Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80. Her nephew announced her passing in a statement released to her social media pages, adding: "She wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable." Her representatives later confirmed that she died after a "brief battle with cancer". The type of cancer was not disclosed.
A career of record-breaking success
Parton wrote more than 3,000 songs and sold over 100 million records during her 60-year career. The country star was behind some of the biggest hits to come out of the US, including Jolene, Coat of Many Colors, 9 to 5, Islands in the Stream and I Will Always Love You.
In 2014, the Queen of Country performed at the then-named Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle for a sold-out show. Fans turned out in large numbers, many wearing Dolly-themed outfits, and greeted her with deafening cheers as she took to the stage wearing a white rhinestone outfit.
A night to remember in Newcastle
Gordon Barr, the former What's On editor, reviewed the show for the publication. He said "the Queen of Country lived up to all expectations in a concert nearly two and a half hours long", with the crowd receiving her with "deafening applause – adulation she maintained throughout the night."
He added: "Dolly didn't just stand up there and sing, she told us stories, she cracked gags throughout, most of the songs she sung she had written herself and she seemed to play a multitude of instruments, from guitar to banjo to dulcimer to rhinestone encrusted mini sax."
Parton played a selection of her favourites as well as songs from her album Blue Smoke, which she was touring with at the time. A gallery of 25 pictures from the night has been gathered to look back on the legacy of one of the most beloved singer-songwriters to ever grace a North East stage.
