Andes Hotel Karaoke Pays Tribute to Dolly Parton

by Robert Brune

ANDES — A beloved Andes Hotel tradition took on special meaning Friday evening as the hotel’s biweekly karaoke night became a celebration of country music icon Dolly Parton, who died Aug. 25 at age 80.

Parton has long held a special place at the hotel, where owner Derek Curl created an elaborate Dolly-themed ladies room celebrating the singer. Curl recently reflected on how dramatically karaoke has grown since its modest beginnings, saying, “When karaoke night began here five years ago, we started out with maybe six singers.” Today, the event regularly attracts crowds of 40 to 80 people, ranging from first-time performers to remarkably accomplished singers.

Friday’s tribute began appropriately with a blistering rendition of “Jolene.” When “9 to 5” followed later in the evening, voices throughout the room joined the singer, turning karaoke into a communal tribute to an artist whose music and generosity reached far beyond her Tennessee mountain upbringing.

The evening also remembered actor and singer Tim Curry, who died Aug. 25. Sarah Sisco honored Curry with a spirited “Rocky Horror Picture Show” tribute, while Father Paul Moore turned to another country legend with a resounding performance of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”

For many regulars, the combination made Friday exceptional, with several describing it as among the best karaoke nights they had experienced at the hotel.

Five years after beginning with a handful of singers, Andes Hotel karaoke has grown into something larger than an opportunity to take the microphone. Every other Friday, it has become another reason for a community to gather around music and one another.