I grew up listening to Dolly Parton. She embodies so much of what country music is, having had an incredible career that’s without a doubt shaped the way country music sounds today. Dolly is the most celebrated and honored female country performer of all time, truly a legend in her own right.
But, even legends have to draw inspiration from somewhere. It’s a part of the creative process to create your own sound and style from something you know.
For her performance for a benefit at the Country Music Museum and Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee, Dolly was asked to perform a song from one of her heroes. She had to choose someone she admires and has looked up to over the years. For her, it was a no-brainer. And, to make her performance even more outstanding, Dolly enlisted the help from two of her famous friends.
Dolly chose to perform a George Jones classic, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” George was an American musician, a singer-songwriter who had plenty of hit records in his day, but it was this song that became his most famous single. Frequently referred to as the greatest country star, he was loved for his phrasing and ability to inject so much emotion into his singing. Country music scholar Bill Malone writes, “For the two or three minutes consumed by a song, Jones immerses himself so completely in its lyrics, and in the mood it conveys, that the listener can scarcely avoid becoming similarly involved.”
Just listen to the topic of the song. It’s about a heartbroken man who never gave up on his long lost love. Even though the relationship is over, he held on to all their keepsakes, hoping to one day be reunited with his love. Sadly, he gets his wish, but it’s only after he’s died and she visits him at his funeral.
It’s a real achy breaky heart song, and Dolly pulls it off flawlessly. Just when you think her performance can’t possibly get any better, right around the 4:10 mark, she has a little back up from country pop rock favorite Keith Urban and bluegrass, southern rock, vocalist and instrumentalist, Vince Gill. Both superstars are playing and singing back up vocals. This is truly a star-studded tribute that made for an incredible show.
Click on the video below to watch this brilliant song come together magically on stage.
