Dolly Parton will have her day in Fresno.<\/p>\n
At its meeting on Thursday, the Fresno City Council will declare Sept. 25 as \u201cDolly Parton Day.\u201d The date is a play on words of one of Parton\u2019s most recognizable songs, \u201c9 to 5.\u201d<\/p>\n
The entertainment legend died on Aug. 25 at the age of 80.<\/p>\n
In 1985, she and Kenny Rogers sold out Selland Arena on the evening of Super Bowl Sunday.<\/p>\n
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Dolly Parton\u2019s hit song \u201cCoat of Many Colors\u201d has been turned into a TV movie. NBC Quantrell Colbert\/NBC Dolly\u2019s Sold Out Show<\/p>\n
Parton and Rogers, singers of the 1983 smash duet \u201cIslands in the Stream,\u201d took the act on tour in the mid-1980s. For two nights, they wowed fans in Fresno.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cfans began lining up before 5 a.m.\u201d forming a line two-blocks long at the Fresno Convention Center.<\/p>\n
The convention center\u2019s director at the time, Robert Schoettler, told The Bee there had not been such interest and enthusiasm since Elvis Presley.<\/p>\n
According to The Bee\u2019s review by Ken Robison: \u201cParton has the rare ability to make people both laugh and cry. Early in her set, she joked about her figure (\u2019You\u2019d be amazed at the cost of industrial bras these days\u2019), her stylish attire (\u2019You know how much it costs to make someone look this cheap?\u2019) and her penchant for sweets (\u2018Inside of me is a hog trying to get out\u2019).\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite her Hollywood connections and the pop flavor of her most recent hit songs, Parton has lost none of her country charm,\u201d Robison wrote.<\/p>\n
Country DJ Remembers<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Greg Lane<\/a>, soon to be celebrating his 35th anniversary at Kiss Country radio, brought Parton on stage. In 1985, he was a DJ at FM 102.<\/p>\n \u201cThe show was simply awesome. She played her heart out and did encore three times,\u201d Lane said. \u201cI asked Dolly if there was anything that makes her nervous she says she never wanted to let anyone down at her shows. I don\u2019t think she ever did.\u201d<\/p>\n Lane interviewed Parton several times over the years.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was so sweet and gave great hugs, too,\u201d Lane said.<\/p>\n Parton played the first half of the show with hits like \u201cCoats of Many Colors,\u201d closing with \u201c9 to 5.\u201d<\/p>\n Rogers then performed his set, including \u201cThe Gambler,\u201d and \u201cLady.\u201d<\/p>\n As Rogers closed his set, Parton joined him for \u201cWe\u2019ve Got Tonight,\u201d a Bob Seger tune. They concluded with \u201cIslands in the Stream.\u201d<\/p>\n The entertainers came back again the next night on Jan. 21.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Jan. 21, 1985 show is believed to be the last Fresno performance by Parton.<\/p>\n She also performed at the Tulare County Fair in 1993, and a 2016 show in Paso Robles, according to concert archive site Setlist<\/a>.<\/p>\n The proclamation for \u201cDolly Parton Day,\u201d<\/a> honors her for the Imagination Library \u2014 Parton\u2019s philanthropic venture to send young children books at no cost.<\/p>\n Last year, Fresno City Councilman Tyler Maxwell partnered with First 5 Fresno County to bring the \u201cImagination Library\u201d to Fresno.<\/p>\n \u201cDolly Parton\u2019s legacy continues to inspire communities to invest in children, strengthen families, and promote literacy as a foundation for lifelong success,\u201d the proclamation reads.<\/p>\n This story was originally published September 16, 2026 at 10:33 AM.<\/p>\n Dolly Parton performs at Selland Arena in Fresno, CA, on Jan. 20, 1985. Paul Kuroda The Fresno Bee City to honor Parton<\/p>\n
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Fresno City Councilmember Tyler Maxwell poses with strikes a pose with four kids in support of children\u2019s literacy. Maxwell set aside $150,000 in federal stimulus funding that will help launch Dolly Parton\u2019s Imagination Library in Fresno County. Courtesy photo <\/p>\n