No. 32, Dec. 5, Toyota Center in Houston, 4,879 seats, $228,737 gross
The 36-city, 39-performance tour grossed $5 million overall, the magazine had previously reported. Thanks, Wes!And Speaking Of The Tour
Wednesday's Seattle Times included a profile on the nearby Everett Events Center, where Dolly closed out the tour last month. The story mentions her performance several times. Read it here.
Opry Tickets Update
A few floor seats became available on Wednesday for 9:30 p.m. Feb. 5 performance of The Grand Ole Opry with host Dolly. In the balcony for that show, there are still only a handful of single-seat tickets left, and for the 6:30 p.m. show the floor is sold out and only a few single-seat tickets remain for the balcony. Get yours here.
Another 'Reba' Mention
Dolly's upcoming appearance on Reba gets another plug in Wednesday's Knoxville News-Sentinel, and it reveals that she is not exactly playing a rival real estate agent, as had previously been reported, but instead Dolly will own the realty firm where Reba applies for a job. Read it here.
Jan. 26:
Opry Close To Selling Out
Tickets are getting scarce for Dolly's Feb. 5 appearance hosting The Grand Ole Opry. On Tuesday, the few floor seats and multiple-seat balcony tickets that had been available for the 9:30 performance sold out, leaving just a handful of single-seat balcony tickets remaining. The 6:30 show, which airs live on cable network GAC, still has just a few single-seat balcony tickets available. Get them here.
Reba Coverage
Terry Morrow, entertainment columnist for the Knoxville News-Sentinel, has a new blog segment on the newspaper's Web site, and among his topics this week was a recounting of his conversation with Reba after she announced over the weekend that Dolly would guest on her show later this season. The brief interview didn't go very well, he said. Read more here.
Overseas Country Chart Update
Arly Karlsen and Pat Roden's cover of the Porter & Dolly classic "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" slips a dozen more spaces to No. 46 in the European CMA's continent-wide country singles chart this week, it was announced Tuesday. The cover of the 1974 No. 1 for Porter & Dolly (who wrote it together) spent about three months last year at No. 1 on the chart across the Atlantic.
Jan. 25:
Remembering The Laughs
It was a sad reason to be mentioned in the news, but Dolly showed up in several published memories of the late Johnny Carson in the press on Monday. Several stories mentioned her as one of his frequent guests. Some of the television montages of his most memorable moments, including the one shown on ABC's Good Morning America on Monday morning, highlighted his famous comment to Dolly that he'd give a year's salary to peek beneath her blouse (that one even made the Canadian Press' syndicated story to lead off a recap of his "indelible on-air moments" -- read it here). And The Tennessean recounted some of his country guests over the years, noting that Dolly "might've been Carson's favorite country artist." Brenda Lee was quoted in that story commenting that Dolly "always says she owes him a debt of thanks. That's one of the shows that can make a career. He just loved Dolly to death and thought she was the greatest." The article also noted that prior to Emmylou Harris' debut on his show (with Dolly and Linda Ronstadt promoting their first Trio album), she said: "Now my mother will know I've had a career because I was on Johnny Carson." Read the story here. A late-night television institution, Carson died on Sunday. He was 79.
Jan. 24:
Ala. Paper: Dolly In Branson Salute
It hasn't been officially announced yet, so it may not be true, but an Alabama representative of Vietnam Veterans of America let the cat out of the bag over the weekend that Dolly is supposedly on tap for a summer celebration to salute members of the armed forces who fought in that war. Late Friday night, The Clanton Advertiser published a story online from its Saturday print edition noting the organization's national president is to visit Alabama later this month to discuss nationwide efforts, including a summer "national welcome home" for veterans of the southeast Asian conflict. The paper reported that the local official said the event will feature Dolly, The Eagles and the Oak Ridge Boys. The celebration, "Welcome Home: America's Tribute To Vietnam Veterans," will take place in Branson, Mo., June 13-19, with a star-studded, 10-hour concert on June 18 on a 100-acre mountaintop at Saddelbrooke. If Dolly does participate, that means she may not be able to make an appearance at Dollywood to kick off the park's third annual Kids Fest celebration, which she has done in each of the past two years, as that festival begins June 17. The event's official Web site makes no mention of Dolly or The Eagles being involved, but artists who have been announced as participating include the Oak Ridge Boys, the Beach Boys, the Fifth Dimension, Creedance Clearwater Revisited, Ann Margret, the Doobie Brothers, the Temptations, the Supremes, Tony Orlando, Les Brown's Band of Renown and the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, with additional guests expected to join on later in the year. Dolly's Branson Dixie Stampede dinner theatre and Silver Dollar City, the Branson theme park owned by Dolly's Dollywood partners, are listed as "supporters" of the event on its official Web site, here. Read the Alabama paper's story here.
