April 30:
'9 To 5' Arrives, Get Block Duet
The big night is here for the official opening of Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical on Broadway, and as part of the celebration, her duet with the musical's Stephanie J. Block on "I Will Always Love You" was released this week on iTunes. Download it here! The track will appear on Block's CD This Place I Know, which will be released on CD June 2 but will be available for full download on May 12, although the duet was made available Tuesday for immediate downloading. In related news, Playbill on Wednesday posted a photo gallery from the show here, and The Oklahoman posted an interview with Dolly here where she focuses mostly on the musical.

Watch Dolly On CBS

Another Movie?
The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday reported here that several film insiders have come together to create Corona Pictures and that one of its projects will be Last Chance Saloon, which it noted features Dolly. The article stated that Charles Dance has signed on to direct the film. Some further Internet sleuthing by Dollymania turned up that the picture is "in development" and will allegedly star Alison Steadman as one half of a British couple in Dudley, West Midlands. She and her husband enter a national country dance competition and win a trip to Dollywood, which would supposedly lead to a Dolly appearance or cameo as herself. We'll have to wait and see if the project pans out.

April 29:
Getting Ready For Dollywood
Dolly's Sha-Kon-O-Hey! Land Of Blue Smoke musical at Dollywood is going to do it the Broadway way and have some preview performances before its official opening, the new park schedule released Tuesday reveals. The entertainment calendar here shows three May 9 performances of the musical prior to its 7 p.m. "premiere" that evening: at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. I'm told that the 11 a.m. show will feature limited public seating, so you'll want to line up for that one early. That Saturday afternoon, there should also be a Dolly public appearance in the park, "weather permitting," which would indicate it is likely an outside event. And, of course, she will appear at the ticket-only 7 p.m. performance of the show, which is a fund-raiser for Friends of the Smokies (tickets still available here for $75 each). She is not expected to make any park appearances on Friday, May 8, although she will be at the University of Tennessee Knoxville commencement that morning to accept an honorary doctorate and present a graduation speech to the students. As was previously reported, that event will be open to graduates and their ticketed guests only. Although the general public is unable to attend, the ceremony will be streamed live on the web here. And, of course, her Pigeon Forge parade runs from traffic light No. 6 to traffic light No. 3 on the Parkway at 6 p.m. Friday, May 8. Check out a new press release about that here.

'9 To 5' Opening Approaches
Dolly was pushing her 9 to 5: The Musical Tuesday night on CBS' The Late Show With David Letterman prior to this week's big opening of the show. She performed "Backwoods Barbie" from the musical and her current CD and chatted about her first two New York trips (the "Hello Dolly" story in her senior year and she and Judy being mistaken for prostitutes a few years later). Preview performances end on Wednesday, and Thursday night is the big official "opening" with the red carpet walk for Dolly and her film co-stars. Her next media announced appearance to plug the show is Friday on The View, where Playbill reported here on Tuesday that she and cast members Allison Janney, Megan Hilty, Stephanie J. Block and Marc Kudisch are interviewed in addition to the actors offering a performance of "Shine Like The Sun,"

'Just Because I'm A Woman'
British paper The Independent featured a column posted Tuesday night triumphing Dolly as a feminist heroine, noting not only her "feminism is bawdy and funny" but she is "a major American philanthropist." Read more here.

Virginia Library Grows
Check out a news report from Virginia on the expansion of Dolly's Imagination Library into Augusta County from WHSV TV 3 here.

April 28:
'9 To 5' Earns 15 Drama Noms
Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical on Monday set a record for the most nominations in a single season ever received by one show in the 54-year history of the Drama Desk Awards, considered by many to be the most prestigious of the critic-selected theatre awards prior to the Tonys. The show's 15 nods bested the previous record of 14 nominations each that were received by The Secret Garden in 1991, Ragtime in 1998, The Producers in 2001, Hairspray in 2003 and The Drowsy Chaperone in 2006. Next-most-nominated this year were Shrek: The Musical with a dozen, Elton John's Bill Elliot: The Musical with 10, the revival of Hair with eight and Irving Berlin's White Christmas with six. Dolly personally snagged two nods: one each for Outstanding Music (against Neil Bartram for The Story Of My Life, Zina Goldrich for Dear Edwina, John for Billy Elliot, Stephen Sondheim for Road Show and Jeanine Tesori for Shrek) and Outstanding Lyrics (against Bartram, Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown for 13, Marcy Heisler for Dear Edwina and David Lindsay-Abaire for Shrek). It is also up for Outstanding Musical against Billy Elliot, Fela!, Liza's At The Palace, Shrek and The Story Of My Life. Its leading ladies – Allison Janney, Megan Hilty and Stephanie J. Block – took three of the six spots for Outstanding Actress In A Musical, and leading man Marc Kudisch is up for Oustanding Featured Actor In A Musical. Also garnering nods were Joe Mantello, directing; Andy Blankenbuehler, choreography; Patricia Resnick, book; Bruce Coughlin, orchestration; Scott Pask, set design (also nominated in this category for Hair); William Ivey Long, costuming; Jules Fisher and Kenneth Posner, lighting design; and John H. Shivers, sound design. Winners will be announced May 17. The complete list of nominees is available here. Coverage of the nominations is available from the Associated Press here, Variety here, Theatremania here and Playbill here. In other news, Kudisch and Block told New York Daily News here about their worst jobs ever, and Janney appeared on Live With Regis And Kelly Monday to talk about the show (Kelly recounted how Dolly smells so good she wants to take her home as an air freshener). A Dolly quote about the music in the show made Canadian radio station CJDC here, and The New Yorker spoke with Dolly from the theatre here. And don't forget to catch Dolly promoting the show Tuesday night on The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS.

