{"id":1027255,"date":"2026-08-27T11:08:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T11:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1027255\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T11:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T11:08:16","slug":"top-things-to-do-in-fort-worth-this-weekend-aug-27-30-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1027255\/","title":{"rendered":"Top things to do in Fort Worth this weekend, Aug 27-30, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) \u2014 Dolly Parton<\/strong>, the country music icon whose soaring vibrato vocals, poignant songwriting<\/a> and sparkling costumes defined her rise from a log cabin in the Tennessee mountains to the height of stardom and acclaim, has died. She was 80 years old.<\/p>\n

Parton died peacefully Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, her publicist said in a statement. A cause of death was not disclosed.<\/p>\n

Known for her curvy physique, massive blond wigs and skin-tight outfits that served her self-deprecating wit<\/a>, she was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond \u2014 the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.<\/p>\n

She wrote hundreds of songs, including classics like \u201cJolene,\u201d \u201cCoat of Many Colors\u201d and \u201cI Will Always Love You,\u201d that totaled more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams. Parton, who plucked bejeweled banjos, guitar and dulcimers with her long fingernails during performances, was a generous philanthropist<\/a> and successful businesswoman<\/a> whose projects included a theme park in the Smoky Mountain foothills<\/a> near her birthplace.<\/p>\n

Her career was forever influenced by her upbringing as one of 12 children born into what she called a \u201cdirt poor\u201d Tennessee family. She started her education nonprofit<\/a>, Imagination Library, to send free books to children in Tennessee because her father, who quit school to work on the farm, struggled to learn to read.<\/p>\n

Parton’s first musical performances were in church, where her grandfather was a preacher. By age 10, she was learning guitar and singing on local television shows. At 13, she appeared on the Grand Ole Opry<\/a> in Nashville, where Johnny Cash introduced her as \u201ca little girl here from up in East Tennessee.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a suitcase of songs, she followed her uncle, Bill Owens, also a songwriter, to Nashville after graduating high school in 1964. Fred Foster, who produced Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson and more, saw her potential and got her songs cut by other artists, as well as recording and releasing Parton singing her own material. By the mid-1970s, Parton was a Nashville queen.<\/p>\n

Parton’s partnership with Porter Wagoner, a pencil-thin pompadoured star with flashy rhinestone outfits, was key to her career. She honed her acting skills on his syndicated TV show and he advocated for her to get a record deal at RCA. Their first duet, \u201cThe Last Thing On My Mind,\u201d was released in 1967, the same year she started her own publishing company.<\/p>\n

She got her first No. 1 solo single with \u201cJoshua,\u201d and reached the Top 5 with the ballad \u201cCoat of Many Colors,\u201d about how her mother sewed together scraps of clothes to make a coat Parton wore \u201cso proudly\u201d even as her peers mocked her for being poor. The song, with its Biblical references and ode to maternal love, was later made into a children\u2019s book and a TV movie.<\/p>\n

In 1973, she had the hit that made her career \u2014 \u201cJolene,\u201d a country music standard with its steady, churning rhythm and Parton’s repeated delivery of the title as she pleads for the woman not to steal her man.<\/p>\n

A pop crossover star
<\/strong>She followed \u201cJolene\u201d with a huge hit in 1974, \u201cI Will Always Love You,\u201d an ode and farewell to Wagoner that helped her win the Country Music Association\u2019s female vocalist of the year back-to-back in 1975 and 1976. She famously turned down Elvis Presley, who wanted to record it, because she would not share publishing rights.<\/p>\n

Decades later, Whitney Houston\u2019s version of \u201cI Will Always Love You\u201d became a smash for the soundtrack of her 1992 film \u201cThe Bodyguard,\u201d and broke sales records. Houston won a Grammy for her performance in 1994, presented to her by Parton.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere You Come Again,\u201d a pop crossover hit and one of the few she didn\u2019t write, further established Parton as a multi-genre entertainer and brought her first Grammy Award in 1979.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people thought I had totally lost my mind,\u201d she told The Associated Press in 1979 of changing her singing style. \u201cBut I had no fear of change. I expected success, but I was braced for failure. I didn\u2019t care if people thought I was wrong. In my own heart, I knew I was doing the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parton’s other crossover hits included the title song from \u201c9 to 5,\u201d the 1980 comedy starring Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin; and her duet with longtime friend Kenny Rogers, \u201cIslands in the Stream,\u201d written by brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. In 1987, she collaborated with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris on the million-selling \u201cTrio\u201d album.<\/p>\n

Down home charm
<\/strong>For millions of fans, she was simply \u201cDolly,\u201d a mixture of Southern charm, humor and glamour. But she was also considered a feminist role model for holding the reins of her own career, writing her own songs, owning her content and looking after her finances in an entertainment world dominated by men.<\/p>\n

Parton was open to making fun of herself; when she hosted \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d in 1989 she told the writers that her only restrictions were she wouldn\u2019t curse and she wouldn\u2019t make fun of Jesus. She regularly joked about her breasts or her dumb blonde appearance, but with a wink that she was the one controlling the laughs. <\/p>\n

Throughout her career, she embraced her glamorous style, often wearing custom curve-hugging rhinestone dresses and bodysuits even if they drew tsk-tsks from others in the industry. Her look was always a part of her larger musical business plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew my songs were good even if I had been ugly as sin,\u201d she told the AP in 2014. \u201cSo I thought, \u2018Well, I would have probably chose to look this way even if I had been a waitress.\u2019 I mean, this is my look. I mean, I like a lot of makeup. I like a lot of hair. I like flashy clothes. I like to show it off. But that\u2019s just who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

