TORONTO - Country music kewpie doll Dolly Parton isn't the first person you'd think of when it comes to protest songs of the '60s and '70s.

But the Blue Mountain hillbilly-turned-glamour-queen has fully embraced the folk music of that era on her latest album of covers, Those Were The Days, due in stores on Oct. 11.

Parton fans got a sneak peek of the material last night at the Molson Amphitheatre where the 59-year-old singer-songwriter-musician played nine of the dozen tracks off the new record plus some classic songs from her 35-year career such as 9 To 5, Jolene, Here You Come Again, Coat Of Many Colors, Two Doors Down, and I Will Always Love You.

While Tommy James' Crimson And Clover, Tim Hardin's If I Were A Carpenter and Bob Dylan's Blowin' In The Wind were a bit of a hard sell, Parton pulled off Cat Stevens' Where Do The Children Play, Pete Seeger's Turn, Turn, Turn, Kris Kristofferson's Me And Bobby McGee, and John Lennon's Imagine all while playing a variety of instruments ranging from an auto-harp to a flute to a harmonica.

Surprisingly, her rare Toronto appearance only drew about 5,000 fans -- she played in the area last October at Casino Rama -- but those that were in attendance were clearly committed to the new Parton vision.

And while her 11-piece band was decked out in unintentionally hilarious brown suede vests and shirts to reflect the new hippie vibe, Parton was still her over-the-top glamourous self.

Thank God.

Decked out in a frilly, floral multi-coloured dress with gold tassles hanging at the hem, big gold hoop earrings and gold high heels, she first appeared at the top of a staircase with the words "Dolly" spelled out in big lights behind her.

Think Liberace meets Loretta Lynn.

Parton's heavy makeup looked like it had been shellacked on, and her blond wig actually had a few feathers in it while her long pink fingernails appeared of the press-on variety.

Actually, her fiddler player first appeared on stage alone to play the introduction to Those Were The Days before she made her big entrance. Not even persistent bugs on a warm September night could discourage her perpetually cheerful disposition.

"I just caught a bug in my lip gloss," said Parton, who seemed to be suffering from a hoarse voice whenever she spoke. "If I start spitting, forgive me. It's nothing personal."

Parton also hardly abandoned her early roots as such soulful deliveries of songs like In My Tennessee Mountain Home and Smokey Mountain Memories last night could attest.

The petite songbird was also refreshingly honest whenever she made a mistake, like when she tried to exit the stage before the encore.

"I went over there in the corner and realized I couldn't leave," Parton said with a giggle, before resuming the show without missing a beat.

SUN RATING: 4 out of 5