Viva Dolly: Parton returns to Vegas as ACM Awards host

You see the iconic image of Dolly Parton through a Zoom video connection. Even there, she seems in a regal setting, as if occupying a throne, a glistening curtain and a couple dozen roses in a crystal vase in the background.

It’s an appropriate environment for the queen of country music. On Monday, Parton is filling the royal task of hosting the first awards show staged at Allegiant Stadium, the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards.

Parton is happily up for the assignment.

“I’ve always loved Las Vegas. It’s like a magical place,” Parton said last week during an interview in advance of her trip to Vegas. “And of course, since I’m hosting, I get to go a little early because we got to prepare for it. But Las Vegas, as you well know, is a special, special place. To have the show come from there, it adds a different kind of energy and a different kind of excitement.”

The show livestreams at 5 p.m. on Prime Video. It’s the first ACM Awards show presented on a streaming service, away from network television. Also for the first time, the show runs live for two hours, without commercial interruption.

Parton also hosted the show in 2000, at Universal Amphitheatre in L.A., her only turn at hosting. At 76, Parton is the oldest host in the show’s 57-year history.

While honoring an array of country music stars, Parton says she might be compelled from the stage to throw support behind the people of Ukraine.

“I always say what my heart leads me to say … Certainly, my heart is right there with them,” Parton said. “I may mention that. I try not to get political, but this is beyond political. This is humanitarian. It’s something that’s affecting us all, tearing our hearts right out of us. I can’t even imagine how they feel. So yeah, I’m sure there’ll be some proper acknowledgments of that.”

That day I interviewed @DollyParton on #Zoom from the @RoyalCaribbean island #cococay in the #Bahamas … She’s hosting @ACMawards Monday @AllegiantStadm … more to come @reviewjournal #RJNow pic.twitter.com/YRDLLwjSnU

— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) March 4, 2022

Parton is co-hosting the show with rising country stars Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett. Parton is debuting “Big Dreams and Faded Jeans” with Kelsea Ballerini from her latest album, “Run, Rose, Run.” Kelly Clarkson is paying tribute to Parton with “I Will Always Love You.”

Parton said she wasn’t certain how Clarkson was selected, learning just last week of the planned performance. Suffice to say the superstar is fine with the decision.

“I didn’t even really know she was going to be doing that ‘til just a few days ago. I was tickled to death because I love Kelly, known her for years,” Parton said. “We don’t spend a lot of time together, but I just think she’s one of the most incredible singers in the whole wide world. To hear her singing my song is just — it’s going to have to be incredible.”

Monday’s show is to play out like an all-star concert. The list of performers includes Resorts World Las Vegas headliners Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, Eric Church, Jordan Davis, Walker Hayes, Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne and Brittney Spencer.

Underwood is nominated for her fourth Entertainer of the Year award, joining Church, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert and Stapleton among the nominees.

Among the list of presenters is Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr.

Parton is relentlessly busy with several projects, having just released “Run Rose Run,” in tandem with her upcoming mystery novel of the same name. James Patterson (“Along Came a Spider,” “Kiss the Girls,” “1st to Die”) is her co-author. Patterson is scheduled to present an award.

Parton is also in partnership with Fox Entertainment’s Blockchain Creative Labs for “Dollyverse,” a Web3 experience (a way for artists to own what they produce on a platform, and also the platform itself), to be launched at the South by Southwest this month. The “Dollyverse” will release an exclusive selection of official Dolly NFT collectibles, including limited-edition NFTs of the “Run, Rose, Run” album and a series of Dolly-inspired NFT artwork, for purchase at SXSW. Attendees of Parton’s performance can claim a free NFT, while fans streaming the event receive tokens authenticating their participation.

Parton also heads up a half-dozen family theme attractions, led by the Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near her birthplace of Pittman Center. The park celebrated its 35th anniversary last year.

In Las Vegas, Parton has survived the hotel where she debuted on the Strip. She premiered at the Riviera in February 1981, headlining a 22-week run covering three years (earning a reported $7.7 million in that series). This was a bonafide Strip residency, especially by today’s standards. A little more than a decade later, Parton headlined at the famed Circus Maximus showroom at Caesars Palace.

But we are not likely to see Parton join the list of resident headliners on the Strip.

“I really haven’t given that any thought. It’s not likely, because I’ve been performing for so many years,” the legend said. “I’ll be doing a few things here and there, but I doubt that I would take like a full show like that. I love Vegas, I love seeing the shows, and I’ll continue to do shows here and there now and then. But as far as being full blown back at it, I doubt that that’s going to happen. I’m so involved in so many other things now, so many business things, and just kind of want to be home a little more with my husband and with my family.

“But I look forward to being in Vegas for this show. Anytime I get to go to Vegas for any reason, I love it.”

Cool Hang Alert

In the country theme, Dez Hoston headlines Gilley’s Saloon at Treasure Island at 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. I happened to catch Hoston’s band at Aquarius in Laughlin in August. Great fun. Gilley’s opens at 5 p.m. daily. Bull riding (mechanical) commences at 6.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.