(Photo courtesy of Webster Public Relations)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Two years ago, I had one of the biggest interviews of my career when I interviewed the Queen of Country Music: Dolly Parton. Ms. Parton just released one of her biggest albums of her career, Blue Smoke, and traveled across North America, Europe, and Asia as a part of her Blue Smoke tour.
The following year, the 2006 Kennedy Center Honoree partnered with Warner Bros. Television to create an original television movie for NBC that focused on her childhood that starred Alyvia Alyn Lind, Jennifer Nettles, Ricky Schroder, and Gerald McRaney called Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors.
Now, Ms. Parton is in the middle of one of the busiest years of her multi-decade career, as both of her fans and concert promoters were ready for Ms. Parton to tour the United States once more.
“With the success of Coat of Many Colors and the Blue Smoke CD got a lot of attention over in Europe and here too, a lot of the fans and promoters asked: “Why don’t you do it here (North America)?” said Parton. “It seemed to be a good time to do it.”
Her tour has taken her all across North America. Over the summer, Ms. Parton performed at Sioux Falls, Cedar Rapids, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbus, Boston, and New York City. While she finished the first leg of her North American tour on August 13 in North Little Rock, Ms. Parton will continue the Pure & Simple Tour with the Canadian leg on September 9, 2016, in Toronto and will return to the United States on September 21 in Kent, Washington.
While the Pure & Simple tour marks the first time since Ms. Parton’s 2011 Better Day Tour that she traveled extensively across North America, Ms. Parton told Jake’s Take that this tour would have a different vibe from previous tours.
“There will only be four of us on stage: Richard Dennison, Tom Rutledge, Kent Wells, and I will be swapping different out different instruments.” Said Parton. “It is a scaled down tour with loud music. The tour does not have any videos or does not have anything going on in the background; it is just us.”
With over 106 singles and many B-side tracks, Parton stated it was a challenge narrowing down the Pure & Simple Tour set list.
“It is hard to know what songs to pick out and the dynamics that you need for the show.” Said Parton. “I worked hard to give everyone my best.”
However, the “Jolene” singer-songwriter reassured her fans that they will be able to hear Ms. Parton’s classic hits, as well as get a sneak preview of her upcoming 43rd studio album, Pure & Simple, which is scheduled to drop on August 19, 2016.
“We will be doing the old favorites such as “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Two Doors Down,” “Here You Come Again” and “Islands (in the Stream),” Parton stated. “All the songs that people want to hear. We will also perform three to four songs from Pure & Simple.”
(Album cover property of Dolly Records & Sony Music Entertainment)
Ms. Parton’s Pure & Simple will be a 10-track album with songs written by the iconic country superstar herself.
“I asked myself: “What is this album going to be about?” “Will it feature just pure and simple songs?” said Dolly Parton. “But then, I started to write, and they all turned into songs about different kinds of love.”
While most of the material is all-new, Ms. Parton revisited two tracks that she re-recorded for a new generation to enjoy.
“These two songs from the old Porter (Waggoner) and Dolly days. “Tomorrow is Forever” is a song that I always thought was a good song and I recorded it again for Pure & Simple.” Said Parton. “I also recorded “Say Forever You’ll Be Mine,” which was briefly featured in The Coat of Many Colors TV movie.”
In addition to her Pure & Simple Tour and new album, several media outlets including CMT, Rolling Stone, TV Line, and Variety have reported that NBC will bring back the original cast of Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors for a holiday sequel tentatively titled: Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love. Ms. Parton also revealed that she had several dream projects on her bucket list.
“My bucket is filled with all sorts of things.” Said Parton. “One item on my bucket list is to see my life story on Broadway. I also would love to release my own cosmetics line.”
For more information about Dolly’s album and “Pure & Simple” Tour, visit her website!
You can also connect with Dolly on social media by visiting her Facebook, Google +, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube channels.
[…] Music! I have had the privilege of interviewing Ms. Parton twice in my life (once in 2014 and this year) and every time I speak to her, Dolly’s positivity and endless amounts of energy always made my […]