For the love of Dolly

YAY! Today Dolly Parton turns 61 years young. This was a random Wikipedia fact that I stumbled across when I was looking for something else last night - and I'm sure glad I did. I think that today, in honor of her 61st, I'll do nothing but listen to Dolly all day long! And perhaps cover songs of hers, although I might spare myself the 5 zillionth listen to Whitney Houtson's "I Will Always Love You."

I just heart Dolly so much - I have ever since I was a kid watching her "Live In London" concert on HBO over and over and over again. How I wish that would get a DVD release!! The last time I checked on eBay, the VHS tape was selling for 75 dollars!! A VHS tape!!

She has such a long legacy of fantastic music (and, admittedly, some real dogs as well.) And while I know that even she realizes that the big hair and the big boobs are all about the image and the package, beneath all that lies one of our very best American songwriters. As much as I love to make fun of her cornball lyrics in some of her old songs, I'd like to see me do any better. She can write songs about dead babies, burning down the orphan's home and making moonshine better than any I know.

So here's to you Dolly! As a 34 year old man, I love your music a whole lot more than what is allowable by law. Here's some great YouTube clips to celebrate Dolly's birthday.


(Dolly sings "Two Doors Down" on - apparently - the Cher Show in 1978!)


("Potential New Boyfriend" - her first music video and a great camp classic!)


(Here's an oldie! "False Eyelashes")