Dolly Parton’s Las Vegas story started long before the residency that never got to open.
She made her Strip debut at the Riviera in 1981, where “9 to 5” was performed live for the first time, and returned for shows at the Mirage through the early 1990s. In 2022, she hosted the Academy of Country Music Awards at Allegiant Stadium.
Her local legacy also lived away from the stage. FOX5 reports that Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library sent more than 175,000 free books to Southern Nevada children. Las Vegas tribute performer Kelly Vohnn described carrying Dolly’s message of kindness and love forward even as performing her now feels harder.
The final marquee will stay dark, but Dolly’s light is already all over this city—in its performers, its fans, and every child who met the Book Lady through the mail.
Source and further reading: FOX5 Las Vegas — Dolly Parton’s Las Vegas legacy remembered