View Full Version : No guest appearance on Dolly Parton's variety show in the 80s
vermicious knid
01-09-2024, 08:30 PM
Surely Stevie could have appeared on the variety show that Dolly Parton had in the 80s. This should have happened!
Episodes aired between September 27, 1987 and May 7, 1988.
1987 was out of the question as the American leg of the Fleetwood Mac tour was happening in late 1987, but there was then a five month hiatus in early 1988 before the European leg began in May. This was the perfect opportunity for Stevie to make an appearance.
Maybe a duet of "After the Glitter Fades"? What do you think they should have done together?
WatchChain
01-09-2024, 09:16 PM
Surely Stevie could have appeared on the variety show that Dolly Parton had in the 80s. This should have happened!
Episodes aired between September 27, 1987 and May 7, 1988.
1987 was out of the question as the American leg of the Fleetwood Mac tour was happening in late 1987, but there was then a five month hiatus in early 1988 before the European leg began in May. This was the perfect opportunity for Stevie to make an appearance.
Maybe a duet of "After the Glitter Fades"? What do you think they should have done together?
After 1997, it seemed like Stevie was everywhere. She made major talk show appearances frequently.
However, there was a time in the 1980's when Stevie made very few television appearances. You could occasionally catch her in a quick interview on Entertainment Tonight, and then there was the Solid Gold/SNL appearance.
But, in the 80's, she almost NEVER appeared on the Tonight Show and Letterman. A guest spot on a variety show was almost unheard of for her during this time frame. This changed after The Dance gave her a much-needed career resurgence.
HomerMcvie
01-10-2024, 02:32 AM
After 1997, it seemed like Stevie was everywhere. She made major talk show appearances frequently.
However, there was a time in the 1980's when Stevie made very few television appearances. You could occasionally catch her in a quick interview on Entertainment Tonight, and then there was the Solid Gold/SNL appearance.
But, in the 80's, she almost NEVER appeared on the Tonight Show and Letterman. A guest spot on a variety show was almost unheard of for her during this time frame. This changed after The Dance gave her a much-needed career resurgence.
I'm sure she was embarrassed to be VISIBLE as a drug addict. She's barely coherent sober, so.....
Villavic
01-10-2024, 07:24 AM
I'm sure she was embarrassed to be VISIBLE as a drug addict. She's barely coherent sober, so.....
A friend of mine saw her at the Tango tour. It was her worst klonopin days. Christine saved the show, or so my friend said. So it was better for her not to appear that much in tv.
Macfan4life
01-10-2024, 11:28 AM
A friend of mine saw her at the Tango tour. It was her worst klonopin days. Christine saved the show, or so my friend said. So it was better for her not to appear that much in tv.
She was fine on the Tango tour. OSOTM, BTM, and Timespace tours were zombie space.
I am not sure why Stevie would have performed on the Dolly show. I dont think they knew each other then. That Dolly show had horrible ratings and was canned immediately. She never fit into the variety show kind of person. She had too much talent for simple comedy sketch.
Villavic
01-10-2024, 11:51 AM
She was fine on the Tango tour. OSOTM, BTM, and Timespace tours were zombie space.
.
Well maybe it wasn't her worst days, but she was definitely not fine. My friend told me that in august 1988 when I visited her in LA, so it must have been the Shake the Cage Tour between September 1987 and June 1988. Since she lives in LA, the concert she went probably was one of the two at The Forum (dec. 87). Yes it was close to the concert filmed in San Francisco, where Stevie wasn't a total zombie but her eyes were kind of sleepy.
My friend is a Stevie fan and I know she didn't lie or exaggerate. There was no internet in 1988 so at that travel to USA I tried to look for all info, material and sources of Fleetwood Mac I could get. That's why I clearly remember she said she was like a zombie, didn't react to a fan that tried to give her roses; and Christine was beautiful at that show.
Macfan4life
01-10-2024, 12:21 PM
Well maybe it wasn't her worst days, but she was definitely not fine. My friend told me that in august 1988 when I visited her in LA, so it must have been the Shake the Cage Tour between September 1987 and June 1988. Since she lives in LA, the concert she went probably was one of the two at The Forum (dec. 87). Yes it was close to the concert filmed in San Francisco, where Stevie wasn't a total zombie but her eyes were kind of sleepy.
