April 29: Dolly To Visit Dollywood This Weekend Dollywood is preparing for Dolly to return this weekend to appear for the anniversary of the park's actual opening 39 years ago as it continues its 40th season. She will open the day Friday with a remote appearance live on NBC's Today during the 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. segment before an 11 a.m. media event at the park open only to VIP guests, the press, and select invited Diamond Passholders (a stand-by line will be available for Diamond Passholders not invited). She is expected to also be on park Saturday as well. In related news, the park is offering a special public employee discount for $49 one-day admission tickets now through June 13 for members of the military, first responders, school employees, government employees, and medical employees. Verify employment through ID.me and buy up to six tickets. Discount rooms at DreamMore and Heartsongs are also available for those individuals through June 13.
Win Music City Trip From Dolly Wines Dolly Wines are giving away a trip to Nashville to be among the first to see the out of town tryouts for Dolly: An Original Musical, plus tickets to her "Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker" exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and tour and show at the Grand Ole Opry. Additional entries for wine purchases. Must be 21 or older to enter. Learn more here.
'Joyful Noise' Being Adapted For Stage Executive Producers Michael McFadden and Katy Lipson have created a new development, investment, and production company, TRW Production, which in partnership with Steve Spiegel of Theatrical Rights Worldwide will develop new theatrical productions. Among their first two projects in a stage adaptation of the 2012 Dolly and Queen Latifah movie Joyful Noise. The production, being adapted by screenwriter Todd Graff, is slated to include the three original songs Dolly wrote for the film, the movie's adaptations of other pop hits, plus an original gospel-inspired score, according to What's On Stagehere.
U.S., U.K., Aussie Chart Updates Sabrina Carpenter's Short & Sweet Deluxe Edition, with its Dolly duet, continues to dominate the American and international charts. The April 26 Billboard charts have the album up two to No. 4 pop albums, up two to No. 7 sales, up one to No. 7 streaming, up three to No. 2 Canadian albums, and steady at No. 7 current albums. Post Malone's F 1 Trillion, with its Dolly duet, gains three to No. 23 pop albums and No. 20 streaming albums, losing one to No. 22 Canadian albums and remaining steady at No. 3 country albums. Beyonce's Cowboy Carter, with its Dolly appearances, loses three to No. 44 country albums and two to No. 18 Americana albums.
Across the pond, Very Best Of Dolly Parton Vol. 1 holds steady at No. 2 country compilation albums, while her Diamonds & Rhinestones, The Greatest Hits Collection holds steady at No. 6, Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA -- Family, Faith & Fables loses nine to No. 19, while Emmylou Harris' Original Album Series featuring Dolly appearances sees Volume 1 re-enter the top 20 at No. 15 and Volume 2 re-enter at No. 18.. Elsewhere on the U.K. charts, Carpenter remains steady at No. 2 pop, gains four to No. 7 Scottish albums, four to No. 8 album sales, and six to No. 6 physical album sales, dropping 32 to No. 44 downloads and remaining steady at No. 1 streaming albums. Malone remains steady at No. 5 country albums. Beyonce holds steady at No. 6 British country albums and falls two to No. 7 Americana albums.
Down Under, Carpenter gains one to No. 1 pop albums, Malone holds steady at No. 5 Australian country albums and Beyonce remains at No. 34 country.
April 21: 'Star Of The Show' Has Deluxe Edition Although word of the book had leaked throughout the fan world about a week ago and was reported here on this news page last Monday, Dolly on Thursday officially announced her upcoming third installment in her coffee table memoir trilogy: Star Of The Show: My Life On Stage. In her announcement, she revealed the cover art (at left; click on for a larger view) and that a deluxe edition of the tome will also be released here (currently selling on Amazon for $100, versus $55 for the standard edition). The deluxe version features the same 350 photos and eight-page gatefold of performances as the standard edition but will come with gilded edges, an enhanced cover with upgraded special effects, a stain ribbon bookmark, and three 8x10 photos enclosed in an envelope. The promotional copy describes the book as "the global superstar finally shares a definitive look at her career as one of the world's most dazzling and beloved performers.Featuring engaging stories and memories from Parton's dynamic life behind the microphone, this book spotlights her signature performances and star-making moments, from singing in front of her family to premiering on the Grand Ole Opry stage and beyond. Her formative years performing with country legend Porter Wagoner are chronicled as she learns hard lessons from life on the road. Breaking out on her own at state fairs and critically acclaimed venues, she toured the world performing for millions of fans in arenas, stadiums, and at festivals. From making her onscreen debut in the blockbuster feature film 9 to 5 to playing the Dallas Cowboys' 2023 Thanksgiving halftime show to 42 million viewers, this global superstar knows no limits. Along the way, Dolly shares the stage with Kenny Rogers, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, and others, while offering insight on touring big, singing strong, and staying on top for seven decades.Brimming with Parton's trademark wit and heartfelt sincerity, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage is not only an homage to one of history's most cherished artists, but also a must-have collector's item for—and love letter to—any fan of the one and only Dolly Parton."
