Get ready for a musical journey through Dolly Parton's most electrifying live performances! From iconic country classics to surprising rock moments, we're celebrating the legendary artist's most unforgettable stage appearances that showcase her incredible talent and charisma.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the
00:08most unforgettable live performances from country music legend Dolly Parton.
00:19Number 10. World on Fire, 58th Academy of Country Music Awards. She may have made her name in the
00:25country genre, but Dolly Parton announced to the world that she wanted to try being a rock star.
00:37Her supersized 2023 album Rockstar was the result.
00:40She performed the album's lead single, World on Fire, at the 58th ACM Awards.
00:45A rousing battle cry about the state of the world, the song is a departure both
00:56in tone and in presentation for Parton. The live performance is equally surprising.
01:07Backed by intense choreography and pyrotechnic effects, her unmistakable
01:11trill is just as powerful now as it was decades ago. And here, it's not just sweet,
01:16it's urgent and powerful.
01:22Number 9. Jolene, Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts. The famed
01:27UK music festival didn't seem like the ideal venue for an artist like Parton.
01:32But though it's often home to more modern pop acts and attended by a younger crowd,
01:41her 2014 appearance garnered a crowd of almost 200,000 people.
01:50It's reportedly a number that broke the festival's previous attendance records.
01:54The whole show is incredible, but her performance of Jolene,
01:57her iconic song about another woman poised to steal her lover, is the highlight.
02:09Dressed in a stunning white rhinestone pantsuit, Parton seems genuinely shocked
02:14that the crowd knows the classic and is singing right back to her.
02:17Number 8. Coat of Many Colors, Grand Ole Opry 60th Anniversary.
02:34Dolly Parton was at the center of the 60th anniversary celebration of Nashville's
02:38legendary Grand Ole Opry radio show.
02:41Having made her Opry debut at 13, she returned in 1986 to sing her classic song about a girl
02:53from a working-class family and her mother's love and ingenuity.
03:02She tells it like a story, speaking some parts instead of singing them.
03:06To see her perform it on the very stage where she became a star all those years ago
03:10gives Coat of Many Colors an extra layer of nostalgia.
03:13It remains a heartwarming reminder of how far she's come.
03:23Number 7. Islands in the Stream featuring Kenny Rogers, CMT 100 Greatest Duets Concert.
03:30Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers topped the pop charts with this go-to karaoke song.
03:34"'Baby, when I met you, there was peace unknown."
03:38Their best performance of it may have just been over 20 years after they recorded it.
03:43"'You do something to me that I can't explain."
03:48Honored with the number one spot in a CMT poll of the best country duets,
03:52Parton and Rogers reunited to perform it on the network's TV concert event.
03:55There's no losing with Islands in the Stream. It's just a fun song with beautiful harmonies.
04:01"'Islands in the Stream, that is what we are.'"
04:04On top of sounding great, Parton looks so thrilled to be singing the tune.
04:08At one point, she even thanks Rogers and shouts out the band, making it all the more memorable.
04:17Number 6. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? Dolly.
04:25On her short-lived TV show from the mid-'70s,
04:28Dolly Parton took a camera crew into a Nashville nightclub,
04:31where she wowed the patrons with her underrated technique.
04:34"'Oh, how often I've wished that again I could kiss your sweet lips like I did long ago.'"
04:42Performing her original tune, Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?,
04:45she turned things up a notch by speeding the song up.
04:47"'Do you ever think back on old memories like that?''
04:52She and her backing vocalists practically sound like chipmunks as they perform the song at top
04:56speed. We're joking, of course, but it's certainly a unique feat to witness. One thing's for sure,
05:01though, it's undeniably great and perfectly encapsulates both her sense of humor and vocal
05:07prowess. "'Do you ever think back on old memories like that? How do I ever cross your mind?''
05:13Number 5. 9 to 5. The Magical World of Disney.
05:17In this all-star celebration of Disney World's 15th anniversary, Dolly Parton joined a lineup
05:22that included Ray Charles, Gladys Knight, and two of the Golden Girls.
