How many times did Dolly Parton play in Colorado?

Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Coloradans were crushed by the news that Dolly Parton had passed at the age of 80 on August 25, 2026. She touched so many with her songs, her movies, her philanthropy, and her smile. How many times was that smile in The Centennial State?

Having grown up in Loveland in the '70s and '80s, I was able to catch Dolly Parton on the TV (she'd pop up on shows like "Hee Haw," Cher" and her own TV show, to name a couple) and in movies like "9 to 5" and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." I can still hear her songs "9 to 5" and "Islands in the Stream" playing in Mom's car and on her stereo.

When I heard the news of Dolly's passing, I wondered to myself: how many times did she come to perform in Colorado? Here's what I found:

August of 1977: The Pueblo Chieftain lists Dolly as one of the performers (along with Kenny Rogers and Crystal Gayle) at the Colorado State Fair's 10-day run that year.
December 7, 1977: Dolly returned in 1977 to perform at the Regis Field House; John McCuen was also on the bill. The venue was pretty popular back in the day; acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Hall & Oates, Supertramp, Cheap Trick, and others took the stage there.
June 14, 1981. Dolly was in Denver to perform at the "Carousel Ball" benefiting Denver's Children's Diabetes Foundation. Diana Ross was there as well that night.

1986 (Date not found): Dolly and Kenny Rogers did a co-headlining tour in 1986, and it stopped at McNichols Arena in Denver. Their huge duet, "Islands in the Stream' topped the Billboard Hot 100, the Hot Country Songs, and the Adult Contemporary charts three years prior, in October of 1983. That concert had to have been such fun.

July 27, 2016: The Queen of Country Music played her first and only show at Red Rocks in the summer of 2016, playing to a sold-out crowd while on her Pure & Simple Tour. She played all her big hits, including "I Will Always Love You" as the encore.

Rest in Peace, Dolly.

See Pictures of Dolly Parton, Through the Years

Dolly Parton was a striking young woman in 1965 and little changed over the next 60 years. See pictures of the country music legend through the years in this gallery. Parton died at age 80 on Aug. 25, 2026.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes

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