I did not plan for this month’s playlist to pay any sort of tribute, but here we are. It started as a stretch of songs meant to ease us from summer into fall, but once Dolly Parton died on Aug. 25 in Nashville at 80 following what her publicist described as a brief battle with cancer, and Tim Curry died that same night at his home in Los Angeles, also at 80, I felt compelled to include thier voices.
I joined forces with good friends and infrequent contributors to the Daily Planet, Becka Kottke and Abbie Wells, to bring a well-rounded track for your September enjoyment. Like in all of our lives, Dolly is woven throughout, from her 2002 bluegrass “Stairway to Heaven” early on to her duet with Kenny Rogers and her feature on Galantis’s “Faith.”
The set closes with Curry’s “Sweet Transvestite,” his signature turn as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, easing us into spooky season and leading straight into Dolly’s “I Will Always Love You,” his last word handed off to hers. Kottke led this edition, with help from Wells. Our team curates a Planet Playlist every month.