My friend is a Stevie fan and I know she didn't lie or exaggerate. There was no internet in 1988 so at that travel to USA I tried to look for all info, material and sources of Fleetwood Mac I could get. That's why I clearly remember she said she was like a zombie, didn't react to a fan that tried to give her roses; and Christine was beautiful at that show.
That is nothing compared what was yet to come. There were no suspicions that early. In 1989 definitely signs. Stevie said herself that she cannot remember chunks of time or remember that tour. Like any addict, the doses get higher and higher. I am not questioning your friend. I am saying the lights were still on in 1987. Small doses of klonopin calm you down. When the dosage was substantially increased the lights went out. Her worst appearance was MTV Asia 1991 interview that's on youtube. She is so slow and lethargic and her eyes are so wacked and glassy. It would be like comparing the Tusk tour with cocaine use and the Wild Heart tour with cocaine use. Did she do coke on both tours? Yes but it was a completely different level later on.
bwboy
01-10-2024, 01:11 PM
She was fine on the Tango tour. OSOTM, BTM, and Timespace tours were zombie space.
That Dolly show had horrible ratings and was canned immediately. She never fit into the variety show kind of person. She had too much talent for simple comedy sketch.
Dolly appeared for several years as Porter Waggoner’s co-host on his variety show in the late 60s/early 70s, and even got her own variety show after she left his, and it was very successful and highly rated in syndication, but she broke her contract because doing the show on her own was taking it’s toll on her.
But her 80s variety show sounded like they tried to do more than they needed to, and featured more comedy bits instead of focusing on music. I never saw it but I recently saw commercials for it, as it was being repackaged along with episodes from the other two variety shows she hosted on DVD. I do remember seeing some episodes of her first series, and it was very entertaining.
Macfan4life
01-10-2024, 02:36 PM
Dolly appeared for several years as Porter Waggoner’s co-host on his variety show in the late 60s/early 70s, and even got her own variety show after she left his, and it was very successful and highly rated in syndication, but she broke her contract because doing the show on her own was taking it’s toll on her.
But her 80s variety show sounded like they tried to do more than they needed to, and featured more comedy bits instead of focusing on music. I never saw it but I recently saw commercials for it, as it was being repackaged along with episodes from the other two variety shows she hosted on DVD. I do remember seeing some episodes of her first series, and it was very entertaining.
Bruce explains why no one wanted to do the Dolly Parton show. Things got so bad that Tyne Daly was asked to sing :lol:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNpAsvBTmbU&t=47s
bombaysaffires
01-11-2024, 12:11 AM
Bruce explains why no one wanted to do the Dolly Parton show. Things got so bad that Tyne Daly was asked to sing :lol:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNpAsvBTmbU&t=47s
well, he explains that Tyne sang her blues song on Dolly's show so well that because of it she was called and asked to audition for Sondheim and his team and hired as the lead in a Broadway musical that was a big success, so.... she could sing. It's not like they got someone who couldn't carry a tune.
HomerMcvie
01-11-2024, 03:08 AM
Dolly appeared for several years as Porter Waggoner’s co-host on his variety show in the late 60s/early 70s, and even got her own variety show after she left his, and it was very successful and highly rated in syndication, but she broke her contract because doing the show on her own was taking it’s toll on her.
But her 80s variety show sounded like they tried to do more than they needed to, and featured more comedy bits instead of focusing on music. I never saw it but I recently saw commercials for it, as it was being repackaged along with episodes from the other two variety shows she hosted on DVD. I do remember seeing some episodes of her first series, and it was very entertaining.
I doubt that you need to explain to 90% of people here that Dolly was on Porter's show, and was his protege. Just like you've never listened to any FM, pre Stevie. Your focus is pretty narrow.
I have Porter's stained glass lamp on my nightstand, btw, along with several other personal items, including his home movies on vhs. Seriously. And his radar detector in my car(I wish I was joking... I'm that uncool).
Macfan4life
01-11-2024, 04:06 AM
well, he explains that Tyne sang her blues song on Dolly's show so well that because of it she was called and asked to audition for Sondheim and his team and hired as the lead in a Broadway musical that was a big success, so.... she could sing. It's not like they got someone who couldn't carry a tune.
