The pairing no one saw coming.
Dolly Parton is quite literally the “Queen of Country Music.” She might as well be Queen of the World too. The living legend is a national treasure, and who could ever forget that Thanksgiving Day Dallas Cowboys halftime performance? Only Dolly Parton could have pulled that off.
And speaking of pulling things off, I was shocked to see that Dolly was included in this past weekend’s highly emotional Black Sabbath concert. The English rock band led by none other than Ozzy Osbourne played their final show together in Birmingham, U.K.’s Villa Park, and it was quite the spectacle and send off for one of the greatest rock bands to ever do it.
Ozzy Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2019, so sadly his abilities were limited during the show. That being said, he still absolutely brought it while he was on stage, and when he wasn’t, other acts like Metallica and Guns N’ Roses, and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.
This performance of “Paranoid” during the show – marking the last time Black Sabbath would play the song as a band – was pretty cool:
But I forgot to mention that one of country music’s biggest stars was also a part of the concert. Though you might not have guessed a surprise appearance from Dolly Parton would have been in the cards for Black Sabbath’s last concert, it happened. And it was a very special moment.
If you were like me and hoping to scroll down to see Dolly and Ozzy singing “Crazy Train” together, you’ll need to pump the brakes a bit. I’m sure Parton would have been game to do that, but she wasn’t able to make it across the pond to the show. Even so, she made sure to send a very heartfelt video message to Ozzy Osbourne that was played during his final concert.
Dolly’s bright smile and big ol’ hair popped up on screen, and she shared this message to Ozzy, the band, and the rabid rocks fans that were in attendance:
“Well Ozzy Osbourne, it’s Dolly Parton here. Now I know you are at home, and what a wonderful place to be, right? Now, are we supposed to be saying farewell to you? Well, I don’t think that’s gonna happen!
How about we just say good luck, God bless you, and we will see you somewhere down the road. I love you, always have, and we’re gonna miss you up on stage. But you know what? I wouldn’t be surprised if you show up somewhere else, and I’ll be there.”
Hey… don’t give up hope yet on that duet between Dolly and Ozzy. She said herself that she’s sure Osbourne will show up somewhere, and that “she’ll be there.” I’m not saying it’s destined to happen, but I’m summoning my inner Lloyd (from Dumb and Dumber) and “saying there’s a chance.”
And this is just a great reminder that you never know where Dolly Parton is going to show up. She’s always been great at surprises, and it never hurts to hear from the “Queen of Country Music.”