Dolly Parton celebrated in Reston
Reston Station hosted a Dolly Parton tribute concert on Sept. 25. Hundreds donned cowboy hats, pink attire and even wigs to sing and dance on Dolly Day. The day has been set aside since 2019 to honor Parton and celebrate her popular song “9 to 5,” which she wrote and recorded in the 1980s.
Karen Hester, who grew up in Danville, Va., singing gospel music, took center stage. Hester has impersonated Parton for more than 16 years. The evening was filled with classic Dolly songs, but Hester also performed some Elvis and invited one of her band members to join her for “Islands in the Stream,” which Parton famously recorded with Kenny Rogers. Hester brought a group of young girls and their father, all wearing cowboy hats, onto the stage to sing with her, along with some Dolly look-alikes from the crowd.
The performance had been planned before Parton passed away in August, but its timing provided an opportunity to honor not only her music but also her lifelong philanthropic work. The Dollywood Foundation, created in 1988, has touched lives around the globe through initiatives and funds she created for literacy, education, health care, disaster relief and anti-bullying.
Hester’s shows have become more meaningful with Parton’s passing.
“In every show, I always strive to honor Dolly and her legacy to the best of my ability. With Dolly's passing, that holds true even more now than ever. I hope that the way I honor her in shows brings joy to the audiences and honors her legacy and her family,” Hester told The Reston Letter.
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