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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 19 July 2017
Last duet: Kenny, Dolly announce

final performance together

By KRISTIN M. HALL in 1983. has had several success-
Associated Press Other performers for the ful duet partners, including
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) farewell show are Little Big Dottie West, Kim Carnes,
— Two of country mu- Town, Flaming Lips, Idina Sheena Easton and Linda
sic’s biggest stars, Kenny Menzel, Elle King, Jamey Davis, but Parton’s star
Rogers and Dolly Parton, Johnson and Alison Krauss, power made their collabo-
whose onstage chemistry with more names to be an- rations a tour de force.
spawned hit duets like “Is- nounced. Rogers made “We can go three years
lands in the Stream” and the announcement Tues- without talking to each
“Real Love,” will be mak- day at a press conference other and when we get
ing their final performance in Nashville. Tickets for the together, it’s like we were In this combination photo, Kenny Rogers, left, performs on
together this year. Rogers, show will go on sale July 21. together yesterday,” Rog- March 7, 2013, in Lancaster, Pa. and Dolly Parton performs in
who is retiring from touring, Rogers, 78, said it’s been ers said. “We both feel that Philadelphia on June 15, 2016.
says his final performance more than a decade since comfort.” “Performing with Associated Press
with Parton will be part of he performed with Parton Kenny for the last time ever
an all-star farewell show for a CMT special. on October 25th is going to The actor, singer and pho- “Islands in the Stream,”
to be held at Nashville’s “I think we owe it to her to be emotional for both of tographer with hits like “The but beyond that, he wasn’t
Bridgestone Arena on Oct. let her go on with her ca- us, but it’s also going to be Gambler,” ‘’Lady” and “Lu- sure yet. “Whether we do
25. The two have been per- reer, but we owe it to me very special,” Parton said in cille,” announced in 2015 something else, I don’t
forming together for more to do it one more time, and a statement. “Even though he would do a final fare- know,” Rogers said. “That
than 30 years since “Islands we’re going to do that,” Kenny may be retiring, as well tour before retiring to would require a rehearsal
in the Stream,” written by Rogers said after the press he fades from the stage, spend more time with his and I don’t know that Dolly
the Bee Gees, became a conference. our love for each other will family. Rogers said he and or I, either one, are up for
pop crossover platinum hit In his 60-year career, Rogers never fade away.” Parton would definitely sing that.”q

Mayer on changing his live shows: ‘I want to be competitive’

By MESFIN FEKADU of that.’” really powerful, but I’m also
AP Music Writer The 39-year-old recently two years removed from
NEW YORK (AP) — John wrapped a tour with Dead the emotion of it, so it’s a
Mayer never relied on mul- & Company, his super- very interesting thing to go
ticolored lighting, confetti group with Grateful Dead’s out on tour with songs that
and pyrotechnics to help Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann have been gestating for
him during his live shows, and Bob Weir. His summer three years.
like some of his peers. tour wraps Sept. 3 in No- AP: What have you learned
But the singer-songwriter- blesville, Indiana. from performing in Dead &
guitarist wanted to step But Mayer isn’t only playing Company?
up his game, and he said big arenas: He announced Mayer: It seemed to me al-
watching Drake perform Tuesday that he will join the most like taking a break to
live encouraged him to Dive Bar Tour with Bud Light go back to school, right?
beef up his stage produc- for a show in Los Angeles It was like, ‘Take a break
tion and take more risks on July 26. from this solo thing and
during his concerts. In a recent interview with John Mayer poses for a portrait on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 in go back to the university.’
Mayer will launch the sec- The Associated Press, May- New York, NY. And I’m getting my degree
ond leg of his Search for er talked about stepping it Associated Press from Grateful Dead Univer-
Everything World Tour on up with his live shows, at- sity. That’s all I ever wanted
Tuesday in Albuquerque, tending Grateful Dead Uni- but that’s a lot more trucks been four years since your was musical experience
New Mexico. The new live versity and enjoying new and buses. I’d go broke last release. Why so long? that equated to becoming
shows have been a de- albums by DJ Khaled and from that tour but it would Mayer: Well, when I turned a better musician. ... It’s a
parture for the Grammy Calvin Harris. be incredible. It would al- 30 (in 2008), I looked at my little boring to be a solo act
winner, who now performs _____ most be Broadway-like. 30s that were coming up for like 50 years. For me per-
with a colorful and futuristic AP: The production level for I want to be modern day and I said, ‘I want to make sonally, I’m way too fidgety.
L.E.D. wall and floor. your new live shows has re- and I want to play by mod- as much as I can in my 30s,’ AP: Who else would you like
“I wanted to have a really ally changed. What’s that ern-day rules and excite so I started to. ... ‘The Search to collaborate with?
big show. I want to be com- process been like? people, but I also want to for Everything’ would have Mayer: My next collabora-
petitive. I want to be in the Mayer: We have an L.E.D. do it the way I would do come out, and I haven’t tion, I think, is going to be
world where people are wall and a L.E.D. floor. In it. Everything that I’ve ever done the math on this, it more on the producer side
creating bigger and better a way it’s really minimal ... picked up that was a tech- would have come out in than on the artist side. I’m
shows,” Mayer said. “I think but from there you can go nology in some way or an- 2015, but then this beauti- very interested in and in-
there’s a healthy compe- anywhere you want to go. other, I’ve always found, ful opportunity of Dead & trigued by the idea of work-
tition involved in it. I went It can be abstract. It can I think, my own voice with Company showed up at ing with certain producers.
and saw Drake’s show and be superminimalist. It can it. And so I’m doing the big, my doorstep. And I’ve nev- ... I also like the idea of the
... real artists say, ‘Wow!’ also be super-real. ... I even bad L.E.D. show, but in a er pressed pause on a solo ensemble record; I see
And then they go, ‘(Exple- want to go further with it. ... way that tells a story about career before, but I knew where that’s going. The (DJ)
tive).’ Right? Because you I have an idea maybe next me. that this was worth press- Khaled record, the Calvin
see something that wows year to do like a 2.0 version AP: Your album “The ing pause for. And that’s Harris record — that’s like
you and as an artist your- of it where it really goes Search for Everything” was been really interesting be- a life hack that’s taking
self you go, ‘I want a little down deep into my dream, released in April and it’s cause the (new) songs are place before our eyes.q