Tram Operators: Dolly Visiting Park May 2-3 Weekend Although no official announcement has come yet from Dollywood for a Dolly appearance the weekend of May 2-3, visitors to the park over the weekend report to Dollymania.net that tram operators were telling guests Dolly will be on park for "a huge celebration" that weekend of the park's 40th season on the anniversary of the park's original grand opening. Again, the park has yet to release an official announcement, but Dolly said when she appeared for the season opening in March that she would be back for the anniversary in May. In recent years, if her appearance is announced, it hasn't been revealed until about a week before the event, which is still several days away.
U.S., U.K., Aussie Chart Updates Sabrina Carpenter's Short & Sweet Deluxe Edition, with its Dolly duet, continues to ride high in the American and international charts last week. The April 19 Billboard charts have the album up one to No. 6 pop albums, down three to No. 9 sales, up one to No. 8 streaming, up one to No. 5 Canadian albums, and steady at No. 7 current albums. Post Malone's F 1 Trillion, with its Dolly duet, inches up one to No. 26 pop albums and two to No. 23 streaming albums, gaining one to No. 21 Canadian albums and remaining steady at No. 3 country albums. Beyonce's Cowboy Carter, with its Dolly appearances, loses three to No. 41 country albums and remains steady at No. 16 Americana albums.
Across the pond, Very Best Of Dolly Parton Vol. 1 slips one to No. 2 country compilation albums, while her Diamonds & Rhinestones, The Greatest Hits Collection rises two to No. 6, Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA -- Family, Faith & Fables gains five to No. 10, while The Complete Trio Collection Deluxe falls back out of the top 20, down from No. 20. Elsewhere on the U.K. charts, Carpenter remains steady at No. 2 pop, loses four to No. 11 Scottish albums, three to No. 12 album sales, and four to No. 12 physical album sales, rising 16 to No. 12 downloads and remaining steady at No. 1 streaming albums. Malone loses two to No. 5 country albums. Beyonce inches up one to No. 6 British country albums and two to No. 5 Americana albums.
Down Under, Carpenter holds steady at No. 2 pop albums, Malone gains two to No. 5 Australian country albums, Beyonce loses four to No. 34 country albums, and The Wiggles' Wiggle Up, Giddy Up, with two Dolly duets and two Dolly covers, falls out of the top 40 country albums, down from No. 33.
Night Of 1,000 Dollys Returning Club XYZ in Knoxville has set May 16 and 17 for their annual Night of 1,000 Dollys party. The tribute features the Queens of Knoxville and special guests for 11:30 p.m. and 1 am. Shows. Admission $10 for 21+.
April 15: Five Classic Live Tracks Released For 50th Anniversary
Available for the first time in half a century, RCA Records last week released the first-ever digital version of 1975's In Concert: With Host Charley Pride for its 50th anniversary featuring five live Dolly performances from a television special with Pride, Chet Atkins, Ronnie Milsap, Jerry Reed, and Gary Stewart. Dolly contributes her second version of "Jolene" to be nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal (streaming from YouTube in the media player above or by clicking here), "Love Is Like A Butterfly" here, "Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms" as a duet with Milsap here, "Coat Of Many Colors" here and "The Bargain Store" here. Order your downloads of the songs from Amazon here. Also reissued recently are a digital version of Dolly's Here I Am biography to Amazon Video here, sister Rachel Dennison's 1984 major label debut Light Up The Night from Columbia Records here, and late brother Floyd Parton's The Songwriter/The Singer on family label Owepar here featuring his solo versions of "Foolin' Around," "Rockin' Years," and "Waltz Me To Heaven."
Hall Of Fame Exhibit, Companion Book Coming This Summer The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville announced last week a new exhibit, "Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker," which opens May 20 and continues for a 16-month engagement through September 2026. In a statement, Dolly said: "Being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame was one of the greatest moments of my life, and being able to have a personal exhibit for the fans that put me there is a very big deal to me. This seeker is very proud and honored, and I hope you enjoy my journey. I will always love you." The exhibit, which will feature an 80-page companion paperback book from the University of Illinois Press on behalf of the Country Music Foundation Press and is available for preorder here. will focus on the turning points in her life and career with many artifacts and costumes. Access is included in Museum admission but a limited number of timed tickets for the exhibit are available each day, so advance reservations are encouraged. Check out an interview with Dolly about the exhibit from The Tennesseanhere.
Dolly's Next Coffee Table Memoir Coming Nov. 11 Penguin Books has announced that the third and final installment in Dolly's trilogy of coffee table memoirs, Star Of The Show: My Life On Stage, will hit shelves Nov. 11 from its Ten Speed Press imprint. The book, available for pre-order from Amazon here, is slated at 336 pages and will also feature a Kindle version and Audible Audio Book available for pre-order here.
