IN the final countdown to the grand entrance of the queen of country, the picture sleeve of every one of Dolly Parton’s albums is projected on to a screen, one by one, in chronological order, building her alternative coat of many colours.

This patchwork reminds you Dolly has never rested on Jolene’s laurels, her impact spreading way beyond conventional country bounds into Dollywood, 9 To 5, The Musical, her Appalachian bluegrass revival, Whitney’s histrionic cover of I Will Always Love You and this weekend’s Glastonbury appearance, while still always serving country first.

Such diversity is reflected in her audience: country fans; the pink pound; girls on a night out in Dolly Stetsons and rhinestones; young lovers and families; and the West Yorkshire well-heeled.

She has the whole demographic covered, and a new album of original material, covers and duets to appeal to them all, even more so when cannily teaming Blue Smoke with a second disc of Dolly’s biggest hits.

Her two sets at a packed Leeds First Direct Arena last Friday move slickly between new and old, once Dollyand her band – all in black to contrast with her rhinestone glitter and tumble of blonde curls – warm up with the aptly fiery Baby I’m Burnin’, the only number where her sweet Tennessee voice is buried too deep in the sound mix.

Her microphone cuts out altogether in a technical glitch mid-Jolene, but the audience takes over, Dolly breaks out into a dance, and her ability to magnetise everyone, even in a calamitous moment, is one of those impromptu signals that she is a showgirl touched with gold.

Dolly’s song-writing knack is undimmed, emphasised by the train-in-motion rhythms of her new title track and later by the joyous Home, while Dolly’s covers always uncover more, as a good cover should, be it Dolly does Dylan on Don’t Think Twice or the glorious gospel take on Bon Jovi’s Lay Your Hands On Me, which closes the first half in raptures.

Dolly is more than a showgirl, playing everything from guitar to organ to lap steel to saxophone for the Benny Hill theme, which conjures thoughts of a role reversal of blonde Dolly chasing steamy-glassed Benny around the garden.

She is a preacher too, championing homely morals and the importance of family, celebrating our differences and expressing her passionate belief in her reading project that has distributed 70 million books around the world.

Dolly may sound a little practised in her speeches but her sincerity shines through. How many other stars of such influence preach responsible values in pop’s rush to titillate and promote nothing but look-at-me posturing?

Amid the well judged serious points, there is humour, homespun philosophy, country glamour, songs of sadness, women’s empowerment, home life, work life, love and lost love, and breathtaking, beautiful singing on Coat Of Many Colors, murder ballad Banks Of The Ohio and Little Sparrow.

First Prince was in regal form in Leeds the other day, and now country queen Dolly reigns supreme at 68 at the Arena, even reprising Jolene at the finale as her crowning glory.