Dolly In The News
Dolly gets a small interview in The Munster Times outside of Chicago here and a profile of her career in 411 Mania here.

News On DVD
MPI Home Video on Monday finally released more information on the three-DVD set Queens Of Country which, as was reported here a couple of months ago, will come out June 30. Instead of any new material, the set will compile three previously-released projects. Disc one will feature the episodes of Dolly with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, Kenny Rogers, Rod McKuen and Randy Parton that had previously been part of the label's two-disc set of select episodes from her 1976-77 series under the title Dolly Parton & Friends. Disc two will be their Loretta Lynn: Songs Of Inspiration, while disc three is Patsy Cline: Sweet Dreams Still.

Fan On 'Deal'
A love for Dolly got one Louisiana man on the syndicated version of Deal Or No Deal, The Shreveport Times reported here.

More On Park's New Ride
Dollywood has added a new section to its website to promote the SkyZip zip-line attraction expected to open later this month. Check it out here.

April 27:
CMT Q&A Released
CMT.com recently recorded a "Loaded Questions" segment, where cameras catch people at a public place and they ask a celebrity questions, with Dolly. Although it doesn't appear to have been added yet to the network's website, it was released to TV Guide.com, where it is viewable in two parts here and here.

'9 To 5' Readying For Open
Opening night is fast approaching for Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical with just four preview performances remaining – Monday, Tuesday and two Wednesday. New York Newsday on Saturday here previewed the several shows opening this week, noting the battle between Dolly's musical and Waiting For Godot, which are opening on the same night. The New York Times over the weekend profiled a conversation between original Violet Lily Tomlin and Broadway version Allison Janney here. Thanks to Jonathan for pointing out a meeting between drag legend Hedda Lettuce and show writer Patricia Resnick on Hedda's website here. Out of numerous shows opening this week, The New York Post chose on Sunday to encourage readers to go to Dolly's, noting here: "Directed by the great Joe Mantello, it stars Allison Janney and features a brand-new score written by the awesome Dolly Parton. It's the perfect post-work indulgence." And don't forget to catch Janney on Live With Regis And Kelly Monday talking about the show!

'Very Best' Back Down Under
The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1 shows back up on the Australian country albums chart this week, it was revealed Sunday. The album re-enters the top 20 list at No. 16.

New Library Events
A couple of Imagination Library chapters kicked off in recent days with pretty big send-offs. Check out coverage from Petal, Miss., in The Hattiesburg American here and in Augusta County, Va., from Charlottesville's 29 News here.

Dolly Sentiment At Race
Reader Jesse ran in the Country Music Marathon in Nashville Saturday, and he reported seeing several runners donning Dolly shirts with her famous quote: "If you want the rainbow you gotta put up with the rain." Thanks!

April 25:
'Barbie' Opens Big On GAC
Dolly's video for "Backwoods Barbie" shows up for the first time this week on the Great American Country (GAC) top 20 countdown, it was revealed Friday, landing an impressive No. 5 debut on the viewer-voted tally. Over on CMT, the video dips two to No. 19 in its fourth week, although it still hasn't re-appeared on the Pure 12 Pack on the network's digital cable channel, Pure Country. Vote for it on CMT here, CMT Pure Country here and GAC here.

'9 To 5' Changes Detailed

'Very Best' Back In Ireland
The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1 shows back up on the Irish albums chart this week, it was revealed Friday. The album, more than two years old already, re-enters the top 100 pop list at No. 94 to garner a 79th week on the tally overseas.

Run For The Library
Thanks to David for alerting me that the United Way of the Quad Cities Area in Iowa is hosting a 5K race May 16 in Davenport to raise funds for its chapter of Dolly's Imagination Library. Learn more here.

April 24:
'Barbie' Gains On Charts
The Backwoods Barbie rush at Cracker Barrel continues, as sales of the CD thanks to the store-exclusive "Collector's Edition" propel it up two spots to No. 15 country in its 38th week, 16 points to No. 55 pop in its 13th week there and 17 places to No. 56 comprehensive albums in its 12th week. The album holds steady at No. 4 in its 16th week on the independent label albums tally, Billboard's May 1 charts released Thursday show. Chart performance indicates it likely sold about 11,000 copies in its fourth week of re-issue. After just one week on the county catalog albums list, Dolly's 16 Biggest Hits falls off that chart, down from No. 24 on the 25-position list the previous week. Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted, featuring his Dolly duet "When I Get Where I'm Going," dips one to No. 8 country catalog and rises seven to No. 27 Canadian country. After nine nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1, Steve Martin's The Crow - New Songs for the 5-String Banjo, with its Dolly and Vince Gill duet, falls two to No. 3 bluegrass. Rascal Flatts' Unstoppable holds on at No. 1 country and drops two to No. 3 pop with 107,000 copies sold in its second week, while Jason Aldean's Wide Open holds steady at No. 2 country albums and falls five to No. 9 pop with 32,000 units moved in its second week.

Dolly Pops In At '9 To 5'
Dolly dropped in to greet the audience at her 9 to 5: The Musical Wednesday night, asking them to help her celebrate "National Secretary's Day." Read a note about it from The New York Post blogs here.

Lots Of Kids Coming To Dollywood
TLC's 18 and Counting Duggar family is going to Dollywood, Knoxville News Sentinel columnist Terry Morrow reported here Thursday. He said the family will be filming their reality show in Pigeon Forge in a couple of weeks as they visit the park and participate in the annual Dolly Parade through town.

Another Musical From Dolly?
A note on Broadway World Thursday here indicates that Dolly is contributing songs for an upcoming film version of the Off-Broadway musical Smoke On The Mountain. No further details were included, though.

