08/27/2026
There are some photos that hold an entire chapter of your life.
This one takes me straight back to my years in East Tennessee, when I spent five seasons performing as a singer, dancer, and musician at Dollywood and the Music Mansion Theater.
And yes… I did have the chance to meet Dolly Parton on several occasions.
The first time was completely unexpected.
I was backstage at Showstreet Palace, getting ready for my first show of the day, when I heard a little rustling behind me. Then came that unmistakable voice:
"Well, what do we have here?”
I turned around—and there was Dolly, walking toward me.
That season, I was performing in the Randy Parton Show. Randy had hired me not only as one of his backup singers, but also to play harp and flute. Dolly immediately spotted my harp and wanted to know exactly what I was doing.
I was tuning it.
What followed was not the quick celebrity hello I might have expected. She was genuinely fascinated by the instrument and started asking questions—and not superficial ones. Her questions were detailed enough that she definitely put my harp knowledge to the test!
But what I remember most wasn’t meeting a superstar.
It was how she made me feel during those few minutes.
Dolly had this remarkable ability to carry on an engaging conversation while also really listening. She was curious. Present. Interested. For those moments, she made me feel as though there was nowhere else she needed to be and no one else she would rather be talking to.
That quality stayed with me.
Meeting Dolly was just one of so many extraordinary experiences I had during my years in Sevierville. There is something genuinely special about that part of Tennessee. You can feel Dolly’s love for her community, her mountains, and her people woven throughout Dollywood—and I think that is a huge part of what makes the place so different.
I will always be grateful for those years, the people I met, the music I made, and the opportunities I was given.
1992–1998 was one pretty incredible chapter of my own Tennessee mountain home. ❤️
Thank you, Dolly🦋