'Reba' Details Announced
Although it was announced last week by a company that distributes television taping audience tickets and was reported here first last Tuesday night, the official announcement came on Saturday that Dolly will appear as a guest star on the WB sitcom Reba. Reba herself made the announcement Saturday at the Winter 2005 Television Critics' Association Press Tour in Burbank, Calif., saying: "I have respected Dolly, both professionally and personally, for my entire career, so having her on our show and playing opposite her will be the thrill of a lifetime." The WB issued a press release shortly thereafter, which is available on Reba's official Web site here. In the release, it is explained that Dolly's character is being created specifically for her and will be "pitted against" Reba's title character, who loses her job and starts a new career in real estate. No air date was announced, saying instead just that the episode will air "later in the season." As was previously reported here, the show tapes Feb. 15 in Los Angeles. Tickets are no longer available for the taping. On Sunday, the wire services released stories based on Reba's remarks. See the UPI version here and AP version here.
Overseas Chart Updates
The White Stripes' cover of Dolly's "Jolene" falls out of the top 40 independent labels singles chart after eight weeks, it was announced Sunday, down from No. 30 the previous week and down from its debut at No. 1 on that chart. The male-vocal version of the song, from the duo's DVD Under Blackpool Lights, had also peaked at No. 16 on the U.K. pop singles chart. Also overseas, Rod Stewart's Stardust: The Great American Songbook: Volume III, featuring the Dolly duet "Baby It's Cold Outside," falls 23 spots to No. 54 in its 14th week on the British pop albums chart. In Australia, the CD drops eight places at No. 34 pop in its 13th week.
'Opry' Ticket Updates
The few floor seats for the 6:30 p.m. Feb. 5 Grand Ole Opry performance hosted by Dolly which became available on Friday sold out on Saturday, once again leaving that portion of the program with only a handful of single-seat tickets for the balcony available. A few floor seats for the 9:30 p.m. section remain, as do a few more balcony seats for that showing which became available on Saturday. Get tickets here.
In Memoriam
The world mourned on Sunday with the news that late night legend Johnny Carson died of emphysema at his home in Malibu, Calif. He was 79. Carson, who sat behind The Tonight Show desk from 1962 through 1992, often referred to Dolly as one of his all-time favorite guests, having her on his show more than 15 times over the years. She said at the time of his retirement in 1992 that she believed the exposure on his show greatly aided the success of her career when she crossed over outside of country music in the late 1970s.
Jan. 22:
A Few Opry Seats Open Up
A handful of seats toward the back of the main floor became available on Friday for both the 6:30 and 9:30 showings of Dolly's Feb. 5 hosting gig at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The floor had previously been sold out for both time periods. In the balcony, both shows only have a few single-seat tickets remaining. I would expect both to sell out in the next few days. Get tickets here.
More Library Coverage
The Commercial Appeal in Memphis offered an interesting observation on Friday that they thought it odd that a television company had joined with Dolly and Tennessee's governor to promote reading. The paper noted that cable giant Comcast had committed $150,000 over the next three years to help counties in the state start Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program, which is also supported by a $2 million matching grant fund established by the governor's office. The company also helped produce a public service announcement for the project and airs it on its cable systems, it was reported. And whoever wrote the piece must have showed great restraint not to mention the "boob tube" somewhere in the story. Read more here.
Show That Wanted Dolly Is No More
Well, Dolly won't be guesting on Olympia Dukakis' sitcom Center of the Universe. The Oscar-winning actress had expressed an interest last year in getting her Steel Magnolias co-star to appear on the show, but CBS on Friday announced it was immediately canceling the low-rated series, which also starred John Goodman and former Designing Women star Jean Smart, whose "guardian movie star" Dolly once played.
Jan. 21:
Grascals Duet Still Selling Well
The Elvis classic "Viva Las Vegas" done all bluegrassy by Dolly and The Grascals gets a seventh week on the country singles sales chart, moving up two spots to No. 7 on the Jan. 29 Billboard tally, it was announced Thursday. Rod Stewart's Stardust: The Great American Songbook: Volume III, including "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Dolly, loses one place to No. 49 pop and comprehensive in its 13th week. Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, featuring Dolly singing on "Creepin' In," falls nine notches to No. 61 pop and comprehensive in its 49th chart week and drops four to No. 15 on the Internet sales chart. Mindy Smith's One Moment More, with Dolly harmony on "Jolene," inches down one space to No. 40 in its 51st week on the independent labels albums chart. Kenny Rogers' 42 Ultimate Hits, with "Islands In The Stream," moves up three spots to No. 33 country in its 33rd chart week. Shimmy Down The Chimney, which includes Dolly's "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" from 1990, falls off the 75-position country albums chart, down from No. 60 in its eighth week. Shania Twain's Greatest Hits remains at No. 1 country and moves up four to No. 3 pop in its 10th week, and Toby Keith's Greatest Hits 2 remains at No. 2 country and gains six to No. 12 pop in its 10th week.
