Dolly Parton has celebrated a flurry of distinguished honors over the past few weeks. First, the country music queen was showered with love from all corners of the globe by fans and admirers for her 72nd birthday on January 19. Coinciding with that chronological milestone, Dolly Parton and many associates of her Dollywood Foundation were recognized with an Emmy Governors Award for outstanding achievement in community service. She received an armload of framed honors for her milestones in music on the same weekend from Billboard, Guinness World Records, and the Recording Industry Association of America.

She was commemorated as the artist with most decades having a top 20 hit, and most hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart by a female artist. Her songs “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene,” and “9 to 5” earned songwriting and digital download milestones. It would be easy for Dolly Parton to hold off on catching up with the flood of glowing tributes on social media, but southern manners are ingrained in the iconic artist, and she never lets a kindness go unnoticed. When Adele paid tribute to Dolly on January 31 Twitter news, not in a song, but in attire and style, Dolly took notice, and so did the millions of fans between the powerhouse talents in singing and songwriting.

Doin’ it Dolly style

Adele couldn't actually raid Dolly's closet from her rolling estate across the Atlantic, but she certainly had all the right inspiration in dressing like the woman who famously admonishes that “it takes a lot of money to look this cheap.” No amount of treasure takes the place of the grace between these cross-generational creative forces.

Besides the appropriate acoustic parlor guitar, the English songstress donned the proper shade of blonde in a long-haired wig and struck a perfect pose ala Dolly Parton in her 20s. Adele is pictured, wearing a rightly revealing white blouse, boa, and “statement” necklace, along with a pink sparkle-studded blazer. The singer even styled herself in the perfect makeup, eyeshadow, and lashes to summon memories of Parton.

Much deeper than her dress-up homage, Adele bowed to Dolly Parton in heartfelt words, calling her “the effortless queen of song.” Speaking for other female artists, one would suppose, she continued that “We wish We could possess an ounce of your ability.” Adele closed by calling Parton the “hero” of the night, and of her life, and then a single “x” for a kiss of love after “I will always love you.”

Dolly doles out the love

Authentic as ever, Dolly seemed genuinely surprised by the unexpected gesture of love from Adele. Dolly called her English creative counterpart “so fabulous,” and returned the same line of love right back.

Even more precious was the personal video in Dolly Parton’s reply. Wearing her studded black leather ensemble, Dolly lavished that “if I could have just a fraction of your fans, that would help me buy some cheaper wigs, some more clothes, all kinds of things.

She closed with her own “I love you,” to Adele, and a promise that “I'm going to dress like you next time.”

The social media world went crazy with calls for “DUET, DUET, DUET!!!” and countless more pleas for a new collaboration between the two golden song crafters next year. With such mutual affection, mutual music is certainly a possibility, if only geography and free space in both their appointment calendars will cooperate.
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