Dolly Parton makes time for stops in rural Canada on North American tour

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This article was published 13/06/2016 (3727 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO – Country superstar Dolly Parton is looking forward to venturing out to Moose Jaw, Sask., and rural Ontario as part of her first major North American tour in 25 years.

The singer says her “Pure & Simple” tour is a less flashy, stripped-back affair with only a few band members on stage.

“We’re playing some real small things,” she told reporters Monday at a news conference in Toronto.

“I figured I’m just going to tame it down, save a little money. I always joke I need the money ’cause it costs a lot to look so cheap — and there’s some truth in that, more than you know.”

Parton says in recent years she’s focused on touring Australia and Europe, which meant that she only occasionally had time for North American dates.

“It’s been 25 years since I’ve really done a tour through Canada,” she says.

“I just thought that people weren’t all that interested anymore because the young country kind of took over.”

Parton will venture to Moose Jaw on Sept. 13 where she’ll play Mosaic Place, a hockey and curling arena with a capacity of 4,500 people.

“A lot of rural people won’t go to the big city,” Parton says.

“They’re scared of that, they don’t want to get out in that traffic, or they can’t afford to do it. So it’s good that we can go to them.”

Other Canadian stops on the tour include a casino in Windsor, Ont., (Aug. 4), the larger Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto (Sept. 9), and the Foley Fair Grounds in Seguin, Ont. (Sept. 10).

Parton will also run through other West Coast cities with larger concerts in Calgary (Sept. 16), Edmonton (Sept. 17) and Vancouver (Sept. 19).

“I’m kind of like the dollar store,” she says. “I can fit in the little country, I can fit in the big country.”

Parton will release the new album “Pure & Simple” in August and follow it up with “The Complete Trio Collection,” a three-disc set compiling tracks from the successful collaborations between Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, including 20 previously unreleased songs and alternate versions.

Parton, who turned 70 earlier this year, says this will likely be her last big North American tour for a while. She hopes to dedicate more time to developing productions for television.

The singer signed a four-film deal with NBC that includes a holiday-themed sequel to last year’s TV-movie “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors.” Another film will turn Parton’s hit song “Jolene” into a feature-length story.

She’s also shopping around a TV series focused on her rise to fame.

“If we’re lucky, if I do the series, then I’ll be in some of those playing the grown-up Dolly,” she says.

“Me reflecting on my past.”

Last week, Parton and her husband renewed their vows to mark their 50th wedding anniversary. While it was a landmark event for the couple, Parton says people shouldn’t think it’s a sign she’s slowing down.

“I hope to never retire because I love my work,” she added.

“My husband always (says) … ‘You’re not getting any younger.’ And I say, ‘Yeah, I’m not getting any older either.'”

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