Dips Up North
The Dolly compilation CD Platinum And Gold Collection falls seven spaces to No. 33 in its fourth week on the Canadian country albums chart, it was announced Thursday. Stewart's Stardust: The Great American Songbook: Volume III remains steady at No. 27 in its 13th week on the Canadian pop albums chart, while Jones' Feels Like Home rises four digits to No. 58 in its 50th week on the same chart.
Kudos For Helping Out
Knoxville's Metro Pulse gives Dolly and her Imagination Library reading program a big hurrah in Thursday's issue, lauding Knox County's participation in the program. An editorial notes that Dolly, "who has contributed mightily over the years to the education of children in her home county, deserves the highest praise for coming up with the concept. She saw a need and figured out a simple and inexpensive way to address it." It adds that the program, which provides one free book per month from birth to age 5 for all children in the community, is "the single most worthwhile addition to early childhood education since the advent of kindergartens." High praise indeed, and much deserved. Read the full editorial here.
Sing Me Some Dolly
There's a new musical heavy on Dolly songs, according to the entertainment publication On Milwaukee, which reports that Lana Mae's Honky-Tonk Laundry features 26 songs, a quarter of which are Dolly's. Read a review of their local production of the show here.
Setting The Facts Straight, So To Speak
Your webmaster had a letter to the editor published in this week's Gay City News out of New York correcting the newspaper's error in reporting the number of awards which Dolly has won over the years. Read it here.
Jan. 20:
Reba Ties Dolly Feat
The redheaded diva is moving closer to eclipsing another record of her hero. Reba McEntire's official Web site, Reba.com, reports this week that when Billboard releases its country singles chart on Thursday, her song "He Gets That From Me" will enter the top 10, tying her with Dolly for the most top 10 country singles for a female artist with a total of 54. You may recall that last year when Reba's "Somebody" went to No. 1, she passed Dolly's record for the longest span between a female artist's first and most recent chart-toppers (21 years and seven months versus Dolly's 20 years and three months). That song also put her just two songs away from Dolly's record of 24 No. 1 hits for a female artist (the most in any genre). So if "He Gets That From Me" makes it to the top, she'll be just one shy of tying that Dolly record as well. Reba has long cited Dolly as the biggest influence on her career, and it was announced just this week that Dolly will tape a guest spot on Reba's WB sitcom Feb. 15 (scroll down for more details). However, there is one way of counting that would leave Dolly in the lead for most top 10 singles -- the official tally in Joel Whitburn's Top Country Singles, the official singles book published by Billboard, includes in an artist's total top 10s any single which doesn't chart on the airplay-based regular singles chart but does make it onto the singles sales chart, based exclusively on store sales. Dolly has had two such anomalies -- 1997's single of "Peace Train" and last year's remake of "Viva Las Vegas" with The Grascals, giving her an expanded total of 56.
Jan. 19:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOLLY!
Dolly Schedules 'Reba' Taping
She's publicly been courting Dolly to appear on her WB sitcom for some months now, and now she's got her! Audiences Unlimited/TV Tickets.com, which processes free tickets to television show tapings, announced this week that Dolly will be a special guest for the 6 p.m. Feb. 15 taping of Reba McEntire's series Reba in Los Angeles. No air date has been announced for the episode. Click here to learn how to get tickets to be in the audience at Fox Studios for the show. Thanks!
'Opry' Gig Nearly Sold Out
Those wanting to see Dolly host the Feb. 5 Grand Ole Opry better hurry to get tickets to see her perform as well as The Grascals, Sawyer Brown, Lee Ann Womack and Carolyn Dawn Johnson. Tickets on the floor for the 9:30 p.m. performance sold out on Tuesday, and floor seats had been gone for a couple of days for her 6:30 p.m. appearance. As of Tuesday evening, only a handful of single-seat tickets remained available for the balcony for the 6:30 show, and the balcony appeared to be about three-fourths sold for the 9:30 show. Get your seats from Ticketmaster here.
'Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby'
A glorious 59th birthday to our Miss Dolly on Wednesday! And don't forget the birthday chat planned for 8 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday at the CMT.com Dolly message board here!
Jan. 18:
Pucker Up!
The January issue of Power Source magazine is out, and there's a Dolly photo. This time, she's planting a kiss on the cheek of Dottie Rambo's manager, Larry Ferguson, backstage at one of her concerts on the "Hello I'm Dolly" Tour this fall.