Reading Coverage Continues
Another story came out in Reading, England, Thursday about next month's expansion of Dolly's Imagination Library to the city. Take a look at it from The Reading Chronicle here.

Myrtle Beach Hit By Fires
A couple of readers asked if I knew whether the wildfires in Myrtle Beach, S.C., are threatening Dolly's Dixie Stampede in the city. From reviewing media reports, it appears that a highway, golf course and the intercoastal waterway separate the restaurant from the fire. As winds are from the opposite direction, it would be very unlikely that the fire could spread toward the theatre. According to reports, firefighters as of Thursday night had most of the 20,000-acre blaze under control, although nearly 70 homes had been destroyed and more than 100 damaged. The restaurant's website does not indicate whether any upcoming shows are cancelled.

April 23:
Dolly Shines On 'Today'

Dolly, O'Connell Collaborate
Dolly is among the guest vocalists contributing to Maura O'Connell's upcoming Sugar Hill album Naked With Friends, coming out June 16, CMT.com reported here Wednesday. The title refers to the fact that all songs are performed a capella, without instrumental accompaniment. Others on the collection will be Alison Krauss, Paul Brady, Jerry Douglas and more. This won't be the first time the two singers have worked together. O'Connell has provided harmony on a handful of Dolly recordings, including appearances on her Slow Dancing With The Moon and Little Sparrow CDs, and the two joined Margo O'Donnell on her The Highway Of My Life album (which consisted mostly of Dolly-penned songs) for a cover of "Wrong Direction Home."

One Hot Guitar Picker
Guitar World magazine has named Dolly one of the world's "top 20 hottest guitar playing women." Check out what they had to say about her and the other 19 ladies here.

Dolly Dines, Writer Dishes
Another New York encounter, this time in a restaurant, made news for Dolly Wednesday, thanks to Diane Clehane with Media Bistro here.

April 22:
Dolly Chats With Agents, Gets Nom

Vote For Dolly As Diva
Thanks to Jonathan for passing along that VH1 is bringing back its Divas Live series and is asking viewers for suggestions of divas to profile, and a few folks have suggested Dolly. Make your recommendations here!

Minn. Library Expands
Work to expand Dolly's Imagination Library into Todd County, Minn., from its established chapter in Douglas County is noted in The Osakis Review here.

April 21:
More '9 To 5' TV Spots Coming
Thanks to Diane for alerting me to a couple of 9 to 5: The Musical-related appearances coming up. Star Allison Janney is slated to chat with Regis and Kelly on April 27, and the show's cast is scheduled to perform on The View May 1. Since Dolly has previously said she would be on The View, she may be appearing on the episode as well, although she has not been announced as a guest on the program yet. The program films its Friday episodes during the week for later airing, and they haven't said on what day during that week the "extra" taping will take place. The nominees for the Outer Critics Circle Awards from New York newspaper critics were revealed Monday, and while the show didn't score in the Outstanding New Broadway Musical or the Outstanding New Score category, it did garner nominations for Andy Blankenbuehler as Outstanding Choreographer, Megan Hilty for Outstanding Actress In A Musical and Kathy Fitzgerald for Outstanding Featured Actress In A Musical. Winners will be revealed May 11. The musical's website also has a couple of contests up for Administrative Professionals Day on Wednesday. Thanks, Jason! (And a related correction: In Sunday night's news update, it noted that Dolly was appearing on NBC's Today show Tuesday morning. The TV listings on the left-hand side of this page, however, showed her being on the show Wednesday morning. Wednesday morning is the correct day for when she is scheduled to appear. The error is regretted.)

Tribute Humor Song Out
Wanna laugh in tribute to Dolly? Check out the new single "I Wanna Be Up Front Like Dolly" from comedienne singer (and Sweet Potato Queen chanteuse) Kacey Jones, which humorously lifts her adoration of Dolly to musical heights. You may stream the song (and a couple of other tracks from her upcoming CD Donald Trump's Hair) from Airplay Direct here, although you have to be a registered radio station to download it. The song is available, however, as a download from Amazon.com for 99 cents here.

Dylan Knows His Dolly Lyrics
Although reviews of his upcoming CD Together Through Life have frequently mentioned in recent weeks that he apparently took the title of his track "Jolene" from Dolly's classic tune (with at least one critic noting he did the same thing on his last album by co-opting a Merle Haggard song title and writing a new song using it), someone finally thought to ask Bob Dylan if the character in his song is the same as Dolly's. The answer proved he knew her lyrics. "Any chance your Jolene is the same woman who got Dolly Parton so worked up?" asked the interviewer. "You mean that woman with the flaming locks of auburn hair?" Dylan responded. "Yeah! Who's smile is like a breath of Spring," the interviewer countered. "Oh yeah. I remember her," Dylan added. The writer asked: "Is it the same one?" "It's a different lady," he answered. Read the full interview here.

'Islands' Sails Away
Although it started out at No. 1, Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon's charity cover of Kenny & Dolly's "Islands In The Stream" with Robin Gibb and Tom Jones only lasted five week on the British pop singles tally. The song falls off the chart this week, down from No. 81 last week, it was revealed Monday.

More British Library Coverage
England's Reading Evening Post on Monday celebrated the expansion of Dolly's Imagination Library literacy project to the area in story here but mistakenly labeled it as the program's first U.K. chapter. (It actually launched in the country in late 2007.)

April 20:
Tune To 'Today' Wednesday
Dolly's promised appearance on NBC's Today will come Wednesday morning, the network announced over the weekend. She is making several media rounds this month to promote 9 to 5: The Musical, including this show. As was previously reported, she'll also be on The Late Show With David Letterman April 28 and is also expected to be scheduling a stop by The View on ABC.

