Dolly Parton and Mayor Ed Koch, Gracie Mansion, August 31, 1987. Mayor Edward I. Koch collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Early in the afternoon of August 21, 1978, on the steps of City Hall, Mayor Edward Koch presented Dolly Parton with the key to the City. In his remarks at the ceremony the Mayor addressed Dolly directly:  “Dolly, you may be the only entertainer in America who has what it takes to turn New York City into a small town.”

According to the transcript of his remarks, before he presented Dolly with the Key, he asked: “When can we do this again?”

Dolly Parton’s reply to Mayor Koch is lost to history, but thanks to the Mayor’s photograph collection we know they did meet again, nine years later at Gracie Mansion, on August 31, 1987.

Dolly Parton, City Hall, August 21, 1978. Mayor Edward I. Koch collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

This week, For the Record posts a selection of photographs from Dolly Parton’s concert at City Hall in 1978, and her rendezvous with the Mayor in 1987.

The photograph files in the Mayor Koch collection are arranged by date. They usually include additional written information about the event. The file for Dolly Parton’s appearance at City Hall in August 1978 is typical. From a press release issued by Dolly Parton’s Public Relations firm, Solter & Rosin, Inc., we learn that her appearance at City Hall coincided with her sold-out engagement at the Palladium the following day, August 22. It also provided the information that Dolly had “donated her time to perform for the citizens of New York.”

Also contained in the file is the press release issued Mayor Koch’s Office of Special Events. It stated that following the concert, the Mayor will be “happily acceding to one of Dolly’s fondest wishes of holding a ‘People Press Conference’ to thank her legions of fans in New York.” The release added that “Dolly’s last album, Here You Come Again, was the first album in history by a female country star to go Platinum for sales in excess of $1,000,000.”

Dolly Parton singing with Mayor Ed Koch, City Hall, August 21, 1978. Mayor Edward I. Koch collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The Koch photograph collection series reveals a second Dolly Parton appearance with the Mayor. It took place on August 31, 1987, at Gracie Mansion. The folder contains photographic prints and negatives but does not include any written record of the reason for their rendezvous. However, online sources provide the answer. From September 1987 through May 1988, Dolly Parton hosted “Dolly” a television variety show on ABC. The series began production on August 14, 1987, and featured music, comedy skits and guest stars. A description of the first episode (via Wikipedia) lists Mayor Koch as a guest star, appearing with Dolly in an on-location segment called “Out and About.” The show premiered on September 27, and ranked in the top five of the Nielsen ratings.

Returning to the transcript of the Mayor’s remarks at City Hall in 1978, the Mayor opened the ceremony by saying “A special occasion like this calls for a quote from Shakespeare, so here it is:

“Parton is such sweet music.”

Parton Is Such Sweet Music

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