00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the
00:08most unforgettable live performances from country music legend Dolly Parton.
00:19Number 10. World on Fire, 58th Academy of Country Music Awards. She may have made her name in the
00:25country genre, but Dolly Parton announced to the world that she wanted to try being a rock star.
00:37Her supersized 2023 album Rockstar was the result.
00:40She performed the album's lead single, World on Fire, at the 58th ACM Awards.
00:45A rousing battle cry about the state of the world, the song is a departure both
00:56in tone and in presentation for Parton. The live performance is equally surprising.
01:07Backed by intense choreography and pyrotechnic effects, her unmistakable
01:11trill is just as powerful now as it was decades ago. And here, it's not just sweet,
01:16it's urgent and powerful.
01:22Number 9. Jolene, Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts. The famed
01:27UK music festival didn't seem like the ideal venue for an artist like Parton.
01:32But though it's often home to more modern pop acts and attended by a younger crowd,
01:41her 2014 appearance garnered a crowd of almost 200,000 people.
01:50It's reportedly a number that broke the festival's previous attendance records.
01:54The whole show is incredible, but her performance of Jolene,
01:57her iconic song about another woman poised to steal her lover, is the highlight.
02:09Dressed in a stunning white rhinestone pantsuit, Parton seems genuinely shocked
02:14that the crowd knows the classic and is singing right back to her.
02:17Number 8. Coat of Many Colors, Grand Ole Opry 60th Anniversary.
02:34Dolly Parton was at the center of the 60th anniversary celebration of Nashville's
02:38legendary Grand Ole Opry radio show.
02:41Having made her Opry debut at 13, she returned in 1986 to sing her classic song about a girl
02:53from a working-class family and her mother's love and ingenuity.
03:02She tells it like a story, speaking some parts instead of singing them.
03:06To see her perform it on the very stage where she became a star all those years ago
03:10gives Coat of Many Colors an extra layer of nostalgia.
03:13It remains a heartwarming reminder of how far she's come.
03:23Number 7. Islands in the Stream featuring Kenny Rogers, CMT 100 Greatest Duets Concert.
03:30Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers topped the pop charts with this go-to karaoke song.
03:34"'Baby, when I met you, there was peace unknown."
03:38Their best performance of it may have just been over 20 years after they recorded it.
03:43"'You do something to me that I can't explain."
03:48Honored with the number one spot in a CMT poll of the best country duets,
03:52Parton and Rogers reunited to perform it on the network's TV concert event.
03:55There's no losing with Islands in the Stream. It's just a fun song with beautiful harmonies.
04:01"'Islands in the Stream, that is what we are.'"
04:04On top of sounding great, Parton looks so thrilled to be singing the tune.
04:08At one point, she even thanks Rogers and shouts out the band, making it all the more memorable.
04:17Number 6. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? Dolly.
04:25On her short-lived TV show from the mid-'70s,
04:28Dolly Parton took a camera crew into a Nashville nightclub,
04:31where she wowed the patrons with her underrated technique.
04:34"'Oh, how often I've wished that again I could kiss your sweet lips like I did long ago.'"
04:42Performing her original tune, Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?,
04:45she turned things up a notch by speeding the song up.
04:47"'Do you ever think back on old memories like that?''
04:52She and her backing vocalists practically sound like chipmunks as they perform the song at top
04:56speed. We're joking, of course, but it's certainly a unique feat to witness. One thing's for sure,
05:01though, it's undeniably great and perfectly encapsulates both her sense of humor and vocal
05:07prowess. "'Do you ever think back on old memories like that? How do I ever cross your mind?''
05:13Number 5. 9 to 5. The Magical World of Disney.
05:17In this all-star celebration of Disney World's 15th anniversary, Dolly Parton joined a lineup
05:22that included Ray Charles, Gladys Knight, and two of the Golden Girls.