Hazel Plugs Dolly Honor
CMT.com's Hazel Smith just loves to mention Dolly goodies in her weekly "Hot Dish" column, and this week she recounts the fact that Dolly will be honored with the Country Radio Broadcasters' Career Achievement Award in March. Read her column here.
Jan. 17:
'Jolene' Continues Overseas Slide
The White Stripes' cover of Dolly's "Jolene," formerly a No. 1 U.K. independent labels single from the duo's DVD Under Blackpool Lights, falls eight spots to No. 30 in its eighth week on that chart, it was announced Sunday. Also overseas, Rod Stewart's Stardust: The Great American Songbook: Volume III, featuring the Dolly duet "Baby It's Cold Outside," gains 19 places to No. 31 in its 13th week on the British pop albums chart. In Australia, the CD remains steady at No. 26 pop in its 12th week.
Dolly's Library Comes To Knoxville
Gov. Phil Bredesen (D-Tenn.) was in Knoxville on Friday to formally kick off Knox County's participation in Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program, making it one of the largest counties in the country in the nationwide program to send one free book per month to every child from birth to age 5 in participating communities. In Tennessee, the state set aside $2 million to match dollars raised locally to fund the program's creation in every county in the state. In Dolly's native state, 31 of the 95 counties are currently involved, and officials hope it will reach all of them by the end of this year. The program is active in nearly 400 communities across 39 states, sending out more than 1.2 million books annually. Read coverage from Saturday's Knoxville News-Sentinel here. An Associated Press brief that made several Tennessee news outlets over the weekend noted the event in Knox County but also added that Scott County kicked off its participation on Friday as well. Read it in The Tennessean here.
Opry Adds Performers
The Grand Ole Opry over the weekend announced a couple of additional guests for Dolly's appearance at its Feb. 5 show. Lee Ann Womack and Carolyn Dawn Johnson join previously-announced guests Sawyer Brown and The Grascals for the evening at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville which will find Dolly both hosting and performing on stage at the country music institution. Tickets for both the 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. segments remain available via Ticketmaster here, although floor seats for the 6:30 show sold out on Sunday and only a handful of floor seats remain available for the 9:30 show. Both have about half of the balcony seats left for sale. Thanks, Brian!
Editorial Bashes Dollywood
Raleigh-Durham's News Observer on Saturday published an editorial attacking plans for Dolly's brother Randy to build a group of music theatres in the area, horribly slamming Dollywood ("hillbilly fakery") and its surroundings in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. ("god-awful"). Read it here.
Jan. 15:
Magazine: Tour Grossed $5 Mill.
According to a blurb in the Jan. 15 issue of Billboard, the "Hello I'm Dolly" Tour ended with gross ticket sales of nearly $5 million. The brief also notes that due to its success, "it is likely" Dolly will return to the road with it sometime in 2005 (although no concert dates for this year have been scheduled as of yet). The issue also notes her Dec. 7 concert in Las Vegas was the 27th biggest grossing concert of that week, bringing in $287,000 by selling out all 3,979 seats at Caesar's Palace's Coliseum. To my knowledge, this was the only venue to report its gross sales for the service that calculates this chart for Billboard, but published reports have stated that her sold out Green Bay show from October was the tour's biggest grossing single date, so it must have exceeded $287,000. Thanks, Wes!
Jan. 14:
'Viva Las' Grascals
Dolly's bluegrass cover of "Viva Las Vegas" with The Grascals re-enters the country singles sales chart on the Jan. 22 Billboard numbers, it was announced Thursday. The three-song CD single rests at No. 9 for a sixth chart week. It had peaked with its debut at No. 3 country and No. 27 for pop singles sales. Rod Stewart's Stardust: The Great American Songbook: Volume III, which features his adult contemporary hit single "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Dolly, shoots up a dozen digits to No. 48 pop and comprehensive in its 12th week but falls off the 25-position Internet sales chart, down from No. 15 the previous week. Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, with Dolly on "Creepin' In," rebounds 38 places to No. 52 pop and comprehensive in its 48th chart week and inches up one to No. 11 on the Internet sales chart. Mindy Smith's One Moment More, with Dolly harmony on "Jolene," moves up nine spots to No. 39 in its 50th week on the independent labels albums chart. Kenny Rogers' 42 Ultimate Hits, which includes "Islands In The Stream," gains 13 places to No. 36 country in its 32nd chart week. Shimmy Down The Chimney, featuring Dolly's 1990 version of "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer," remains steady at No. 60 country in its eighth week. Shania Twain's Greatest Hits remains at No. 1 country and gains five to No. 7 pop in its ninth week, and Toby Keith's Greatest Hits 2 remains at No. 2 country and moves up two to No. 18 pop in its ninth week.