She married Carl Dean<\/a>, an asphalt paving contractor, in the mid-1960s; they were together until his death in 2025 at the age of 82<\/a>. Though rarely seen in public, he was an influence on her career. She told NPR that she wrote \u201cJolene\u201d about a flirty bank teller who seemed to take an interest in Dean.<\/p>\n

\u20189 to 5\u2019 to Hollywood and Broadway
<\/strong>In her first major film role, Parton played alongside Fonda and Tomlin as office workers who rebel against their tyrannical boss in \u201c9 to 5.\u201d Critic Roger Ebert called her a \u201cnatural-born movie star\u201d and the title song earned her two Grammy Awards and a ranking of 78 on the American Film Institute’s list of top 100 movie songs. Starring roles in \u201cThe Best Little Whorehouse In Texas\u201d and \u201cSteel Magnolias\u201d followed.<\/p>\n

Her love affair with TV and film continued for decades, with appearances alongside her goddaughter Miley Cyrus on \u201cHannah Montana\u201d and adaptations of her music for Christmas specials, films and streaming series. She also became an author, her books ranging from the memoir \u201cDolly\u201d to a bestselling novel co-authored by James Patterson, \u201cRun, Rose, Run.”<\/p>\n

The stage adaptation \u201c9 to 5: The Musical\u201d debuted in 2009, and \u201cDOLLY: A True Original Musical\u201d<\/a> is set to open Jan. 19, 2027, on what would have been her 81st birthday.<\/p>\n

United States of Dolly
<\/strong>Beyond her music, Parton\u2019s most lasting legacy might be her generosity and broad appeal.<\/p>\n

When a deadly wildfire swept through the Smokies in 2016, she held an all-star telethon and set up a foundation that sent monthly checks to residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed.<\/p>\n

She opened up her Dollywood theme park in East Tennessee, a major economic driver in Appalachia that draws tourists from around the country, and established the Dollywood Foundation. She wrote books and memoirs, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and was given a lifetime achievement award by the Recording Academy. She was selected for the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences<\/a> in 2025.<\/p>\n

With 55 Grammy nominations and 10 wins, Parton is the third-most nominated woman in Grammy history<\/a>, only behind Beyonc\u00e9 and Taylor Swift.<\/p>\n

Parton spanned social and political divides, through multiple generations of fans, urban and rural and in between. In tumultuous election years, it wasn’t uncommon to see \u201cDolly for President\u201d shirts. But she was strict in not voicing her own political beliefs.<\/p>\n

When the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation sent out a ballot in 2022 with her name on it, though she said she felt she hadn’t earned it<\/a>, the voters answered with a \u201cHello, Dolly.” Parton showed up to the induction ceremony, performed and then put out a rock album<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ties to Texas<\/strong>
Though Parton didn’t live in Texas, it was more than her Southern charm that tied her to the Lone Star State. Her campy persona and many ties to the state endeared her to Texans. The most famous was her lead appearance in the 1982 musical comedy film, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which took place in a fictional town but was filmed on location around Austin. <\/p>\n

But with such a long career \u2014 in which she was active until her death \u2014 there are plenty more Texas connections to look back on.<\/p>\n

She co-wrote and filmed the 1991 TV movie Wild Texas Wind<\/a> at the historic Broken Spoke in Austin. In 2016, she looked back fondly on “[all] the wonderful people in Austin and what a good time we had living there during that period.”<\/p>\n

“It was just a wonderful time,” Parton said<\/a>. “It was a sad ass story as you know. Gary Busey played an abusive husband. But we really had a lot of fun, and I was proud to be part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parton also had a close relationship with Texas country music icon Willie Nelson. The two met in Nashville, and the two country singers later collaborated on some tunes, including their first duet, “From Here to the Moon and Back,”<\/a> in 1982. More than 50 years after their time in Nashville, Parton spoke on the relationship<\/a> after winning<\/a> the prestigious Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2016 CMA Awards Show.<\/p>\n

“Well, I love Willie as much as I love anybody outside of my own family, and he feels like family to me,” said Parton. “… We used to sit out in the same building and write songs for the same publishing company and record for the same record label, and we’ve known each other for a long time.”<\/p>\n

The pair collaborated on a 1977 tour.<\/p>\n

Parton had many appearances in Dallas-Fort Worth, including as co-host<\/a> (with Garth Brooks) of the ACM Awards in Frisco in 2023. During the broadcast<\/a>, Parton sang rock ‘n’ roll, wheeled a goat on stage, and Facetime’d with Willie Nelson.<\/p>\n

In one of her last and most memorable Texas appearances, Parton headlined<\/a> the 2023 halftime show between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.<\/p>\n

Her performance became as buzzed-about<\/a> for her wardrobe choice – the iconic, skimpy Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders uniform – as it did for her musical delivery. “Well, hello, Dallas! Dolly does Dallas. You like my outfit?” she asked the adoring crowd from the stage.<\/p>\n

Her appearance even got its own segment, appropriately titled “9 to 5,” in the hit Netflix docu-series America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Stephanie Allmon Merry contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) \u2014 Dolly Parton, the country music icon whose soaring vibrato vocals, poignant songwriting and sparkling…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1027256,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5138],"tags":[5229,1144,5497,15275,2104,7371,7372,4179,53,975,47798,358,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,924],"class_list":["post-1027255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fort-worth","tag-america","tag-comedy","tag-concerts","tag-event-planner","tag-festivals","tag-fort-worth","tag-fortworth","tag-home-design","tag-movies","tag-music","tag-symphony","tag-texas","tag-tx","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa","tag-video-games"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1027255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1027255"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1027255\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1027256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1027255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1027255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1027255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}