Many country fans dream of being able to sing a duet with their favorite artist. For one young boy named Seth Burke, that dream came true while he was enjoying a Caribbean cruise with his family.
At only eight years old, Burke has already faced his fair share of challenges in life. Burke has a rare muscle wasting condition called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which the Muscular Dystrophy Association defines as “a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness.”
After hearing about Burke’s story, P&O Cruises invited him and his family on a two week cruise around the Caribbean islands. Before the family embarked on their cruise, the company called to ask if Burke had any special requests for his ideal vacation. He came back with a simple list, which included his dream of singing a duet with the one and only Dolly Parton.
“Seth is a huge Dolly Parton fan – he thinks she’s the most beautiful woman in the world,” Burke’s mother told Wales Online.
Burke’s list of requests was as follows:
- A hot tub
- To sing “Jolene” with his idol Dolly Parton
- To meet CBBC presenter Naomi Wilkinson
- To meet naturalist and TV presenter Steve Backshall
The company was happy to honor all of Burke’s requests, and Wilkinson and Backshall each sent in a video message to him. In addition, Burke was treated to his own personal hot tub, was made captain of the ship, and got the chance to drive a speedboat out on the ocean.
In a memory-making moment, the company was also able to arrange a duet between Burke and Parton. The cruise called Parton up on Skype, and brought Burke and his family out on stage for the surprise of a lifetime.
Parton told Burke that she wanted to sing “Jolene” with him, since she heard that it was his favorite song of hers. Burke was hesitant to sing at first, but he eventually found a burst of confidence and started singing right along with Parton.
As adorable as the duet was, nothing beats the big smile Burke was sporting once he finished singing. You can tell that seemingly simple moment was something that brought him so much joy.
Referring to the cruise as a whole, Burke’s mother said that he “had the time of his life.” Based on how happy he was after singing with Parton, we’d sure say so!
You can watch a small portion of Burke’s “Jolene” duet with Parton in the clip below. It’s sure to put a smile on your face.