Cheerleader Dolly Parton serves up classics and covers at half-time ...
After six decades in show business, Dolly Parton has no issues commanding a stage and completely wowing a crowd.
The 77-year-old country legend performed during the half-time show for the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders on Friday, belting out some of her biggest hits and much-loved covers.
The superstar, who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, was dressed in a sparkling Dallas Cowboys cheerleader costume, replete with bejewelled blue stars, white short shorts and her trademark platinum blonde wavy locks.
Dolly Parton stuns the crowd during the half-time show for the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day game.Credit: Getty Images
Parton’s voice filled Arlington’s AT&T stadium and brought the audience to its feet as she belted out hits like Jolene and 9 to 5 alongside Queen’s We Are the Champions and We Will Rock You.
Her performance, which ran for about six minutes, was supporting the Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle campaign – a fundraiser established in 1891 to raise money for the poor during the festive season and which is known for its iconic red buckets and bell-ringing volunteers.
“Happy Thanksgiving everyone,” she said in her Southern drawl during a video broadcast before the performance. “Show your neighbours in need [of some] love beyond the holidays by finding a red kettle.”
Dolly Parton proves age is nothing but a number as she belts out Jolene in Texas.Credit: Getty Images
NFL commentators Tony Romo and Jim Nantz both shared their appreciation for Parton following her show, calling her an American treasure.
“Who doesn’t love Dolly Parton?” Romo said.
The Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game has become the most-watched regular season NFL game of the year, claiming about 42 million US viewers in 2022.
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Parton’s half-time show came at an opportune time for the singer-songwriter, who released her 49th solo album, Rockstar, on November 17. The album includes a variety of collaborations with rock musicians, such as Sting and Steven Tyler, making it her first official foray into the rock genre.
Despite only having been available for a week, music industry publication HitsDailyDouble predicts Rockstar will open at No. 1 on the Billboard chart next week. If that occurs, it would be Parton’s first time at the top of the Billboard 200. She has only reached the top 10 twice (Trio in 1987 and Blue Smoke in 2014, both of which only reached No. 6).
Born in Tennessee in 1946 – the fourth of 12 children – Parton was eventually mentored by country music star Porter Wagoner in Nashville, performing regularly on the Grand Ole Opry (a country music showcase).
Parton has claimed several accolades since recording her first single, Puppy Love, in 1957. In 2005, she received the National Medal of Arts and has so far won 10 Grammy Awards (including for 9 to 5 in 1980). Last year, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Beyond the music scene, Parton has appeared in numerous films, such as Nine to Five (1980), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), the 1989 rom-com Steel Magnolias and Joyful Noise in 2012.
A TV movie about her early life, Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colours (2015), was titled after her 1971 song, and its sequel starred Parton herself. She also featured in Netflix’s 2019 series, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings, and again in Netflix’s Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square (2020).
Thanks to her band and a dancing formation of Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, Parton’s Thanksgiving half-time performance proved she still has what it takes to steal the show.
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