Meet the woman who works nine-to-five as a Dolly Parton impersonator.
Andrea Pattison, 53, has been performing as a Dolly Parton tribute artist for 20 years – in theaters, on cruises, and at weddings and parties.
She started off as a wedding singer, but when guests told her how much she looked and sounded like the country music legend, she decided to start a tribute act.
Andrea even met her idol while Dolly was on tour in the UK. Her friend won two places in a meet-and-greet to see her backstage at the Manchester Arena.
But she says she was so overwhelmed that she didn’t have the courage to tell the superstar what she does.
Andrea, from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, said: “Dolly herself said she’s never going to retire – I just want to be able to continue doing it and getting all the joy from it.
“It is wonderful when I’m up on stage – it’s the greatest feeling in the world.
“I love the process of transforming into Dolly – from putting on make-up to donning custom-made costumes.
“Once I get the wig on, I’m ready to be her.
“I hope to keep doing this for the next 10 years.”
Andrea claims the journey into her unique career happened almost by accident.
She started off as a wedding performer at the age of 26 but kept being told how much of a resemblance she bore to Dolly.
She said: “I am a singer first and foremost.
“I can remember even as a child, if I was upset, I would sing myself to sleep.
“I have always loved country music since I was a child but never would have guessed what career I’d end up in!”
Andrea says she and Dolly have a lot in common.
“I grew up in deprived background in Sunderland and I was one of six – Dolly was one of 12, so we are similar in that respect too,” she said.
“I got lots of hand-me-downs from my sisters as we were so poor.
“Dolly was also from a very poor background – she could have not amounted to anything but she was just so determined.
After a couple of years performing as a Dolly impersonator, Andrea had the opportunity to meet the superstar in the summer of 2008—but decided not to tell her about her job.
Andrea said, “Most people would have been the opposite, but I was just so overcome with emotion that I just didn’t have it in me to tell her.
“It was still so amazing to meet her though – she was so lovely.”
Over the years, Andrea has performed in a National Theatre show and on cruises for P&O—she’s entertained guests as far afield as the Shetland Islands and Ireland.
Last year, she had the opportunity to perform abroad in Turkey, an experience she described as “dead exciting.”
Andrea’s schedule can be quite unpredictable. She can perform up to five shows in one week, while others are completely quiet.
“Most weekends I’m out performing, which is great,” she said.
In the year before the pandemic, Andrea made “a very good living” from her shows; however, lockdown was a difficult time for her – and she almost gave up altogether after her mum, Hilda Pattison, 77, passed away on March 8, 2020.
“Some people, if they lose a loved one, might need time off, but my mum said she wanted me to keep going,” Andrea said.
“She was very proud of what I achieved, but around that time, it was impossible to do gigs, so I took a big financial hit.”
Returning to the stage after such a challenging time was anxiety-inducing for Andrea, but once she started performing again she said “everything fell back into place”.
Now, after a series of setbacks, she’s rebuilding her work and has even put together her own Dolly Parton-themed theater show.
Andrea recently had her main website mysteriously shut down, and her Facebook account hacked, leading to a friend donating $2,635 to a scammer who thought it was her.
“Having my main page shut down really impacted my earnings, it lost me thousands of pounds and it was awful for a friend of mine who got scammed.
“It really made me question everything, but I am determined to carry on and continue being Dolly.”
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
