be doing a few things here and there, but I doubt that I would take a full show like that. I love Vegas, I love seeing the shows, and I’ll continue to do shows here and there now and then. But as far as being full-blown back at it, I doubt that that’s going to happen.”
Parton had shared her thoughts during the run-up to the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards, held at Allegiant Stadium in March 2022. Through the video connection, she was at the center of an appropriately regal setting, her chair as high as a throne. A shimmering curtain and two dozen roses in a crystal vases were in the background.
Parton said she was eager to get back to Vegas to play host to the stars of country music.
“Anytime I get to go to Vegas for any reason, I love it.”
That day I interviewed @DollyParton on #Zoom from the @RoyalCaribbean island #cococay in the #Bahamas … She’s hosting @ACMawards Monday @AllegiantStadm … more to come @reviewjournal #RJNow pic.twitter.com/YRDLLwjSnU
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) March 4, 2022
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.