We’re hearing from the band director at Northwestern State at the time when Dolly Parton joined the band on the field at Turpin Stadium for a performance of her hit song “9 to 5” in the fall of 1988. Dolly was in Natchitoches that summer filming “Steel Magnolias.” Band Director Bill Brent says the band prepared for a long time for the special performance.
“We had a special arrangement of “9 to 5″ done in the key that she wanted to sing it; and, of course, we practiced it with the band, rehearsed it and actually recorded it on a cassette tape and we sent it to her,” Brent said.
Brent says given Dolly’s hectic schedule, she was unable to rehearse with the band, but it didn’t matter – at halftime of the Demons’ 24-8 win over the school then known as Southwest Missouri State, Dolly and the band nailed the performance.
“She practiced in the car on the way to the performance. It was the only time she had a chance to practice; we never got to rehearse with her before the game. She literally popped out of the car and started singing “9 to 5.” That’s what a wonderful artist and talent she was,” Brent recalled.
Brent says he wanted to show Dolly his appreciation for what he did for his band and the Northwestern State community, but she had beaten him to the punch.
“On Monday morning when I got to my office, there was a huge floral arrangement waiting from Dolly before I could even send her a “thank you.” She had already sent flowers to the band thanking us for letting her perform withus,” Brent explained.
Dolly’s time in Natchitoches was not her first time in Louisiana. She recorded her very first single, “Puppy Love,” in Lake Charles back in 1959 at the tender age of 13.
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