Joleans Jeans Debut At Good American Dolly earlier this month unveiled a new line of luxury jeans and accessory clothing called Joleans through Kim Kardashian's Good American clothing line. Check them out here.
'Harpers Bazaar' Talks Dolly Style Dolly chats about her style with the UK version of Harpers Bazaarhere.
Florida Pirate's Voyage Opens June 1 The Panama City, Fla., location of Dolly's Pirate's Voyage dinner theater has announced a June 1 opening date. Read more from The News Heraldhere.
'Here You Come Again' Heads Down Under The Dolly jukebox musical Here You Come Again has announced an Australian tour starting in July which follows a British tour and limited U.S. tour. Learn more from Aussie Theatrehere.
In Memoriam: 'Dolly' Producer/Director Don Mischer Don Mischer, legendary live musical television producer and director including several episodes of Dolly's 1987-88 ABC variety series, died last week at age 85. In addition to producing, he directed eight episodes of the series including the premiere show, episodes five and six, and each of the special holiday or on-location episodes regarded as the best from the season: New Orleans, Nashville, Hawaii, Christmas, and Thanksgiving at Dollywood. His obituary is available at The Hollywood Reporterhere.
Dollywood Readies Flower & Food Festival Dollywood opens its Flower & Food Festival Friday with more than 1 million blooms, fresh tastes of spring, and new entertainment offerings through June 8. In its sixth year, the festival dresses the park in elaborate floral installations including an upside-down butterfly umbrella, several animals, and a depiction of Dolly's mother sewing her Coat of Many Colors. In a statement, Dolly said: "If there's one thing I know about the Smokies, it's that God does some of his best handiwork this time of year. It's like the mountains come back to life in the spring with all of His beautiful creations blooming around us. Our hosts here at Dollywood put so much effort into making the park as beautiful as the natural beauty you see throughout the hills around us. You know we won the Golden Ticket Award last year for the Most Beautiful Park in the world, and when you come experience the Smoky Mountains this time of year, I think you can understand why we won it!" The festival tasting pass features the Salad of Many Colors, loaded street fries, pesto caprese panini, Smoky Mountain grilled corn, blueberry pie milkshake, and wild berry cream cheese funnel cake. The formerly summer-festival-only Imagination Playhouse returns April 19 as a permanent fixture with Dolly's musical adaptations of Imagination Library books and a 40th anniversary season retrospective "Play On" opens May 3 with excerpts from various entertainment shows at the park throughout its history. The bio-musical "From The Heart: The Life & Music Of Dolly Parton" continues through June 6 and Heidi Parton's Kin & Friends Show also continues. The Umbrella Sky returns above Showstreet, and entertainers Lauren Jelencovich (April 18-May 18), Wilder Flower (May 19-June 1), and Robinella (June 2-8) will perform.
U.S., U.K., Aussie Chart Updates Dolly remains the queen of the British country compilation albums chart as her Very Best Of Dolly Parton Vol. 1 remains at No. 1 in its amazing 354th week on the tally. Her Diamonds & Rhinestones, The Greatest Hits Collection slips three to No. 8, Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA -- Family, Faith & Fables gains two to No. 15, and Original Album Series by Emmylou Harris featuring Dolly appearances falls back out of the top 20, down from No. 16, while The Complete Trio Collection Deluxe re-enters the top 20 at No. 20. Elsewhere on the U.K. charts, Sabrina Carpenter's Short & Sweet Deluxe Edition, with its Dolly duet, gains two to No. 2 pop, three to No. 7 Scottish albums, two to No. 9 album sales, 2 to No. 8 physical album sales, and 17 to No. 28 downloads, remaining steady at No. 1 streaming albums. Post Malone's F 1 Trillion, with its Dolly duet, falls off the top 100 downloads, down from No. 58, and loses one to No. 3 country albums. Beyonce's Cowboy Carter, with its Dolly appearances, remains steady at No. 7 British country albums and No. 7 Americana albums.
Down Under, Carpenter holds steady at No. 2 pop albums, Malone gains one to No. 7 Australian country albums, Beyonce loses two to No. 34 country albums, and The Wiggles' Wiggle Up, Giddy Up, with two Dolly duets and two Dolly covers, gains four to No. 35 country albums.
Back in the U.S., the April 12 Billboard numbers show Carpenter down one to No. 7 pop albums, up one to No. 6 sales, down two to No. 9 streaming, down one to No. 6 Canadian albums, and up one to No. 7 current albums. Malone loses seven to No. 27 pop albums and three to No. 25 streaming albums, gaining one to No. 22 Canadian albums and remaining steady at No. 3 country albums. Beyonce loses two to No. 38 country albums and three to No. 16 Americana albums.
Sorry For The Absence Apologies for the time away. Your webmaster has had a hectic, swamped work schedule running a federation of charities devoted to improving the lives of trans youth, LGBTQIA+ adults, women, immigrants, people of color, and basically every demographic group targeted by the new fascist regime, which in addition to being incredibly stressful, leaves little free time or energy to post site updates. Support your local resistance!
