Dolly Parton

I grew up in a family that loved their old-school country. My dad loved Gene Autry, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and the Grand Ole' Opry. My mom was of the Tammy Wynette and Patsy Cline school -- she loved those women singing their blues with a twang.

My dad, of course, didn't really reach past the old-timey business. To him, Kenny Rogers was "modern" (Oh, there are so many jokes that could be made).

Now, imagine lil' LB watching television w/her dad and watching Kenny Rogers duet with Dolly Parton on "Islands in the Stream." Oh, folks, I was blown away. She is a force. One word? "Jolene." Another? "Coat of Many Colors?" Come on now, she's over-the-top and stunning, but her songs are as subtle as they are crisp. She knows how to work an image. Heck, she is an image.

"Jolene"


"Islands in the Stream"


"Coat of Many Colors"