Dolly Parton Blue Smoke Tour

So Dolly in depth....

It was my first time seeing her in concert and I now don't know who could beat her.

Her instruments: Here is the diminutive Dolly playing one of her blinged-up white and rhinestone encrusted instruments: the banjo. She played many instruments throughout the show: banjo; guitar; harmonica; recorder-type-thing; autoharp; piano. Talented lady.

Her clothes: I could not wait to see Dolly's outfits. I have been you tubing her in the days up to the event and she always wears the most borderline cringe outfits ever. The first outfit was the pink dress with silver sequinned waistcoat. It was great except for the fact that it was a nightmare to photograph.

In the second half, she wore a brilliant turquoise culotte and waistcoat outfit. The culottes were covered in loads of silver glitter tassels that shook as she strutted on the stage. She looked like a glittery fairy faun.

Her singing: Dolly sang a good number of the sad songs including Coat of Many Colours and Little Sparrow. When she sang alone with the accompaniment of the 2 backing singers, it is beautiful. Her voice is strong and true at an incredible 68 years young.

Her dancing: Dolly shimmied along to Baby I'm Burning and 2 Doors Down and of course 9 to 5 which we and the rest of the cowboy hat-wearing crowd belted out along with her. Everyone there adores Dolly, she inspires a loyal following. Loads of people interrupted the quiet moment to let her know "I Love you Dolly".

Her cover songs: She sang three awesome cover songs including a Bon Jovi classic. Yes! Hitting 2 birds with 1 song. It was Lay Your Hands On Me gospel style. 
She did a Bob Dylan song and the Fine Young Cannibals She Drives Me Crazy, of all things. A random selection that was all the better for being a surprise. I believe that she does covers all the time on albums and at shows, but I had no idea.

I love Dolly and she is an inspiration to me: the longevity of her career; commitment to her career (her investment in her look and appearance); her charitable work with the Imagination Library; her commitment to her dreams; her work ethic. 

Lucky me to have seen both Julie Andrews and Dolly Parton in the past month. Fingers crossed some crumbs of their talent rub off on me.

Sunny x