Two of the best in the business paying tribute to the queen.
Though it still doesn’t feel real, the queen of country music herself, Dolly Parton, passed away on Tuesday morning at 80 years old in Nashville, Tennessee. Announcing her tragic passing, her team shared the following statement about her death:
“A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family.
Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.”
Unsurprisingly, the country music world — and the world at large, for that matter — has been mourning her death. Online, legends such as George Strait, Reba and Blake Shelton, as well as Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw and Ella Langley (among plenty of others) took to social media to pen tributes, share memories and send condolences to the Parton family.
Since her passing, there have been plenty of memories shared, stories swapped and facts posted online about the late legend. Additionally, we’ve seen a plethora of live performances begin to pop up honoring Dolly across the music industry, with Chris Stapleton delivering a chill-inducing cover of “I Will Always Love You,” Ernest dedicating a performance of “I’ll Fly Away” at Red Rocks to her, Jack White covering “Jolene” and the likes of Katy Perry and Pitbull taking time to remember her at their shows.
Of course, it’s hard to understate the impact that Dolly had on the landscape of country music. With 25 #1 hits, 27 gold/platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), 11 #1 albums, 10 Grammy Awards, multiple best-selling books, her own theme park at Dollywood, a lifetime of impactful work through her philanthropy and more, there’s hardly anything that the “9 to 5” singer didn’t accomplish throughout her incredible life.
What remains even more important in regard to Dolly, her artistry and her life in general is the fact that she served as a great unifier between just about everyone. Of course, that was shown from the outpour of support she received from just about everyone, ranging from President Trump to even the Royal Family.
Her unifying nature can also be felt amongst the various subgenres and groups within country music as well. Obviously, the biggest stars in the genre and the mainstream, such as the aforementioned Strait, Jackson, Reba and more, honored her in various forms upon her passing. However, in a historically anti-establishment group such as the independent/alternative country scene, the best and brightest stars held equal reverence to the late legend.
This was out on full display last night during the Turnpike Troubadours‘ Evan Felker and Charley Crockett’s one-night, joint acoustic show at the iconic Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
On a night filled with the duo swapping songs, with Felker playing Turnpike’s “7 & 7,” “Good Lord Lorrie” and “Pay No Rent” and Crockett playing “Billy McLane,” “One Trick Pony,” “Ain’t That Right” and more, the Turnpike frontman paid tribute to Dolly with a performance of her and Porter Wagoner’s 1967 Top 10 hit, “The Last Thing On My Mind.”
In case you’re unfamiliar with the song (given that it’s not one of Dolly’s megahits), it was first written and recorded by singer-songwriter Tom Paxton in 1964. Just three years later, Parton and Wagoner would release it as their debut duet single, which sparked a long-lasting relationship that resulted in 13 collaborative albums from 1968 to 1980. The track would quickly catch fire for the duo, rising all the way to #7 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in 1968.
With Crockett sitting alongside him, Felker delivered a stellar cover of the track. Backed by nothing but his acoustic guitar, the Turnpike frontman effortlessly slipped into the legendary track and proved why he’s remained one of the most celebrated figures in today’s generation of country artists.
Watch here:
