UK Dolly Parton impersonator’s 9 to five focused in scandal costing her 1000’s

A British Dolly Parton tribute act has been stung by by cyber criminals.

Andrea Pattison, 53, has been performing as a Dolly Parton tribute artist for 20 years – in theatres, on cruises and at weddings and parties. She started off as a wedding singer and when guests told her how much she looked and sounded like the country music legend she decided to start a tribute act.

She says her tough childhood in Sunderland was much like Dolly’s. “I grew up in deprived background in Sunderland and I was one of six – Dolly was one of 12, so we are similar in that respect too,” she said. “I got lots of hand-me-downs from my sisters as we were so poor.

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“Dolly was also from a very poor background – she could have not amounted to anything but she was just so determined.”

After years of making a living out of hitting the stage as her hero, Andrea recently saw her business under attack. She had her main website mysteriously shut down and had her Facebook account hacked.

In the cyber criminal’s scheming for money, they asked a friend of Andrea’s for a donation which left here £2,000 out of pocket.

Andrea said: “Having my main page shut down really impacted my earnings, it lost me thousands of pounds and it was awful for a friend of mine who got scammed.

“It really made me question everything but I am determined to carry on and continue being Dolly.”

After a couple of years performing as a Dolly impersonator, Andrea met her idol after winning meet and greet tickets to see her backstage at the Manchester Arena. But she says she was so overwhelmed she didn’t pluck up the courage to tell the superstar what she does.

Andrea commented: “Most people would have been the opposite, but I was just so overcome with emotion, I just didn’t have it in me to tell her.

Over the years Andrea has performed in a National Theatre show and on cruises for P&O – she’s entertained as far afield as the Shetland Islands and Ireland too.

Last year she had the opportunity to perform abroad in Turkey – an experience she said was “dead exciting”.

Andrea’s schedule can be quite unpredictable – with her performing up to five shows in one week with others being completely quiet.

“Most weekends I’m out performing, which is great,” she said.

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