'New York' Mag Talks To Dolly
She calls herself a "backwoods Barbie," but New York magazine characterizes her as a "backwoods Mary Poppins" in a very descriptive and poetic profile published here Sunday night.

More On Yusuf Project
Dolly gets a couple of mentions in a Billboard story on the May 5 Yusuf album Roadsinger due to her appearance on the song "Boots And Sand" (which it still looks like will be an iTunes bonus track – get it here) inspired by the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens' expulsion from the U.S. while en route to meet her. Read it here.

Back On YouTube
One of Dolly's most famous but seldom seen 1983 interviews in England when she was filming her HBO concert special has been posted to YouTube in two parts here and here. Thanks, Helena!

April 18:
Dolly's Video Returns To CMT Chart
After dropping off for a week, Dolly's music video for "Backwoods Barbie" re-enters the CMT Top 20 Countdown this week, it was revealed Friday. The clip once again hits its previous peak, No. 17, in its third week. It still hasn't shown back up yet on the Pure 12 Pack on CMT's digital channel, Pure Country, or competitor Great American Country (GAC), but you may vote for it in next week's charts on CMT here, Pure Country, here and GAC here.

YouTube Gets Dolly 'Losers'

More On UT Grad Service
The Knoxville News Sentinel on Friday offered a bit more detail on the crowd coming for Dolly's May 8 honorary degree ceremony at the University of Tennessee Knoxville commencement, noting that the building is expected to be at the capacity crowd of 12,000 that the stage set-up allows and that, thanks to the attention Dolly's appearance is bringing, each graduate is averaging 12-13 guests instead of previous years' nine-10 guests each. As a result, the past practice of allowing general admission from the public will not be possible, and even staff and faculty will be unable to obtain tickets. Read more here. Your webmaster should be present in the press pool to cover the event, so look for details here afterward.

More On '9 To 5' Tony Buzz
The Los Angeles Times' "The Envelope" awards watching column notes that a new contender may be coming along to challenge Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical and Elton John's Billy Elliot for the Tony Award for Best Musical this year: Next To Normal. The additional show has been getting rave reviews, it noted here.

Lots Of Library News
Dolly's Imagination Library is kicking off in a few days in Petal, Miss., thanks to the local Rotary Club, The Hattiesburg American reported here Friday. Also, efforts in Etowah County, Ala., were noted in The Gadsden Times here. Bismark, N.D., is getting the program courtesy the local United Way, KXMB reports here. And Dolly's musical adaptation of Llama Llama Red Pajama for Dollywood's KidsFest this summer earned coverage in Publisher's Weekly Friday with a piece here. The show premiered in Nashville recently and will begin performances at the theme park June 12 when KidsFest kicks off. Finally, Country Standard Time here covers next Tuesday and Thursday's showings of the documentary The Book Lady at the Nashville Film Festival, as was first revealed on Dollymania Tuesday night.

More On Block's CD
You also first read here Tuesday night about Stephanie J. Block's upcoming CD, This Place I Know, which was expected to include her duet of "I Will Always Love You" with Dolly. Several stories were released Friday confirming the song's inclusion on the June 2 release including CMT, TheatreMania, Talkin' Broadway, Playbill and Broadway World. The CD becomes available on iTunes May 12.

Dolly Chats Up Smokies
The Washington Post spoke with Dolly recently for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park 75th anniversary and her role as international ambassador. Read the story here.

'60 Minutes' Goes Down Under
Thanks to Tanya for alerting me that Dolly's recent 60 Minutes interview is expected to air on the Australian version of 60 Minutes Sunday night, so everyone Down Under be sure to watch!

April 17:
'Barbie' Still In Top 20
As was noted here Wednesday night as a possibility, the Reuters news wire report claiming Dolly's Backwoods Barbie had rebound back to the top 40 pop albums was incorrect. The Cracker Barrel-exclusive re-issue of her CD did, however, gain slightly on most charts for the April 25 Billboard numbers released on Thursday, indicating it likely sold another 10,000 or so copies in its third week of re-release. Due to three big-selling country debuts, it falls three spots on the country albums tally to No. 17 in its 37th week there. On the pop list, it rises two to No. 71 in its 12th week, while it sees a one-point gain to No. 73 comprehensive albums in its 11th week and a two-spot jump to No. 4 in its 15th week on the independent label albums charts. Two months after dropping off the country tally (where it logged a very impressive 69-week run), Dolly's 16 Biggest Hits appears again this week on the country catalog albums chart, coming in at No. 24 on the 25-position list of the biggest-selling country titles that are too old to appear on the regular chart. That chart also sees Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted, with the Dolly duet "When I Get Where I'm Going," rise four places to No. 7. Paisley's disc also gains five to No. 34 Canadian country. After dropping off the 15-position bluegrass albums list last week, likely due to a reporting glitch since it had held the No. 1 spot for eight weeks in a row, Steve Martin's The Crow - New Songs for the 5-String Banjo, which includes a Dolly and Vince Gill duet, comes back to that list at No. 1 for a ninth week in addition to re-entering the Internet sales chart at No. 24 for a sixth week there. Country's top two discs this week are both new: Rascal Flatts' Unstoppable debuts at No. 1 country and pop with 351,000 copies sold in its first week, while Jason Aldean's Wide Open drops at No. 2 country albums and No. 4 pop with 109,000 units moved in its debut week.

