'I remember Dolly Parton's sold out Sheffield Arena show - RIP to a legend' - Reader's letter
Mike Lawson remembers Dolly Parton’s sold out Sheffield show
From what I have seen and heard over the last two days, much has been said, and written about Dolly Parton, but no mention of her sell out show at the Sheffield Arena, on Monday 12th September, 2011.
Along with other music, I became a fan of Country songs in the late 50s, and it was in the late 60s , that I first heard Dolly Parton, when she joined the Porter Wagoner radio show.
This led to them releasing duets together, that I got to listen to on B.B.C. Radio, Country music programmes.
It took a while for her solo recordings to become successful, but once they did, her singing and songwriting career took off, with other top stars wanting to record songs she had written.
Elvis Presley was one such admirer, and he wanted to record ''I will always love you'' but his manager, Colonel Parker, would not allow him to record it, as Dolly refused to allow them any publishing credits.
Apart from being a number one country hit for Dolly, the song went on to become a multi-million seller for Whitney Houston.
Dolly later went on to record two albums with singers, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris, calling them ''Trio'', and Trio II, with great success, both of which are in my collection, with my favourite song being a cover of the late 50s hit ''To know him is to love him'' by The Teddy Bears, featuring a young Phil Spector.
I went to the Sheffield Arena show with my late wife, Anne, plus her brother, Kieran Ahern, and his wife, Sue, who drove up from Peterborough for the show.
They said it was well worth the effort, even at a cost of £67.50 a ticket back then, and Dolly's talks in between songs added extra to the show.
R.I.P. Dolly Parton.