The point was they had difficulty getting guests and no one wanted to appear on the show because the ratings were so bad. They found out later that she could sing. But it shows how desperate they were because she was not known as a singer.
bwboy
01-11-2024, 08:21 AM
I doubt that you need to explain to 90% of people here that Dolly was on Porter's show, and was his protege. Just like you've never listened to any FM, pre Stevie. Your focus is pretty narrow.
Have you considered therapy for your Stevie obsession. It’s been 5 years… get over it.
I love that you said my focus was narrow :laugh:
I’m glad you didn’t need educated on Porter, though. Good for you.
Villavic
01-11-2024, 08:29 AM
I doubt that you need to explain to 90% of people here that Dolly was on Porter's show, and was his protege.
Porter who? I had no idea who Porter Waggoner is/was.
The first time I saw Dolly Parton was the 9 to 5 movie. Years later I learned that Olivia's old song Jolene was a Dolly's song.
Country music is not as popular as rock is, worldwide. Thank you bwboy for that explanation.
HomerMcvie
01-11-2024, 11:46 AM
Have you considered therapy for your Stevie obsession. It’s been 5 years… get over it.
I love that you said my focus was narrow :laugh:
I’m glad you didn’t need educated on Porter, though. Good for you.
My god, YOU DON'T OWN ANY FM THAT DOESN'T HAVE STEVIE.
That. Says. It. All.
UnwindedDreams
01-11-2024, 12:11 PM
Have you considered therapy for your Stevie obsession. It’s been 5 years… get over it.
Actually 6 years this month! Rick Vito should consider help for his Trump support and anti-BLM opinion.
bwboy
01-11-2024, 07:28 PM
Porter who? I had no idea who Porter Waggoner is/was.
The first time I saw Dolly Parton was the 9 to 5 movie. Years later I learned that Olivia's old song Jolene was a Dolly's song.
Country music is not as popular as rock is, worldwide. Thank you bwboy for that explanation.
Thank you, Villavic. I definitely wasn’t trying to be a ‘know it all’ and I’m glad you saw that.
I never knew Olivia had recorded Jolene, so I’ll have to check it out on YouTube.
bombaysaffires
01-12-2024, 02:04 PM
The point was they had difficulty getting guests and no one wanted to appear on the show because the ratings were so bad. They found out later that she could sing. But it shows how desperate they were because she was not known as a singer.
they specifically asked her to come on and sing..:eek:
I agree that the public may not have known she was a singer. Who cares how famous the person was, if they can sing and contribute to the musical aspect of the show (and clearly someone in show biz knew she could sing coz that's why they asked her on:rolleyes:) I think the point is more what another poster said, that they had too much comedy. Which was sort of the norm for the time... think of Cher's solo tv show.
Macfan4life
01-12-2024, 02:45 PM
they specifically asked her to come on and sing..:eek:
I agree that the public may not have known she was a singer. Who cares how famous the person was, if they can sing and contribute to the musical aspect of the show (and clearly someone in show biz knew she could sing coz that's why they asked her on:rolleyes:) I think the point is more what another poster said, that they had too much comedy. Which was sort of the norm for the time... think of Cher's solo tv show.
We are mostly on the same song page but still missing some notes. :)
Bruce said they had trouble finding talent for the show. He ran into her at a party and asked if she would come on the show. She is the one that said (according to Bruce) that she would only appear if she could sing or that she wanted to sing a song. He had to clear it with producers since it was unconventional and no one knew she could sing.
Variety shows were dead by the late 70's. Dolly getting one in the 80s was bound for failure just on that alone. The reason I brought this up was because of the original post of why Stevie would appear on the show. I doubt Stevie's management would want to book her on a show that every other performer was avoiding. This is nothing against Dolly. She has incredible talent. I take Bruce at his word since he was involved with the show that it was so bad that no one wanted to appear. Stevie did not ever appear on a mainstream talk show in those days. It would have been really weird for her to appeaer on a failing country variety show.
BTW. Here is the clip from the show. No wonder it had horrible ratings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=125KfR87rNA
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