Tickets Required For Dolly Degree
Bad news for fans hoping to watch Dolly receive her honorary doctorate from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville on May 8. The University has announced that due to overwhelming demand for seats that her appearance has caused, the event will be limited to graduates and their invited guests only. The deadline for graduates to inform the college of the number of guests who will be coming with them has already passed. Even school faculty and staff will be turned away, according to a report here from The Knoxville News Sentinel. There will, however, be a live televised broadcast of the ceremony at the University Center Auditorium, on-campus TV stations and the school's cable channel in addition to a webcast that will be live as well as archived for later viewing. Even if you can't get into the 9 a.m. ceremony that morning, you'll still get a chance to see Dolly in person. Her annual Dolly Parton Parade in Pigeon Forge will begin at 6 p.m. that night, and she is expected to make public appearances on Saturday at Dollywood, a park official confirms to Dollymania, prior to her hosting the ticket-only 7 p.m. May 9 premiere of her new Sha-Kon-O-Hey! musical at the park to benefit the Friends of the Smokies (seats available for $75 each here).

'9 To 5' Press Picking Up Steam
With the official opening night approaching in just a week and a half, the promotions are heating up for Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical. The show's composer/lyricist has kept out of the spotlight since previews began, but she jumped back into it this week by greeting fans outside the theatre Tuesday night. Photos of the impromptu autograph session showed up Thursday on Broadway.com here and People here as well as a Wednesday posting on Broadway World here. In other coverage released Thursday, Dolly is quoted in a Wall Street Journal profile of script scribe Patricia Resnick here, Megan "Doralee" Hilty speaks with New York City society blog Guest Of A Guest here about the show and doing Dolly's character in front of her, and Andy Karl, who plays the new character of Violet's love interest in the musical, chats with Playbill here. Photo of Dolly with cast members Stephanie J. Block, Allison Janney and Megan Hilty is by Justin Stephens and is used with permission courtesy Center Theatre Group.

'Jolene' Makes EW List
Entertainment Weekly's music critics on Thursday released their list of the 50 saddest songs ever recorded. Dolly's "Jolene" ranks at the mid-way point, with writers commenting on the No. 25 pick here: "It's a simple request: You can have any man you want, Jolene; please don't take mine. That brittle tremble in Parton's voice is desperation defined."

Library Moves To Reading
The expansion of Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program into the Reading community in England made The Reading Evening Post here Thursday. The program launches in the city on May 22.

Ride 'Em, Cowgirl!
A writer in the Kingston, Ont., Canada this week offered a humorous telling of a recent trip down south to Dolly's Dixie Stampede dinner theatre, which resulted in the columnist taking to the arena floor with a stick horse. Read it here.

April 16:
Dolly Talks Up Home State
The Tennessee Department of Tourism has premiered a new online streaming video interview with Dolly in which she talks about her love for her home state, what makes it special and why people should visit. She also goes into some detail about what it's like to be famous, where she enjoys going herself when at home, her favorite songs and more. She also reveals she's writing a new book called "Wee Hour Wisdom" because of how fresh her mind is when she first gets up in the early morning hours. It's a quite engaging – and at nearly 22 minutes quite long – video available here. A transcript of her remarks (although it's not completely verbatim) is available here. Thanks, Tony!

How High Will It Go?
Could Dolly's Cracker Barrel re-issue of Backwoods Barbie make it back into the top 40 pop list this week? We'll have to wait until the full charts come out on Thursday to be sure, but one news report indicates that it has. A Reuters news service version of the weekly chart report from Billboard states that the album returns to No. 40 again this week, a position it held two weeks ago when it sold 12,000 copies in its first week of re-issue. Read the story here. The original version on Billboard's own website, though, doesn't include that sentence, so it could be in error.

Letterman Spot Scheduled
Dolly's first appearance in her upcoming round of New York media stops to plug 9 to 5: The Musical has been confirmed. She'll appear as a guest on the CBS program The Late Show With David Letterman on Tuesday, April 28. She's also expected to be on The View and Today leading up to the show's official opening night on April 30. In other news, "Mr. Hart" Marc Kudisch spoke about his role to Time Out New York in an interview released Wednesday here, and Variety gives more Tony talk for Dolly, noting that several women may be nominees this year and that there hasn't been a hit musical with music and lyrics by the same female composer since Carol Hall's The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas in 1979. Of course, Dolly went on to star in the film version of that musical three years later. Read the story here.

Next Library Chapter In Georgia Starts
In what may be the first fruit from the partnership of Rotary International's agreement last month to promote their clubs' involvement in Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program and its flagship project of all club districts in Georgia committing to take it statewide there, The Sun News in Macon reports here that the Warner Robins Rotary Club made a $5,000 donation that allowed the first books to be provided this week to children at the Cherished Children Learning Center in Houston County.

April 15:
Dolly Posts Blog, Video Diary

VIP 'Sha-Kon-O-Hey' Seats Sell Out
According to the Friends of the Smokies website Tuesday morning, all of the VIP box packages for the world premiere of Dolly's Sha-Kon-O-Hey! Land Of Blue Smoke musical at Dollywood (7 p.m. May 9) have sold out just days after first being offered. The packages featured six seats in the first six rows at the theatre plus admission to a VIP reception after the show and a photo of you and your friends with Dolly herself. This leaves only the regular tickets, at $75 each, available for the show, which will feature Dolly playing "musical host." You may purchase them here. If your heart is set on the VIP packages, though, you may call to have your name placed on a waiting list in case someone cancels an earlier order.

'The Book Lady' Heads To Music City
The Book Lady, the documentary about Dolly's Imagination Library program and its expansion into Canada, will get its second American screening next week, producers have announced. The film has been added to the 40th Nashville Film Festival and will screen at 6:15 p.m. next Tuesday and again at 8:45 p.m. April 23 at Regal Green Hills Cinemas. Producer Brad Horvath said: "We are excited to show the The Book Lady to a Nashville audience. More than half of all the preschool children in Tennessee participate in the program. Plus, there isn't a more appropriate city to show a documentary about country music's biggest star!" In a press release, Dolly noted: "The Book Lady captures the heart and soul of the Imagination Library and taught me once again that what we do for children will, in the end, be our legacy." Ticket information is available at nashvillefilmfestival.org.

