Dolly Parton rocks Philadelphia
The Dolly Parton shows Saturday at the Ellis Theater will go down in the history books. Everywhere, people were having the time of their lives.
Philadelphia boomed as people from all over the country were welcomed by dazzling Dolly decorations in shop windows and along the sidewalks. Downtown was alive.
“It was overwhelming seeing the foot traffic and new faces in this town. Every walk of life was represented Saturday,” said Ward 1 Alderman Justin Clearman.
Sisters Penny Gordon and Melissa Grim came from York, Pennsylvania, with their mother Doris White, to celebrate her 79th birthday at the Dolly Party.
“We had the most amazing time in Philadelphia. It was so surreal to be there. Everybody was so friendly, welcoming, enthusiastic, and sincere. We keep pinching ourselves because it was just really ideal,” said Gordon.
“We didn’t tell our mom until a couple of days beforehand, so she was completely surprised. She couldn’t believe it. Hearing Dolly tell her life story and her being so witty had us all laughing. It was so much fun.”
A lot of preparation went into the event. Through the Congress of Country Music, food and beverage vendors, small business owners, and plenty more, the town really stepped up ahead of the shows.
“I love that we are having this community gathering. It is awesome! This is like little Nashville. I would like to see a lot more of this,” said Kimberly Smith-Booker.
Kimberly is the owner of Byrd Haus, a new bubble tea shop in town. In preparation for the show, they offered girls the chance to get their hair glittered and face painted with several stencil options that included butterflies for Dolly.
Her sister, Lisa Smith, added, “I’ve just always liked Dolly’s sparkle. My granddaughter was with me this morning and she saw the movie where Dolly grew up poor. I said, ‘That tells you right there that you can be anything you want to be’. It really made an impression on my nine-year-old granddaughter.”
In between the 3 p.m. show and the 7 p.m. show, Dolly appeared with Marty Stuart at a mural unveiling as the crowd erupted in cheer.
The “Wildflowers” tribute mural was designed by Daniel Ethridge with the lyrics to her song of the same name displayed on the right side. Dolly and Marty did a special rendition of the first verse as everyone sang along together in harmony.
Ticket sales were about $1.6 million, according to reports.
Hunter Thrash had a great time. “My favorite song by Dolly is ‘Rockin’ Years’. I first fell in love with her when I was nine years old and went to the Smoky Mountains and Dixie Stampede. I’ve looked up to her ever since,” said Thrash, 23. “I think this event will bring big opportunities to the town and open many doors. I think it’s really going to help the economy, help our town grow, and put us on the map.”
“Without Marty Stuart’s connections and contacts, this wouldn’t have happened. We are glad that he is a resident of this county and loves this place,” said Mayor James Young. “We are moving in a good direction, and there are other events coming down the road. We hope to be doing something of significance as often as possible. This event was a great door opening to what we want to do in this community with the Congress of Country Music.”
He added, “Thank God for the police, Sheriff’s Department, Highway Department, Street Department, and everybody that had a hand in making sure the venue was as safe as possible, and from cleaning up after. It was a group effort that really paid off.”