And Up North
Dolly's Platinum And Gold Collection: Dolly Parton inches up one spot to No. 26 in its third week on the Canadian country albums chart, it was announced Thursday. Stewart's Stardust: The Great American Songbook: Volume III gains nine notches to No. 27 in its 12th week on the Canadian pop albums chart, while Jones' Feels Like Home tumbles 25 places to No. 62 in its 49th week on that chart.
Across The Pond
Arly Karlsen and Pat Roden's former No. 1 cover of Porter & Dolly's "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" drops two more spots to No. 34 on the European CMA's continent-wide country singles chart, it was announced Thursday. The tally also finds Dolly's "Christmas Time's A Comin'" from Christmas Grass Too dropping from the top 20 for country airplay in Holland, down from No. 5 during holiday airplay in the previous chart.
Dollywood Concerts Possible For Fall
Dolly is expected for the second year in a row to hold her annual benefit concerts for the Dollywood Foundation during the first weekend of Dollywood's Harvest Celebration, making them Sept. 24 and 25, a park spokesman confirmed this week. However, those dates have yet to be finalized, so no further details are set as of this time. Look for more information as it becomes available.
'Uniter, Not Divider'
Music site Pop Matters this week posted a stunning review of Dolly's Dec. 3 concert in Dallas. Focusing partly on the very diverse audience, partly on her status as a living legend, partly on her outrageous personality and partly on her amazing voice, this one, like most reviews from the "Hello I'm Dolly" Tour, also singled out her a capella rendering of "Little Sparrow" as the show's highlight. The reviewer concluded: "Leaving a concert hall after seeing Dolly Parton is almost as fun as being in the show. Imagine singing '9 to 5' along with a herd of excitable people in wheelchairs, Stetson hats, and Goth make-up. For about 10 minutes after the show I wanted to hug my fellow fans -- the Bible thumpers, the cowboys, the giggling gay boys, and the hair-flipping sorority girls. I didn't, but still, that's unity." Read the full review here.
More Raves For 'Live'
Dolly's concert CD Live And Well earned a great review in this week's Gay City News out of New York City (even if her award totals are way off in the article), with the writer noting that the performance shows her to be an "entertainer par excellence, whose winning repartee with her audience . . . makes you feel good even when she sings about what's bad." Read the full review here.
'Crippled' Cover
Another Dolly cover has been released. Singer Leah Larson has done "Crippled Bird" (originally from Dolly's 1995 CD Something Special). Read a review of Larson's disc Long Journey from the Web site Cybergrass here, and visit her site here to order the CD.
Birthday Chat Moved
The 8 p.m. Eastern Dolly birthday chat next Wednesday has moved to the CMT.com message boards here because a couple of people had difficulty in navigating the Dollymania chatroom, organizers announced this week.
Jan. 12:
Original Stampede Gets $2 Million Addition
Dolly's Pigeon Forge Dixie Stampede will soon get a $2 million expansion, The Knoxville News-Sentinel reported Tuesday. The construction will add 200 seats to the Carriage Room, where pre-dinner entertainment is offered, bringing its capacity to more than 1,000, according to the article here. The gift shop area will also be expanded at the equestrian-themed dinner theatre, but construction is to be situated so as to not interfere with shows after the venue re-opens later this month after a three-week seasonal closing.
Sawyer Brown Joins Dolly Opry Night
Sawyer Brown announced on its official Web site here Monday night that the band will join the cast of The Grand Ole Opry on Feb. 5 alongside host Dolly and guests The Grascals. They even are considering asking Dolly to join them on the rambunctious number "Mission Temple Fireworks Stand," noting: "It takes a lotta personality to keep up with that song…. And if anyone's cut out for a full-on rave-on on this song, it's Dolly."
Another Library Expansion
Another Tennessee county is working to start up Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program, The Tullahoma News reported Tuesday. Franklin County officials have been working to bring the project there for several months and hope to start signing children up by early summer. Read the full story here. Dolly's literacy effort, now active in nearly 400 communities across 39 states, mails out more than 1.2 million free books annually -- one per month to every child from birth to age 5 in a participating community whose parents sign up for the program.
Jan. 11:
CRB To Honor Dolly
Dolly will be honored by the Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) with this year's Career Achievement Award, the professional DJ association announced on Monday. Established in 1998, the honor recognizes those who have had a major influence on the growth of country radio. Last year's recipient was Alabama, and 2003's was Reba. Dolly will be presented the award at a ceremony on Tuesday, March 1, during the Country Music DJ and Radio Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards in the ballroom at 601 Commerce Street (dinner at 6:15 p.m., ceremony at 7:15 p.m.). RCA artists Martina McBride and Catherine Britt will be on hand to sing Dolly's hits in tribute to her during the event. Tickets, $75 for general admission and $60 for registrants at the CRS seminar, are on sale at 615-327-4487. Click here for more information.