Download 'Shine Like The Sun'
Thanks to Tony for alerting me that the website for 9 to 5: The Musical has added its second full-length download: the cast's performance of "Shine Like The Sun." Also new are streaming audio of the cast singing the title song and Megan Hilty doing "Backwoods Barbie." In related news, although the track listing isn't out yet to confirm it is the correct album, a release by the musical's star Stephanie J. Block has been announced for June 2 under the title This Place I Know. Dolly said she recently went into the studio and recorded a duet of "I Will Always Love You" for Block's next album, so presumably this will be the CD that will contain it. Reserve your copy here!

Thomas Doc Gets Noticed
The Knoxville News Sentinel on Tuesday profiled the students whose documentary about Dr. Robert F. Thomas that features an interview with Dolly won the Tennessee History Day competition and will be reviewed in Washington, D.C., as part of the National History Day contest. Read what they had to say about Dolly here.

Johns Still Holds Out Hope
American Idol contestant Michael Johns hopes to still record with Dolly. He told The New York Post here this week that Dolly's management told him she was booked for a while with her world tour last year and her Broadway show but he still intends to eventually work with her.

Another Cover Comes Out
Punk artist Austin Lucas has released an acoustic cover of Dolly's "To Daddy," which is positively reviewed by Punk News here and available for online streaming and purchase from record label Vinyl Collective here.

'Islands' Falls Again
The fund-raising cover of Kenny & Dolly's "Islands In The Stream" by Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon with Robin Gibb and Tom Jones tumbles another 30 spots this week on the British pop singles chart, with the former No. 1 dropping to No. 81 in its fifth week.

April 14:
'60 Minutes' To Release Dolly DVD
CBS News program 60 Minutes has announced plans to release a DVD of Dolly's interview that aired on the April 5 episode under the title 60 Minutes: Dolly. The disc will become available as an Amazon On-Demand release April 28, meaning copies will be manufactured by the retailer as they are ordered, a practice that the show began a while back with all of its major stories. The 12-minute DVD will sell for $17.95 each. In the interview, Dolly talked about her upbringing, career in music, her upcoming Broadway show and more. Several great archival clips were shown, including footage of her family appearing on her 1976-1977 variety show, which had the very rare result of Dolly being moved to tears in an interview. Reserve your copy of the disc here!

The Prez (Of Malta) Likes Dolly
George Abela, who assumed the presidency of the Republic of Malta a little over a week ago, is a Dolly fan. He told the press this week that he loves country music and when asked for the three people he would most like to have dinner with at the presidential palace, Dolly was his first choice (followed by first Maltese President Anthony Mamo and Mother Theresa). Read more from Malta Today here.

April 13:
Critic: '9 To 5' Best Shot At Best Musical
Los Angeles Times awards-watcher "The Envelope" on Saturday noted that Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical is an early favorite for this year's Tony Award for Best Musical, saying the only other front runner is her pal Elton John's Billy Elliot. However, the piece reported here, "early Tony Awards buzz is so fantastic that it's obvious the Billy Elliot boys should be shaking in their toe shoes." Nominees will be announced in early May in advance of the June 7 awards ceremony.

Miley Talks Of Dolly

Helping Minn. Library Chapter
Nancy Carlson, author of Kindergarten Here I Come, the final book in Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program, will speak at a charity event in Marshall, Minn., Thursday, The Marshall Independent reported over the weekend. Up for auction at the Power of the Purse event which helps fund the local chapter of Dolly's program is a copy of Carlson's book autographed by Dolly herself. Read more here.

'Sha-Kon-O-Hey!' Reminder
And if you missed Saturday afternoon's extra update of the Dollymania news page, it was announced that you will need tickets to attend the premiere of the Sha-Kon-O-Hey! Land Of Blue Smoke musical with Dolly at Dollywood at 7 p.m. May 9. The event will be a fund-raiser for the Friends of the Smokies. General tickets for the show are $75 each, but VIP packages are available for $1,200 for groups of six people each (equaling $200 per person) which include seats on the rows closest to the stage, an after-show reception and a photo of Dolly and your group. Get yours here!

April 11:
UPDATE: 'Sha-Kon-O-Hey!' Premiere Seats,
Dolly Photo Package On Sale
Friends Of The Smokies on Saturday began accepting ticket orders for the 7 p.m. May 9 premiere of the new Dollywood musical Sha-Kon-O-Hey! Land Of Blue Smoke. The biggest-ticket package includes a group photo with Dolly herself. For $1,200, you receive a "V.I.P. Box" set of tickets: six seats (three rows of two seats each) in the first six rows of DP's Celebrity Theatre, a group photo of you and your five guests with Dolly, admission to a post-performance VIP reception at Chasing Rainbows and souvenir lanyards with your passes for the reception. For those with smaller wallets, a $75 "Patron" ticket provides reserved seating in the theatre. All seats come with complimentary parking and admission to the park that day and a copy of Dolly's CD featuring her recordings of all of the songs in the show. Although Dolly isn't expected to perform the entire show, she is scheduled to provide a "musical greeting" performance during the premiere. The show is part of Dolly's role as international ambassador for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park 75th anniversary year. Get your tickets here!

'Barbie' Gone From CMT Chart
After just two weeks on the tally, Dolly's music video for "Backwoods Barbie" is gone from the CMT chart. The song dropped out of the Top 20 Countdown Friday, down from No. 20 the previous week. It peaked with its No. 17 debut two weeks ago. You may still vote for it on the chart here. It also remains on the ballot for the countdown on CMT's digital cable channel, Pure Country, here and Great American Country's Top 20 Countown here, although it has yet to debut on either of those lists.

