Dolly Parton will have her day in Fresno.
At its meeting on Thursday, the Fresno City Council will declare Sept. 25 as “Dolly Parton Day.” The date is a play on words of one of Parton’s most recognizable songs, “9 to 5.”
The entertainment legend died on Aug. 25 at the age of 80.
In 1985, she and Kenny Rogers sold out Selland Arena on the evening of Super Bowl Sunday.
Dolly Parton’s hit song “Coat of Many Colors” has been turned into a TV movie.
Dolly’s Sold Out Show
Parton and Rogers, singers of the 1983 smash duet “Islands in the Stream,” took the act on tour in the mid-1980s. For two nights, they wowed fans in Fresno.
Tickets for the Jan. 20, 1985 show sold out in just a few hours when they went on sale nearly six weeks prior. The duo added a second night, and a new sale date the next week. The Bee reported “fans began lining up before 5 a.m.” forming a line two-blocks long at the Fresno Convention Center.
The convention center’s director at the time, Robert Schoettler, told The Bee there had not been such interest and enthusiasm since Elvis Presley.
According to The Bee’s review by Ken Robison: “Parton has the rare ability to make people both laugh and cry. Early in her set, she joked about her figure (‘You’d be amazed at the cost of industrial bras these days’), her stylish attire (‘You know how much it costs to make someone look this cheap?’) and her penchant for sweets (‘Inside of me is a hog trying to get out’).”
“Despite her Hollywood connections and the pop flavor of her most recent hit songs, Parton has lost none of her country charm,” Robison wrote.
Country DJ Remembers
Shortly after the 49ers won Super Bowl XIX over the Miami Dolphins, Sawyer Brown opened the 7:30 p.m. sold-out show on Jan. 20.
Greg Lane, soon to be celebrating his 35th anniversary at Kiss Country radio, brought Parton on stage. In 1985, he was a DJ at FM 102.
“The show was simply awesome. She played her heart out and did encore three times,” Lane said. “I asked Dolly if there was anything that makes her nervous she says she never wanted to let anyone down at her shows. I don’t think she ever did.”
Lane interviewed Parton several times over the years.
“She was so sweet and gave great hugs, too,” Lane said.
Parton played the first half of the show with hits like “Coats of Many Colors,” closing with “9 to 5.”
Rogers then performed his set, including “The Gambler,” and “Lady.”
As Rogers closed his set, Parton joined him for “We’ve Got Tonight,” a Bob Seger tune. They concluded with “Islands in the Stream.”
The entertainers came back again the next night on Jan. 21.
The list price for tickets were $17.50 and $15.50. Classified ads in The Bee soon offered entry for marked up rate, four tickets for $350.
The Jan. 21, 1985 show is believed to be the last Fresno performance by Parton.
She also performed at the Tulare County Fair in 1993, and a 2016 show in Paso Robles, according to concert archive site Setlist.
Dolly Parton performs at Selland Arena in Fresno, CA, on Jan. 20, 1985.
City to honor Parton
The proclamation for “Dolly Parton Day,” honors her for the Imagination Library — Parton’s philanthropic venture to send young children books at no cost.
Last year, Fresno City Councilman Tyler Maxwell partnered with First 5 Fresno County to bring the “Imagination Library” to Fresno.
“Dolly Parton’s legacy continues to inspire communities to invest in children, strengthen families, and promote literacy as a foundation for lifelong success,” the proclamation reads.
Fresno City Councilmember Tyler Maxwell poses with strikes a pose with four kids in support of children’s literacy. Maxwell set aside $150,000 in federal stimulus funding that will help launch Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Fresno County.