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In the early 1970s, Hayfield High School had one of the largest gymnasiums in the area—and the venue attracted future music legend Dolly Parton along with professional athletes, wrestlers and other celebrities.

Parton was not yet the household name she would become, but country music fans already knew her when she performed at the school. The concert lineup also included Billy Crash Craddock, Larry Daniels, Linda Lee O’Dell, Swing Ryders, Teri Gregory, Melina Dawn and The Buccaneers.

Hayfield resident Patti Derflinger attended the show when she was 9. Decades later, she discovered her ticket stub and performers’ autographs among old family papers.

Derflinger recalled that Parton’s set seemed short. Afterward, the young concertgoer slipped into the autograph line and pulled the stub from her pocket for the musicians to sign.

The concert was a major occasion for Hayfield Farm, then a far more rural community. Kingstowne had yet to be developed and was home to dirt-bike trails, while a 7-Eleven was the only nearby store. Richard Nixon had just resigned as president.

Craddock was riding the success of “Rub It In,” a Top 20 pop hit, and was signed to ABC Records. He had also recorded a cover of Tony Orlando and Dawn’s “Knock Three Times” in 1971. He was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2011.

O’Dell performed at Hayfield more than once. Advance tickets for one of her 1975 appearances cost $5, rising to $6 at the door.

A Gym Packed With Star Power

Music was only part of Hayfield High’s unlikely run as a celebrity venue. The gym hosted a professional wrestling match featuring Haystack Calhoun, a prominent figure in the sport.

A muscular dystrophy event associated with Jerry Lewis reportedly promised an appearance by Lewis himself. He never took the stage, leaving audience members disappointed.

Sports stars also came through Hayfield. After Washington’s then-named Redskins made their first Super Bowl appearance against the Miami Dolphins in the early 1970s, players from both teams participated in a basketball game at the school.

The Harlem Globetrotters appeared there as well. Hayfield even hosted an NBA exhibition game between Washington’s then-named Bullets and the Philadelphia 76ers.