Leftover Salmon & Lindsay Lou Salute Dolly Parton At Ionia Freak Fair
The collaborators teamed for a performance of “9 To 5” at Billy Strings’ inaugural festival in Ionia, Michigan.
By Scott Bernstein Aug 31, 2026 • 11:22 am PDT
Leftover Salmon teamed with Lindsay Lou to honor Dolly Parton on Friday during the first day of the inaugural Ionia Freak Fair in Ionia, Michigan. Lou fronted the veteran jamgrass band on Parton’s “9 To 5” about 35 minutes into Leftover Salmon’s hour-long Main Stage set.
“We lost one of the best of us ever,” Leftover Salmon guitarist Vince Herman told the crowd while introducing the tribute. “Here’s to a giving, loving soul she was.” Lou added, “Talk about leading with love,” before singing “9 To 5” with Herman and his bandmates.
Dolly Parton died at age 80 on Tuesday, August 25 in Nashville after a brief battle with cancer. Parton wrote “9 To 5” for the 1980 film of the same name, in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The song topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts and earned Parton two Grammy Awards.
Leftover Salmon performed immediately before Billy Strings’ headlining appearance on Friday. The first day of the two-day festival also featured sets from Lou and Full Cord on the Main Stage.
The collaboration wasn’t the end of Friday’s crossover between Ionia Freak Fair performers. Lou later joined Strings during both sets of his headlining performance. Leftover Salmon also returned to the stage late in Strings’ second set, with Herman, Drew Emmitt, Andy Thorn, Jay Starling and Alwyn Robinson contributing to “Gild The Lily” and “Down In The Hollow.”
Strings delivered another Parton tribute earlier in the second set when Lou and Mark Lavengood joined him for Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing On My Mind.” Parton recorded the song with Porter Wagoner for their 1967 collaborative album Just Between You And Me.
Livestream replays of Ionia Freak Fair, including Leftover Salmon’s set, are available for nugs subscribers. Watch Leftover Salmon and Lindsay Lou honor Dolly Parton with “9 To 5” below:
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