The saying goes that ‘if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life’, and for Tring resident Kelly O’Brien, that couldn’t be truer for her 9 to 5.
Full-time Dolly Parton impersonator Kelly has travelled the globe, performed her act for some of the world’s biggest stars, and appeared on primetime TV.
Speaking to Tring news, Kelly said: “My parents would play her records, so I listened to her music a lot while I was growing up. It was in my 20s that I began impersonating her, and when my voice lent itself to being Dolly.”
The Australian-born superstar has been performing as Dolly for more than 17 years and now tours The Dolly Show around the globe, singing the country star’s greatest hits.
Kelly continued: “The hardest part for me is that I’m a natural alto, whilst Dolly has a distinct soprano voice, so it can be quite tiring singing like her.
“But the best part for me is being able to connect with these fans. Dolly announced she wouldn’t be touring anymore so these fans won’t get to see her live. It’s really amazing for me to perform as her and see everyone so excited to meet her!”
Kelly even got to meet the real Dolly in 2011, an experience she said was “surreal”, admitting she had “all these things I wanted to say to her but was too gobsmacked!”.
The performer recently auditioned for the Search for Dolly casting call, hosted by the team at Dolly: An Original Musical. The auditions are searching for several ‘Dollys’ to tell the story of the singer’s incredible life on Broadway.
Kelly will continue touring across the UK, including shows in Welwyn Garden City, Shepherd’s Bush, and Watersmeet in Rickmansworth.
To find out more, head to thedollyshow.com
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