Way Back Wednesday: February 14, 2024

Looking back at a band I've always loved ...

Good morning. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too!

I’m as fond of looking backward to find new music as I am of looking forward. So you’ll see weekly looks backward on Throwback Thursdays and now Way Back Wednesdays.

On this day which is all about love, I’m looking back to an artist my mom loved, not an artists my husband loves. I lost my mom nearly thirty years ago. I’ve been wthout her longer than I had her. She was the first to give me a Valentine, long before romantic love was a blip on my radar. And she was the first to introduce me to music.

My Mom Loved Dolly Parton

Actually, she loved country music in general and introduced me to Kenny Rogers, Eddie Rabbit, Willie Nelson, The Oakridge Boys, Alabama, and more. But it’s Dolly that made the greatest impression, closely followed by Kenny.

Funnily enough, it wasn’t “Jolene,” or even “9 to 5” that I remember from these days in the 1970s. The music my Mom listened to while cleaning or doing things with me and the rest of my siblings (there are five of us) was played on eight-track tapes.

The songs that stood out when I was a young listener under ten were “Coat Of Many Colors” and “Here You Come Again.” I liked the hits, because when Mom was driving, the radio was tuned to the country music station.

I Love Dolly, Too

It wasn’t until I was much older, and had lost my mom, that I began to dig deeper into the Dolly discography. And I found songs like “Joshua,” her first single, and “Tenessee Homesick Blues,” “Save The Last Dance For Me,” and “Light of A Clear Blue Morning.”

Funnily enough, as much as I love both Dolly and Kenny, I was never a fan of “Islands In The Stream.”

Dolly’s discography is vast and I haven’t yet found all the songs I’ll add to my liked list. She’s a national treasure, a powerhouse talent, and someone who has given back to so many.

But, at the root of my love for Dolly is my love for my mother. And seeing her shaking her booty while she cleaned house and sang along, with a cigarette hanging out of the corner of her mouth. Those are the memories listening to Dolly brings to mind, along with a few tears accompanied by a small smile.

The Playlist!

Listen with Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/way-back-wednesday-dolly-parton/pl.u-aZb0Y07s1MaE3Zb

Listen with Tidal:
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/2838b046-3e5a-4aa8-9de1-96a92bcec3d4

What music brings your childhood memories rushing back? Thanks for taking this look back with me and sharing some of my happy music memories with my mom. While I still miss her, there’s more fond look backs than there are sad thoughts about what she didn’t get to see.