Kesha Honors Dolly Parton Through Emotional Cover of ‘Old Flames’ at Pittsburgh Concert

Kesha honored Dolly Parton during her concert at the Pavilion at Star Lake in Pittsburgh last night, showcasing a cover of Parton’s 1980 hit “Old Flames (Can’t Hold a Candle to You).”

The singer shared her familial connection to the song, noting that her mother, Pebe Sebert, was one of its writers alongside Billy Joe Shaver. Originally released by Joe Sun in 1978, Parton popularized the track a few years later, cementing it as a classic. Kesha emphasized the deep personal resonance of the moment during her performance.

“Earlier today, I’m sure many of y’all know that we lost Ms. Dolly Parton,” Kesha told the crowd. “We literally lost an angel. But through her art and through her kindness and through her love, she will live forever. And I want to talk about her a little bit. For those of you who don’t know, I come from a long lineage of songwriters, and before I was born, my mom actually wrote a song for Dolly Parton. That song bought us a house, like a roof, and it put me through school.”

Parton later collaborated with Kesha on a duet of “Old Flames (Can’t Hold a Candle to You)” for Kesha’s 2017 album Rainbow, recorded during Kesha’s highly publicized legal battle with her former producer Dr. Luke and amid the #MeToo movement. Kesha credited Parton’s involvement with the track as a source of strength during that challenging period.

“For those of you who don’t know, I was making that album in the middle of a very scary litigation, and I was in the #MeToo movement, and having such a legendary woman do this song with me and stand beside me, it made me really feel like God was on my side,” Kesha said. “And that’s how it feels working with Dolly Parton. So in honor of her incredible legacy and her beautiful life, I’d like to sing the song that my mom wrote for her.”

Kesha has long admired Parton, describing her as a “guiding light” since childhood. In a 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, she recalled Parton’s influence: “Dolly didn’t seem like a real human to me. It was almost like when you talk about unicorns. I remember as a little kid, it was like she was this fable, like untouchable, unhuman, just badass.” She added, “It was a real corner turned in my mind once she said she would collaborate with me. I made a rule to not do any music—no matter how successful it could be, no matter how many people would love it—that Dolly Parton wouldn’t fuck with. I don’t ever want to put out any music that Dolly Parton wouldn’t enjoy or listen to, or find some humor in. She’s so much of a guiding light, and she has no idea.”

In 2017, Parton explained that “Old Flames (Can’t Hold a Candle to You)” was “one of my favorite songs that I ever did.” She enthusiastically accepted Kesha’s request to record it, citing its personal significance: “I said, ‘Why did you choose to do that song? That’s an unusual choice for you,’” Parton recalled. “She said, ‘Well, because my mother wrote it.’”

Source link