'There's A Brain Beneath The Wigs'
Dolly is slated to be included in the three-part series Three Chords And The Truth on country music for the U.K.'s BBC Radio 4, I'm told. The series began on Saturday (visit here to take a listen online) and was reviewed in Monday's The Guardian newspaper, noting that host Nick Barraclough said on the program that Dolly is "deemed to have the sharpest business mind in the business." Read the review here. Thanks, Steve!
New NPR CD Out
Dolly has two entries in the latest National Public Radio CD recently released. The fourth in the I Heard It On NPR series, the installment titled "Down To The Roots" includes both Dolly's duet on "Creepin' In" with Norah Jones from Jones' Feels Like Home and Shelby Lynne's cover of Dolly's "The Seeker" from Just Because I'm A Woman: Songs Of Dolly Parton. Get your copy of the disc here.
Hazel Mentions Dolly Project
CMT.com's Hazel Smith notes in her Monday column that Dolly has been commissioned to score a Broadway musical, apparently referring to her previously-reported work on the music for a stage version of 9 To 5. Read the column here.
'People' Choose Someone Else
Dolly lost her bid for a People's Choice Award Sunday night, with the Favorite Combined Forces trophy going to Lil' John and Usher for "Yeah!" Dolly and Norah Jones had been nominated in the category for "The Grass Is Blue" from the 2003 CMA Awards. The award was one of several presented off camera during Sunday's ceremonies.
Online Birthday Party Planned
Dolly fans for several days have been discussing in the CMT.com message boards a possible online birthday party for their favorite singer, and they have chosen to hold it on the Dollymania chatroom here, they have informed me. The event will be from 7 p.m. Central (8 p.m. Eastern) until whenever everyone leaves on Dolly's 59th birthday, Wednesday, Jan. 19. Thanks, Michelle!
Jan. 10:
U.K., Australian Chart Updates
The White Stripes' former U.K. independent labels singles chart No. 1 version of Dolly's "Jolene," from the duo's DVD Under Blackpool Lights, rises six places to No. 22 for its seventh week on that chart, it was announced Sunday. Also overseas, Rod Stewart's Stardust: The Great American Songbook: Volume III, with Dolly on the duet "Baby It's Cold Outside," drops five spots to No. 50 in its 12th week on the British pop albums chart. Down Under in Australia, it remains steady at No. 26 pop in its 11th week.
More Concert Shots
My pals Harrell and Patric sent in some wonderful additional shots of Dolly from her Vegas concert last month. Catch them, and 80 additional galleries, in the "Hello I'm Dolly" Tour photos section here. Thanks, guys!
New Dolly Interview Available
British newspaper The Observer on Sunday offered a great interview with Dolly from backstage at the Vegas concert. It doesn't offer much new information (and contains a couple of errors), but it's still a fairly extensive and entertaining read. You may access an online version posted on sister paper The Guardian's Web site on Saturday here.
Opry Publicity
Rounder Records over the weekend issued a press release touting The Grascals' February debut on The Grand Ole Opry with Dolly. The band's singer and vocalist Jamie Johnson said in the release: "This is literally a dream come true for all of us. We couldn't ask for more than to make our Opry debut, with Dolly Parton, at the Ryman." Read the full release here.
Dollywood On TV
Dollywood and Dollywood's Splash Country got a plug on Canadian television over the weekend. I understand a special profiling the park aired on CTV Travel. Titled simply Dollywood Amusement & Waterpark, the show was scheduled to air on Sunday night (if you're reading this update early enough, it airs at 8 p.m.). Read about the program here.
People's Choice Reminder
For those catching this update early enough on Sunday evening, don't forget Dolly is up for a People's Choice Award with Norah Jones for Favorite Combined Forces for their duet performance of "The Grass Is Blue" from the 2003 CMA Awards telecast. Other nominees are Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliot and Lil' Kim for "Carwash;" the Black Eyed Peas and Justin Timberlake for "Where Is The Love;" Lil' John and Usher for "Yeah!" and Britney Spears and Madonna with "Me Against The Music." Dolly is the only country artist nominated in a non-country category this year. Awards are to be handed out Sunday night in a ceremony to be broadcast on CBS (live starting at 9 p.m. Eastern).
Jan. 8:
Grand Ole Opry Appearance Update
Dolly is currently scheduled to perform both at the 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. (Central time) shows on the Feb. 5 Grand Ole Opry in the Ryman Auditorium, I'm told. As was previously reported here, she and The Grascals are to appear on the legendary program's earlier show that night, which will air on the Great American Country (GAC) cable network at 7 p.m. Central/8 p.m. Eastern. I'm also told that the Opry's photo policy allows audience members to shoot flash photography, but video or audio recording is prohibited. Tickets have been going fast since it was first announced that Dolly would be on the program, with only seats on the far sides of the balcony available for the later show and seats on the far sides of both the balcony and floor for the earlier performance. Get your tickets here! Thanks, Lawrence!
