Tributes continue to pour in to celebrate the life and legacy of Dolly Parton after the music icon's death yesterday (August 25) aged 80. The country star burst onto the scene in the late 1960s and transcended generations with hits such as I Will Always Love You and Jolene.
Liverpool shows and Beatles tribute
The 9 to 5 singer's live shows became the stuff of legend across her career and the Queen of Nashville brought her show to Liverpool on two occasions. Dolly spoke to the ECHO ahead of her first sold out show at what was then called the ECHO Arena - now named M & Bank Arena - in August 2011.
The music icon was excited to perform a tribute to the city's most famous songs during her show as she spoke about a planned homage to The Fab Four. She told the ECHO at the time: "I love The Beatles.
"I love Elvis too, and Led Zeppelin. I’m going to work up a little bluegrass section in my show with Help, the Beatles song I did a long time ago, the song Shine by Collective Soul, and Stairway To Heaven. It’s going to be a lot of fun. We always have a great time when we come to England."
Style and the Salt House Tapas order
Dolly is famous for her iconic style and she was keen to see how her Liverpool fans dressed up for the show. She said: "It takes a real effort to get dressed up. Anyone can be slouchy, but it takes real effort to look nice.
"I was a country girl and I grew up with nothing. My look came because I was fascinated by the town tramp when I was little. She was the prettiest thing I’d ever seen and I always tell this joke, people would say ‘she’s just trash’ and I’d say ‘That’s what I’m going to be when I grow up’."
Dolly returned to Liverpool in 2014 for another incredible performance. The icon and her crew were also big fans of the Liverpool food scene as a report ahead of the second gig saw sources from restaurant Salt House Tapas reveal Dolly's crew had paid a visit.
A source at the restaurant told the ECHO at the time: "They literally ordered the entire menu and we don’t normally do takeaway so they paid extra for us to buy takeaway containers specially so they could come and collect it.
"Dolly is a genuine A-lister, which is brilliant, and hopefully they enjoyed what they tried so much she might give us a little mention or even come in for some post-concert food."
2014 show and tour bus home
The 2014 show comprised a whopping setlist containing over 26 songs. The ECHO's review of the show said: "She saved the big guns for last, with a finale of singalong favourites - Here You Come Again, Islands in the Stream and the anthemic 9 to 5, which had the whole crowd up and dancing.
"Finishing off with her showstopping ballad I Will Always Love You, she reminded the Liverpool crowd just how talented she is. In a two and a half hour show of hits, she showed stamina, vocal range and dance moves that would be impressive in a woman half her age. As performers go, they don’t make them like Dolly anymore. And that is why we love her."
Despite her A-list status, Dolly did not stay in one of Liverpool's luxury hotels during her stay as she described her tour bus as the perfect home for whenever she was on the road. She said: "It’s my favourite house.
"I have it all set up with washer, dryer, refrigerator, kitchen, and I have all my junk and my stage clothes and my wigs. It’s easier, and you don’t have to worry about people coming into your room and looking at your dirty drawers and your hose hanging up. I’m like a gypsy, so that suits me."
