Middle Tennessee State University - Midlander Yearbook (Murfreesboro, TN)

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Kenny And Dolly Kenny and Dolly By Michael Turner One (okay, two) things made Kenny Rogers ' perennial Mid- state appearance better than it might have been. Dolly Parton was there with him. And the two of them gave MTSU a show it will not soon forget. Opening for Rogers and Parton was Capital Records artist T. Graham Brown. Brown performed most of his hits from his album I TELL LIKE IT USED TO BE including the title song, Hell and High Water, I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again, and Rock It Billy. Dolly opened her set with Baby I ' m Burning. Both she and Rogers pleased the traditional side of the crowd by serving up plenty of their older hits. Dolly contributed her share by fol- lowing up her opener with Jolene, Two Doors Down, and the biblical Coat of Many Colors. Dolly then demonstrated her musical virtuosity by singing a story about Apple Jack and playing the banjo. Dolly showed off her band ' s vocal abilities with the accap- pella Do I Ever Cross Your Mind. She teased bass singer Steve Goldstein — He ' s not a great singer but neither am I, and I made a lot of money trying, she said. Dolly closed her set with her hit Nine to Five and left the crowd eagerly awaiting Rogers. Rogers, who appeared amidst a cloud of smoke, started his j ' and Dolly left their audience cheering for m(

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.itftt i.a:.. Kenny And Dolly string of hit renditions with All My Life, Back In the High Life Again, Love The World Away, Reuben James, and the Mel Tillis penned Ruby, Don ' t Take Your Love To Town. The crowd, however, was not re- sponding the way Rogers thought it should. Finally, after repeated coaching, he told them, You paid good money for those seats, so you should clap when you ' re damn good and ready. Kenny Rogers has had more than his share of hits dur- ing his career, and he did his best to give ' em what they wanted with Through the Years, You Decorated My Life, She Believes In Me, Blaze of Glory, and the new 20 Years Ago ( Those of you 19 or younger can just go get a coke, he quipped.) After The Gambler and Lucille, Rogers quietly left the stage. But shame on you if you thought it was over. Every time I do that I realize how ridiculous it is, he said. I knew I was coming back, you knew I was coming back, and what ' s worse, I knew you knew I was coming back. He started to sing We ' ve Got To- night. As expected, Dolly came in and sang Sheena Easton ' s part. Who needs Sheena Easton, Dolly said. Rogers and Parton closed the show with their two big duet hits Real Love and Islands in the Stream. Lets hope they come back again next year. r v? ' V L '