On the face of it, Dolly Parton and Tim Curry had no obvious similarities, no clear common ground. One was American, one was British, the other was born in rural Tennessee, the latter in Cheshire. You wouldn’t think of them as colleagues or real contemporaries. 

But, then they coincidentally died on the same day, August 25, last week, both aged 80. And for me, the twain began to meet; as you watched snippets of performances, songs, interviews, six decades that both strode the earth, entertaining legions of fans and followers, you saw a clear pattern of two very talented artistes using their natural abilities to climb to the pinnacle of success.