The passing of Dolly Parton in August left the world shocked. Yes, she was 80, but her music and personality seemed as bright as her wigs, makeup and rhinestones. You would not have guessed she had cancer. When she died, all her fans felt the air go out of the room. And yet, she left a legacy of music that will continue for generations.
One local tribute to Parton is sponsored by Michael Putman Estwanik’s nonprofit music organization, Your American Songbook. Estwanik will host three concerts in three different locations: SOHO Restaurant in Santa Barbara on Oct. 4, Ojai Art Center on Oct. 8 and Namba Performing Arts Space on Oct. 11.
Estwanik has been sponsoring concerts celebrating American songwriters for more than 35 years. He has paid tribute to legends like the Gershwin brothers and Cole Porter. In this case, however, he is focusing on American country and folk music, and few people in America knew that tradition better than the Queen of Country herself…