05:26"'I tumble out of bed and I stumble to the kitchen. I pour myself a cup of ambition.'"
05:31Parton reprised the title song from her hit movie,
05:34alongside costumed Disney characters, in a cartoonish office setting.
05:37"'Dump in the shower and the blood starts pumping. Out on the street the traffic starts chomping.'"
05:42It's peak Dolly and peak 80s all at the same time. Also the inside of my head.
05:47Listening to her belt out her workplace protest song next to Snow White and Minnie Mouse is a
05:51fantastic experience, to say the least.
05:53"'Working night to night. What a way to make an ill bit.'"
05:58What's more is that she sounds incredible,
06:01staying true to the record while still adding some flair to the song.
06:04"'Cause I know that drive you crazy if you let it.'"
06:09Number 4. We've Got Tonight with Kenny Rogers.
06:13Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton together.
06:15"'I know it's late. I know you'll be there.'"
06:21After the success of their high-charting singles and Christmas album,
06:24Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers went on a brief tour in 1985 and recorded this TV special.
06:30"'Deep in my love, I see you.'
06:37They performed the Bob Seger track,
06:39"'We Got Tonight,' which Rogers had recorded as a duet with Sheena Easton.
06:42In true Dolly style, she pokes fun at this during the performance.
06:52The pair sounds like they were born to harmonize. On top of sounding so great together,
06:57what comes through most is how much they enjoy performing with each other.
07:05Parton ends the song by imitating Rogers' distinctive vibrato,
07:08leaving them both convulsing with laughter.
07:13Number 3. The Sweetest Gift with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt.
07:22Dolly.
07:29In the 1980s, Dolly Parton joined Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt to record the trio album.
07:35But the three had been singing together for years before that.
07:38This clip from The Dolly Show features them performing The Sweetest Gift.
07:41"'She left a smile you can't remember.'"
07:47A folk ballad about an imprisoned man and the mother who still loves him.
07:51It's an incredible showcase for their talents. Their crystal-clear voices
07:54form a three-part harmony that can only be described as angelic.
07:58"'You see, it was a halo rising down from heaven.'"
08:05Even among the group, Parton is a team player.
08:08She even humbly asks to sing when it comes time for her solo.
08:11To put it simply, the whole thing is magic.
08:21Number 2. Jolene, The Porter Wagoner Show.
08:24For the first several years of her career,
08:26Dolly Parton made frequent appearances on The Porter Wagoner Show.
08:29"'Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene.'"
08:34The host was also her frequent collaborator, so perhaps it's no surprise that she chose
08:39to sing her incomparable tune, Jolene, on this stage early on in its history.
08:43"'Your smile is like a breath of spring. Your voice is soft like summer rain.'"
08:48In fact, this is where many heard it live for the first time.
08:51Needless to say, Parton sounds incredible. The crowd can't help but applaud throughout.
08:57"'I had to have this talk with you. My happiness depends on you.'"
09:01She even addresses the camera as she performs the iconic number,
09:04as if she knows Jolene herself is right on the other side of the screen.
09:08It's only the beginning for the song that will become one of her lasting hits.
09:12"'Please don't take him even though you can.'"
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09:33Number 1. I Will Always Love You – The Porter Wagoner Show
09:44In 1973, Parton told Porter Wagoner that she was leaving his show
09:48and their partnership to strike out on her own.
09:56"'I Will Always Love You' was her tribute to him and all that he had done for her.
10:02Hearing her perform it on his program is absolutely heartbreaking. That she's
10:06bringing the song to life right in front of the man she wrote it for is enough to give you chills.
10:16But what she does on the last chorus here is spine-tingling. Her voice
10:20sails over the melody, optioning up and showcasing the high end of her range.
10:25This is Dolly Parton at her very best.
10:34What's your favorite Dolly Parton song? Tell us in the comments.
10:39"'I Hope Life Treats You Real Kind'."
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10:55We'll see you next time.
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