No 'Blue Smoke' For Feb.
Contrary to fan rumors, Dolly's upcoming CD Blue Smoke, which will reportedly feature a few new original tunes but mostly focus on covers of '60s and '70s folk and rock standards, will not be out in February, sources at Sugar Hill Records confirm. A release date has yet to be scheduled, and the completed project has yet to be submitted to the label for release, which could also make a spring 2005 release unlikely, I'm told. Thanks!
Jan. 7:
Bad Chart Week
Dolly-related releases didn't fare well on the Jan. 15 Billboard charts released Thursday. Her duet with Rod Stewart on "Baby It's Cold Outside" falls off the 40-position adult contemporary chart, down from No. 4 in its fifth week. The song had peaked at No. 2 for two weeks to become Dolly's biggest adult contemporary hit in 21 years. The album from which the song came, Stewart's Stardust: The Great American Songbook: Volume III, plummets 33 places to No. 60 pop and comprehensive in its 11th week and loses five spots to No. 15 for Internet sales. Dolly's concert CD Live And Well falls back off the 75-position country albums chart after 14 weeks, down from No. 75 the previous week. Her 1982 recording of "Hard Candy Christmas" falls off the country recurrents singles chart, down from one week at No. 18. Sony's Can't You Hear Me Callin' --Bluegrass: 80 Years of American Music boxed set, featuring Dolly harmonies on the rare tracks "A Vision Of Mother" by Ricky Skaggs and "Cora Is Gone" by Herb Pedersen, falls off the 15-position bluegrass albums chart, down from No. 15 in its third week. Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, featuring the Dolly duet "Creepin' In," falls 42 notches to No. 90 pop and comprehensive in its 47th chart week and inches down one to No. 12 on the Internet sales chart. Mindy Smith's One Moment More, featuring Dolly on her cover of "Jolene," may be ending its run on the independent labels albums chart, dropping 16 spots to No. 48 in its 49th week on the 50-position tally. Kenny Rogers' 42 Ultimate Hits, with "Islands In The Stream," gains 13 places to No. 49 country in its 31st chart week. Shimmy Down The Chimney, which includes Dolly's "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" from 1990, falls seven places to No. 60 country but jumps up 21 points to No. 25 on the holiday albums chart in its eighth week. Shania Twain's Greatest Hits remains at No. 1 country and falls seven to No. 12 pop in its eighth week, and Toby Keith's Greatest Hits 2 remains at No. 2 country and drops 13 spots to No. 20 pop in its eighth week.
Mixed Results In Canada
Kenny & Dolly's 1984 collection Once Upon A Christmas falls out of the top 50 country albums chart in the numbers released Thursday, down from No. 17 last week in its ninth chart week in its annual winter appearance on the tally up north. But the chart does see one other Dolly entry: In its second chart week, BMG's Platinum And Gold Collection: Dolly Parton enters the country top 50 at No. 27, up from No. 58 the previous week. Stewart's Stardust: The Great American Songbook: Volume III drops 28 spots to No. 36 in its 11th week on the Canadian pop albums chart, while Jones' Feels Like Home inches up three places to No. 37 in its 48th week on that chart.
Across The Atlantic
Holiday airplay in Holland brought Dolly's new version of "Christmas Time's A Comin'" from Christmas Grass Too on that nation's country singles airplay chart for the past two weeks, it was announced Thursday, with the song coming in at No. 5. Elsewhere across the pond, the European CMA country singles chart has Arly Karlsen and Pat Roden's cover of Porter & Dolly's "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" losing eight spots to No. 32. The song had spent about three months at No. 1 on the continent-wide chart.
Celebrating Dottie
saWorship, an online Christian magazine in San Antonio, featured a great profile of Dottie Rambo this week, including a good bit of discussion of her award-winning duet with Dolly on "Stand By The River." Read it here.
Grascals Release Party Set
The Grascals have announced that they'll host a CD release party on Feb. 8 at The Station Inn in Nashville. Admission is $7 without buying a CD or $10 if you buy a CD that night. The album, titled simply The Grascals, features their duet with Dolly on a bluegrass cover of "Viva Las Vegas."
'Love Rocks' Heads To Stores
Love Rocks, the benefit CD in support of gay marriage for which Dolly contributed her 2002 recording "Sugar Hill," will be released to music stores on Feb. 1, it was recently announced. For several weeks, the CD has been available here directly from the Human Rights Campaign, whose same-sex marriage initiative benefits from its sale proceeds. I'm told it has also shown up in a few gay and lesbian bookstores across the country, but the February release will mark its first time in mainstream and online CD outlets. Reserve your copy from Amazon.com here.