Billboard Chats Up Cracker Promotion
Dolly's Cracker Barrel partnership is a great success, a profile from Billboard magazine released Friday through the Reuters news service exclaimed. It noted that 70 percent of her limited edition rocking chairs sold in the first two weeks they were available, and the restaurant's hardcover re-issue of her 2008 tour book sold more copies in its first week than any book in the retailer's history. "I thought we'd make a perfect pairing," Dolly said. "And evidently it's working." The piece also confirmed that Dollymania's estimates of the CD's sales at the chain were spot-on accurate: 12,000 copies the first week and 10,000 the second. Read the full story here.

Fonda Learned Much From Dolly
Jane Fonda says Dolly taught her how to be a graceful celebrity. She made the comment to New York Newsday in an interview posted here Friday. "Dolly Parton, really through her example, taught me the grace and value in acknowledging fans," she noted before discussing that she'll walk the red carpet at the April 30 official opening of Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical but can't stay for the performance because she has to appear in her own show that night.

The Lush Was There, Too
Forgot to mention in the earlier notes from the first night of previews for Dolly's musical another face in the crowd: Peggy Pope, who played Margret "The Old Lush" Foster in the original film 9 To 5, was there, too. One attendee seated in front of her said she told him she enjoyed the show. Thanks, Kevin!

Yusuf Talks About Song
I'm told that Yusuf (formerly Cat Stevens) chatted a little about Dolly in an appearance recently on The Chris Isaak Hour on Biography. He noted that he had written a song about being refused entry into the United States, which the host noted occurred on a trip to meet Dolly. Yusuf said he had recorded the song and it features Dolly and Paul McCartney, as has previously been reported, but also includes Allison Krauss. Thanks, Mike! And don't forget that the song in question, "Boots And Sand," is apparently an iTunes-only bonus track for Yusuf's upcoming album, Roadsinger, available for pre-order here.

April 10:
'Barbie' Stays In Top 15
Dolly's Backwoods Barbie continued to sell well enough last week thanks to its Cracker Barrel-exclusive re-issue to remain in the top 100 pop albums and top 15 country in the April 18 charts Billboard released Thursday. The collection falls five to No. 14 country in its 36th week on that chart, also slipping three to No. 6 for a 14th week on the independent label albums tally. On the pop side, it drops 33 places to No. 73 in its 11th week there, also tumbling 33 to No. 74 in its 10th week on the comprehensive albums charts. In the week following its re-issue, the album sold an estimated 12,000-15,000 copies to return to the charts for the first time in five months and mark its second-best week on the pop chart and third-best week on the country side. This week's slip indicates it likely sold about 10,000 units in its second week at the restaurant, which would probably put its U.S. sales since release at about 155,000 copies. The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1 falls back out of the top 50 Canadian country albums, down from No. 43 the previous week. After eight back-to-back weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. bluegrass albums tally, Steve Martin falls off the 15-position list with his The Crow - New Songs for the 5-String Banjo, which features a Dolly and Vince Gill duet. Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted, featuring Dolly on "When I Get Where I'm Going," slides six to No. 11 on the country catalog albums chart and eight spots to No. 39 Canadian country. Keith Urban's Defying Gravity debuts at No. 1 country and pop with 171,000 copies sold in its first week, while Taylor Swift's Fearless holds steady at No. 2 country albums and rises two to No. 10 pop with 42,000 units moved in its 20th week.

'Odd Jobs' Reviews Come In
Last week's re-issue of 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs (with the previously unreleased cover of "Everyday People") to coincide with Dolly's Broadway musical earned two mixed but mostly positive reviews on Thursday. The first comes from Play By Play in St. Louis here and the other from The Bay Area Reporter here.

And Live From New York . . .
A couple more readers sent in their notes from Tuesday's opening night of previews for Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical. They agreed with the previous recaps of the audience's enthusiasm and cast's quality performance, adding that also spotted in the crowd were Dolly's sister Cassie and niece Rebecca as well as actress Caroline Rhea. And when Doralee knocked over the pencils from Mr. Hart's desk, they flew literally to the other side of the stage. Thanks, Christina and Mary!

April 9:
Dr. Thomas Film Posted

Dolly Sat In The Back
There was no red carpet entrance for Dolly at the first preview show for her 9 to 5: The Musical, contrary to what her record label website had predicted a couple of days before. I'm told that although Dolly's sister Rachel Dennison and BFF Judy Ogle were seated in row H of the orchestra section, second-hand reports were that Dolly supposedly snuck in and observed the performance from the back row of the theater instead of joining them. The biggest cheers came for "Heart To Heart" by Roz and "Get Out And Stay Out" by Judy. The cast was said to look like they were very much enjoying themselves, and the audience offered a standing ovation before the lights even rose for the curtain call. Thanks, Joshua and Mike! The show's producers posted to YouTube here on Wednesday a clip of audience members expressing their joy at the production as well as interacting with the cast afterward. Costumer William Ivey Long gushed to Women's Wear Daily how down-to-earth Dolly is here, and City Guide Magazine provided a general story about the show here.

Yusuf Track May Be iTunes Only
Roadsinger, the upcoming CD by Yusuf (the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens and then Yusuf Islam), was made available for pre-ordering from iTunes Tuesday, and the album information indicates that the track "Boots and Sand," which it has previously been noted features contributions from Dolly and Paul McCartney, will be an iTunes-only exclusive. No other retailers show the song, which was expected to be released as a single when the album comes out May 5, on their track listings. Order it from iTunes here! Thanks, Tony!

