TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – To the rest of the world, she will always be remembered as the global superstar Dolly Parton. But for three East Texas musicians who spent a decade of their lives performing right alongside her, Dolly was like family.
“Dolly will live on forever,” Dave Stanley said.
Following the news of Parton’s passing on Tuesday at the age of 80, the grief is hitting incredibly hard close to home.
“I never thought of her passing,” said Dave Stanley. “I said, ‘Oh, Dolly, she’s Dolly. She’s going to make it through it.’ But she didn’t… she didn’t.”
For him, the loss runs deep, and he is still trying to find the words to describe how he feels.
The Gig of a Lifetime
It all began in 1986, when the East Texas trio – bassist Dave Stanley, his brother Larry Stanley, and drummer Ken “Nardo” Murray – went to Dallas to audition for what was supposed to be a brief two-week gig at Dollywood.
The three had already spent decades playing together, beginning in the 1960s with the Tyler garage rock band Mouse and the Traps, and on doing other gigs. Their tight-knit chemistry shone through.
“Probably 25 acts came and auditioned. We’re the only ones they bought,” recalled Murray. “So we went there… We were only supposed to be there two weeks. We lasted 10 years,” says Ken Nardo Murray.
At the park, they became a beloved staple known to millions of visitors as The Lone Star Ramblers.
Looking back on that decade, the group says it is a chapter of their lives they will always cherish.
“That was 10 years out of our lives, the best 10 years we ever spent,” Dave said. “And the most gracious lady we got to spend them with…Dolly.”
An East Texas Stamp on a Legend’s Legacy
The trio brought a unique touch of East Texas talent and humor to the country queen’s historic legacy.
“Dolly liked us. Everybody liked us,” Murray said. “We started being in her TV and radio commercials, so that was awesome,” Murray said.
While the world remembers Dolly Parton for her legendary songwriting and chart-topping hits, the three musicians say it was her unmatched kindness and endless generosity that truly set her apart.
“Dolly was just such a wonderful person,” Larry said. “And what I liked about her also is that she is the most giving person you’ll ever see.”
“Dolly promoted the school systems. She promoted the children’s education. She promoted the hospitals,” Dave added. “Everything she promoted was good, and she used her money for good.”
When asked what the superstar was truly like behind the scenes, Murray said she was the real deal.
“People ask me all the time, ‘What’s she really like?’ She’s exactly like you see her. I mean, she’s Dolly.”
Though saying goodbye to their longtime friend is incredibly difficult, the musicians find peace in the unforgettable memories they will hold onto forever.
“She’s going to be missed,” Murray added, “but she’s in a better place.”
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