Dolly Parton had millions of fans in Texas, but relatively few direct ties to the state. One of the strongest was with a man who’s been helping to define the sound of Texas music for more than a half a century.
Ray Benson, the Grammy-winning bandleader of Asleep at the Wheel, first got to know Parton personally as a songwriting collaborator in the early ’90s, working together on a film project. That collaboration grew into a friendship that lasted for decades.
“She was incredible,” Benson said. “You know, from the day I started listening to country music, there was Dolly.”
In recent weeks, Parton had begun canceling appearances — playing down health concerns and saying she’d had some digestion problems and was dealing with dizziness and dehydration.
Then yesterday, Parton’s family announced her passing at the age of 80. The New York Times reports she’d been admitted to a cancer center in Nashville on Friday, unbeknownst to all except those closest to her.
Benson reminisced on the projects he had worked on alongside with, as he called her, “Dolly with a capital D.”
The film the two made was “Wild Texas Wind,” also starring Gary Busey. But Dolly and Ray also co-wrote six songs, including “You Better Leave That Cowboy Alone.”
Benson said she wasn’t afraid to push back during their creative process.
“She slapped my wrist a few times in terms of songwriting. And you have to respect somebody of her stature to do that,” Benson said.
It wasn’t something he took personally, saying Dolly was a “master” at her craft.
“She had the ability to take a simple chord form of country music and turn it into a message,” Benson said.
Benson said Dolly’s fingernails often prevented her from doing too much on the guitar or banjo, though open tunings nonetheless allowed her to play the instruments. But it was her singing and songwriting in which she really shined.
“She wanted to be a big star. That was all there was to it,” Benson said. “And her entire life was dedicated to that. And it was who she was. That’s why I call her Dolly with a capital D.”
Benson said Dolly’s legacy didn’t just include her music, but also her philanthropy, her humor and her humble roots — highlighting her background growing up in Appalachia.
“Dolly came from nothing,” he said. “To go from a holler in East Tennessee to that… It’s just incredible.”
And while Dolly’s passing has prompted an outpouring of remembrances from fans all across the world, Benson said he feels fortunate to have been able to work with her at all.
“I’m a lucky man to have known her and the world is lucky to have been able to experience her music and her generosity and just her presence,” Benson said.
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