Jan. 6:
Lee Ann: Dolly Biggest Influence
In an interview published this week on the site Country Standard Time, Lee Ann Womack acknowledged that Dolly was her biggest musical influence. "I've heard Dolly do such a wide variety of things," she said. "It's almost hard to imagine not hear her (sing) anything." She continued to say that it never bothers her when her voice is compared to Dolly's and she has fond memories of watching Dolly in her early days on The Porter Wagoner Show, noting: "I thought she was funny. She was what you'd call attractive - the big hair and all the make up and everything. I would just watch her and be fascinated. Then, later on when I started singing myself, I started thinking 'my gosh, how does she do that?' She is really an incredible singer. I came to appreciate her as a singer and writer when I was older." Read the full interview here.
Randy's Theatre Back In The News
Another story made the wire services rounds on Wednesday about Dolly's brother Randy Parton's efforts to start a music theatre center in the Carolinas. The Washington Daily News posted a story which was quickly syndicated to other papers in the region further explaining the ultimate plan is to create an entertainment center similar to the theatres in Branson, Mo. Read the story here.
Jan. 5:
More Dolly In 'Country Weekly'
There are several Dolly-related items in the Jan. 17 issue of Country Weekly which hit newsstands this week. In addition to the photo with fan Fredy mentioned here earlier, the magazine features a full page on The Grascals, Dolly's opening act and backing band from her recent tour, as the issue's "Who's New" segment. In addition to talking about how the band came to be, they discuss working for Dolly and their current single with her on "Viva Las Vegas," and the article notes their debut CD's release on Feb. 8 (order it here) and their playing on Dolly's Blue Smoke CD, which is listed as to be released sometime in the spring. In addition, there's also a letter to the editor from Michael White saying Dolly shouldn't be criticized for CMA producers' decision to cut off Kenny Chesney's acceptance speech at the 2004 awards ceremony.
Va. Library News
Another installment of Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program is getting a helping hand. The Bristol Herald Courier reports that the Napoleon Hill Foundation in Wise, Va., has contributed $6,000 to the effort to bring the program to Wise and Norton Counties in Virginia. Dolly's program, started in her native Sevier County, Tenn., in 1996, now mails more than 1.2 million free books annually to children in 39 states. Read the full story here.
Jan. 4:
Dolly Duet On Europe's No. 1 CD Of 2004
Norah Jones' CD Feels Like Home, with its Dolly duet on "Creepin' In," ranked as the best-selling album in Europe last year with more than 3 million copies shipped, Billboard reported on Monday. The disc, which comes in at No. 1 on the year-end European Top 100 Albums Chart, was No. 5 pop on the U.S. year-end chart.
Hazel Talks Of Dolly In Recap
Dolly gets several mentions in Hazel Smith's year-end recap on CMT.com, including notes on her hosting the Flame Worthy Video Music Awards, recording her new CD to come out next year, Dollywood and the "Hello I'm Dolly" Tour. Read her full recap here.
Indiana Library News
Another branch of Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program is getting some help from its local community foundation. The Rush County, Ind., chapter of the program to provide free books to every child from birth to age 5 recently received a grant from the local Rush County Community Foundation, The Rushville Republican reported. Read the story here.
Jan. 3:
Paper: Live One Of The Best
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Friday named Dolly's concert CD Live And Well the third-best country release of the year, calling her cover of "Stairway To Heaven" on the disc "priceless." No. 1 was Big & Rich's Horse Of A Different Color and No. 2 Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose. Read the full list here.
Overseas Updates
The White Stripes' former U.K. indie No. 1 cover of "Jolene," from their DVD Under Blackpool Lights, drops 13 spots to No. 28 for British independent label singles in its sixth chart week, it was announced Sunday. Also across the pond, Rod Stewart's Stardust: The Great American Songbook: Volume III, featuring Dolly on "Baby It's Cold Outside," falls 14 notches to No. 45 in its 11th week on the U.K. pop albums chart. In Australia, it drops 11 to No. 26 pop in its 10th week. Finally, the bi-weekly European CMA country singles charts came out over the weekend, and Arly Karlsen and Pat Roden's multi-month No. 1 cover of Porter & Dolly's "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" loses two more spots to No. 24. However, Dolly's "Train, Train" comes in at No. 111 for continent-wide airplay.
Latest From The Tour
Reader Darryl was kind enough to send in some photos from Dolly's Reno concert last month. View them, plus 80 other galleries from the current tour, in the "Hello I'm Dolly" Tour galleries here. Thanks, Darryl!