05:26"'I tumble out of bed and I stumble to the kitchen. I pour myself a cup of ambition.'"
05:31Parton reprised the title song from her hit movie,
05:34alongside costumed Disney characters, in a cartoonish office setting.
05:37"'Dump in the shower and the blood starts pumping. Out on the street the traffic starts chomping.'"
05:42It's peak Dolly and peak 80s all at the same time. Also the inside of my head.
05:47Listening to her belt out her workplace protest song next to Snow White and Minnie Mouse is a
05:51fantastic experience, to say the least.
05:53"'Working night to night. What a way to make an ill bit.'"
05:58What's more is that she sounds incredible,
06:01staying true to the record while still adding some flair to the song.
06:04"'Cause I know that drive you crazy if you let it.'"
06:09Number 4. We've Got Tonight with Kenny Rogers.
06:13Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton together.
06:15"'I know it's late. I know you'll be there.'"
06:21After the success of their high-charting singles and Christmas album,
06:24Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers went on a brief tour in 1985 and recorded this TV special.
06:30"'Deep in my love, I see you.'
06:37They performed the Bob Seger track,
06:39"'We Got Tonight,' which Rogers had recorded as a duet with Sheena Easton.
06:42In true Dolly style, she pokes fun at this during the performance.
06:52The pair sounds like they were born to harmonize. On top of sounding so great together,
06:57what comes through most is how much they enjoy performing with each other.
07:05Parton ends the song by imitating Rogers' distinctive vibrato,
07:08leaving them both convulsing with laughter.
07:13Number 3. The Sweetest Gift with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt.
07:22Dolly.
07:29In the 1980s, Dolly Parton joined Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt to record the trio album.
07:35But the three had been singing together for years before that.
07:38This clip from The Dolly Show features them performing The Sweetest Gift.
07:41"'She left a smile you can't remember.'"
07:47A folk ballad about an imprisoned man and the mother who still loves him.
07:51It's an incredible showcase for their talents. Their crystal-clear voices
07:54form a three-part harmony that can only be described as angelic.
07:58"'You see, it was a halo rising down from heaven.'"
08:05Even among the group, Parton is a team player.
08:08She even humbly asks to sing when it comes time for her solo.
08:11To put it simply, the whole thing is magic.
08:21Number 2. Jolene, The Porter Wagoner Show.
08:24For the first several years of her career,
08:26Dolly Parton made frequent appearances on The Porter Wagoner Show.
08:29"'Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene.'"
08:34The host was also her frequent collaborator, so perhaps it's no surprise that she chose
08:39to sing her incomparable tune, Jolene, on this stage early on in its history.
08:43"'Your smile is like a breath of spring. Your voice is soft like summer rain.'"
08:48In fact, this is where many heard it live for the first time.
08:51Needless to say, Parton sounds incredible. The crowd can't help but applaud throughout.
08:57"'I had to have this talk with you. My happiness depends on you.'"
09:01She even addresses the camera as she performs the iconic number,
09:04as if she knows Jolene herself is right on the other side of the screen.
09:08It's only the beginning for the song that will become one of her lasting hits.
09:12"'Please don't take him even though you can.'"
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09:33Number 1. I Will Always Love You – The Porter Wagoner Show
09:44In 1973, Parton told Porter Wagoner that she was leaving his show
09:48and their partnership to strike out on her own.
09:56"'I Will Always Love You' was her tribute to him and all that he had done for her.
10:02Hearing her perform it on his program is absolutely heartbreaking. That she's
10:06bringing the song to life right in front of the man she wrote it for is enough to give you chills.
10:16But what she does on the last chorus here is spine-tingling. Her voice
10:20sails over the melody, optioning up and showcasing the high end of her range.
10:25This is Dolly Parton at her very best.
10:34What's your favorite Dolly Parton song? Tell us in the comments.
10:39"'I Hope Life Treats You Real Kind'."
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10:55We'll see you next time.