In the packed rooms of Toronto drag shows and touring musical tributes, Dolly Parton has been an singular presence — the rhinestones, sky-high heels and unmistakable voice.
But for the performers who imitate the Queen of Country on stage, Parton is more than a caricature; she’s an emblem of glamour, humour and optimism. After Parton’s death Tuesday at 80, many of them say they’re determined to keep her spirit alive.
Laurie Lynn from Hanover, Ont., is one of them. The professional singer has performed as Parton for about seven years, sometimes with a Kenny Rogers tribute artist on her arm. She is in the final stages of planning “The Dolly Story,” a career-spanning stage show she plans to take across Ontario and other parts of the country.
“There are some musicians who frown on tributes — Dolly was not one of them,” Lynn said. “She found it to be the biggest form of flattery.” Parton herself said in a 2020 Glamour interview that she was “honoured” to hear other artists and fans perform her songs.
Parton died in Nashville, Tennessee, her family said in a video posted to social media. A statement from her representatives said she faced “a brief battle with cancer.”
The announcement came as a shock to performers who considered her an inspiration, including Toronto drag artist Brooke Lynn Hytes, who has lip-synched Parton’s tunes too many times to count.
“Someone like Dolly, you feel like she’s going to live forever,” Hytes said. “She’s such an icon and a force that you just don’t expect them to ever really leave.”
Hytes said Parton has long held a rarefied status in the LGBTQ community across the generations. Her songs continue to be a fixture at drag shows, with “9 to 5,” “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” in the repertoires of many contemporary drag artists.
Her fabulous outfits, larger-than-life personality, and outspoken support of equal rights made it easy to love her, Hytes added.
“She always supported the queer community and supported drag queens, and loved on them long before it was ever popular to do so,” she said.
Parton openly spoke about that love.
During a Toronto press conference for her Pure & Simple tour in 2016, she was asked about people who portray her on stage, particularly drag queens.
“I’m a patron saint for a lot of them guys and it makes me feel good,” she said.
“All those drag queens, sometimes I’ve seen some of them look like me more than I do.”
Parton recalled the time she secretly enrolled in a Dolly Parton drag look-alike contest in Los Angeles on a dare from her friends.
“I kind of exaggerated myself, made my beauty mark a little bigger — but it was still me,” she said.
The audience wasn’t so impressed with her own version of herself.
“I got the least applause of anybody,” she said.
Daphne Moens, a Waterdown, Ont. real estate agent, who moonlights as Parton in her “The Ultimate Tribute to Dolly” concert show, said playing the country singer brings her a certain joy.
“She’s so positive and energetic, and it’s such an amazing feeling to bring that to people on stage,” she said.
“You have to lead from the heart when you’re playing her, because all that other stuff is just window dressing.”
With files from The Canadian Press.
