The Koch photograph collection series reveals a second Dolly Parton appearance with the Mayor. It took place on August 31, 1987, at Gracie Mansion. The folder contains photographic prints and negatives but does not include any written record of the reason for their rendezvous. However, online sources provide the answer. From September 1987 through May 1988, Dolly Parton hosted “Dolly” a television variety show on ABC. The series began production on August 14, 1987, and featured music, comedy skits and guest stars. A description of the first episode (via Wikipedia) lists Mayor Koch as a guest star, appearing with Dolly in an on-location segment called “Out and About.” The show premiered on September 27, and ranked in the top five of the Nielsen ratings.
Returning to the transcript of the Mayor’s remarks at City Hall in 1978, the Mayor opened the ceremony by saying “A special occasion like this calls for a quote from Shakespeare, so here it is:
“Parton is such sweet music.”
