Country music icon Dolly Parton has died. She was 80.
Parton’s passing was announced by her nephew Bryan Seaver in a social media post on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Seaver did not mention any details on how Parton died, just that she loved her family and her fans across the globe.
“Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens,” Seaver said.
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Parton played in bars, clubs, stadiums and honky-tonks across the country, including in Fort Worth and North Texas.
Here’s a look at her local ties.
Dolly Parton’s big Fort Worth concert
On Dec. 2, 1977, Parton took the stage at Panther Hall — the long-gone music venue on East Lancaster Avenue that was the Billy Bob’s of Fort Worth before there was Billy Bob’s.
The Star-Telegram attended the show and took many a photograph from the event. Take a look below.
Dec. 2, 1977: Dolly Parton performing in concert at Panther Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, to a crowd of 1,250 people in the venue’s country music ballroom.
Dec. 2, 1977: Dolly Parton performing in concert at Panther Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, to a crowd of 1,250 people in the venue’s country music ballroom.
Dec. 2, 1977: Dolly Parton performing in concert at Panther Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, to a crowd of 1,250 people in the venue’s country music ballroom.
Dec. 2, 1977: Dolly Parton performing in concert at Panther Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, to a crowd of 1,250 people in the venue’s country music ballroom.
Dec. 2, 1977: Dolly Parton entering Panther Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, with her crew for a concert. There were 1,250 people in the venue’s country music ballroom.
Dec. 2, 1977: Dolly Parton entering Panther Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, with her crew for a concert. There were 1,250 people in the venue’s country music ballroom.
Dolly Parton’s North Texas ties
After Parton’s Fort Worth visit, she returned to the Metroplex several times over her career.
In the 1980s and 1990s, she stopped by Reunion Arena and the Coca-Cola Starplex Amphitheatre (now Dos Equis Pavilion) in Dallas. In the 2000s, she held concerts at American Airlines Center in Dallas and Nokia Live (now Texas Trust CU Theatre) in Grand Prairie.
Her final show in the region came as the halftime performer at the Dallas Cowboys’ 2023 Thanksgiving Day game.
Parton dressed as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and sang a few hits before America’s Team returned to the field. The Star-Telegram was at the game and took photos of the performance, which can be viewed below.
Dolly Parton performs during the Dallas Cowboys’ halftime show to kickoff the Red Kettle Campaign on Thursday, November 23, 2023, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Dolly Parton performs during the Dallas Cowboys’ halftime show to kickoff the Red Kettle Campaign on Thursday, November 23, 2023, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Dolly Parton performs during the Dallas Cowboys’ halftime show to kickoff the Red Kettle Campaign on Thursday, November 23, 2023, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Dolly Parton performs during the Dallas Cowboys’ halftime show to kickoff the Red Kettle Campaign on Thursday, November 23, 2023, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.