More Car Coverage
Thanks to Jonathan for pointing out a clip on YouTube here consisting of photos of Dolly turning over her old Caddy to Gatlinburg's Hollywood Star Cars Museum. Included are shots of her in the vehicle, signing its armrest, and standing between it and the new Escalade hybrid that the museum traded her for the car.

More From YouTube
While we're on a bit of a YouTube kick tonight, here's a cool clip I stumbled across on there while looking at the others :) A fan posted it this week and it shows Dolly and her eye doctor, Ming Wang, jamming out to "Danny Boy" four years ago.

World Praise For 'Barbie'
The magazine BizCommunity in South Africa raved this week about Dolly's Backwoods Barbie in a review here, and thanks to Lulu from Down Under for alerting me that Country Music Channel (CMC) in Australia has added the video for the title track to its list of songs available for online requests here.

Library Talk Covered
The Stuttgart Kiwanis Club in Arkansas learned all about Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program, the local paper, The Stuttgart Daily Leader, reported here Wednesday, discussing the local chapter head's address to the club.

'Nipped, Tucked Or Sucked'
Thanks to Cindy with The Orange County Register's "In Your Face" blog on cosmetic medicine for acknowledging this site in her item discussing some of Dolly's nips and tucks here.

April 8:
'9 To 5' Hits Broadway

More From The Park
Patric's pics of Dolly's recent stop at Dollywood are now accessible in that section of the site here. Thanks!

Dolly On NYC Radio
Those in New York will want to tune in this weekend for WKCR 89.9 FM's annual Country Music Festival of programming. Dolly will be honored with a six-hour segment devoted to her music. It airs from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. Sunday on the station, according to The New York Daily News here.

April 7:
It's '9 To 5' Time!
Dolly will walk a red carpet for those heading out to the first night of Broadway previews Tuesday for her 9 to 5: The Musical, according to her official record label website, DollyPartonMusic.net. The show begins its three-week preliminary run during which songs and script may be altered before it's "official" opening on April 30, the final day of Tony Awards eligibility. A few tickets for Tuesday night's performance remain available at Ticketmaster. Also, Modern Tonic is running a contest for free tickets during previews and window cards signed by Dolly herself. Check it out here. Thanks, Joshua!

April 6:
Dolly Charms On '60 Minutes'

More Dollywood Images Posted
Thanks to Harrell and Patric for providing their shots from Dolly's recent appearance at Dollywood. Harrell's have been added to that section of the site here. Yes, there's still more to come! In related news, check out a story on the park's annual opening from Tennessee's Cleveland Daily Banner here.

Dolly In 'The Advocate'
LGBT magazine The Advocate gives a shout out to Cracker Barrel for its Dolly partnership, saying in the May issue hitting newsstands now that the restaurant working with someone so worshiped by the gay and lesbian community shows the chain has come a long way since an early 1990s employment policy that called for the firing of any suspected gay employees. In an open letter to the company, the publication notes that the 2002 adoption of a nondiscrimination policy was positive, and inking a deal with Dolly, "one of our most treasured icons," will certainly bring "gay dollars" back into the store. And the magazine's online edition this week singles out the start of preview shows for Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical on Tuesday in its "Hot Sheet" for the week here.

Dolly In Another Doc
Dolly recently sat for an interview in a student-produced documentary on Dr. Robert F. Thomas, the legendary mountain doctor/missionary who delivered her in 1946, according to a story in The Tennessean here on entries in a statewide History Day contest.

'Islands' Continues Fall
Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon's cover of Kenny & Dolly's "Islands In The Stream" with Robin Gibb and Tom Jones for the annual Comic Relief charity fund-raiser drops again this week, falling 28 places to No. 51 on the British pop singles tally for its fourth week, it was announced Sunday. The track debuted at No. 1.

April 4:
'Barbie' Falls On CMT
The music video for Dolly's "Backwoods Barbie" took a dip on CMT's charts this week, the network announced Friday. The shot fell three places to No. 20 in its second week on the CMT Top 20 Countdown and fell out of the top 12 videos on the Pure 12 Pack on CMT's digital cable channel, Pure Country, down from No. 9 in its first week. The video didn't debut on the Great American Country (GAC) top 20 this week. Vote for it on next week's CMT regular tally here, Pure Country countdown here and GAC here.

New Reader Shots Available
Thanks to Clarence for submitting his photos of Dolly at Dollywood. The images are now available in that section of the site here.

'60 Minutes' Reminder
Don't forget to tune in Sunday evening on CBS (7 p.m. Eastern) to catch Dolly's interview on 60 Minutes. The show got mentions in several media outlets on Friday, including GAC here and The Knoxville News Sentinel here. After the program, the network will air the Academy of Country Music Awards. Although Dolly is this year's Jim Reeves Award winner for bringing country music to international audiences, that award is usually not presented on air and there are no indications she will participate in the awards ceremony Sunday. (Along with the Pioneer Award and other "special honors," she is slated to be presented her award in a special ceremony in Nashville on Sept. 22.)

Irish Chart Update
The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1 is gone again overseas, the charts revealed Friday. The 2007 CD dropped off the top 100 pop albums tally in Ireland, down from No. 71 last week, its 78th on the Irish chart.

Toledo Paper Talks To Dolly
Dolly's Cracker Barrel special edition of Backwoods Barbie, her Broadway musical and more were covered in a brief telephone interview with The Toledo Press posted to the paper's website Friday here. In related news, the restaurant's Dolly contest ceased accepting entries at 11:59 p.m. Central time Friday, so the winner should be selected soon. (Her CMT.com contest continues through Thursday night. One entry per person daily is allowed here.)

Dolly Tribute In NY
Those in the New York area will want to head over to Joe's Pub on Lafayette Street on Thursday night to catch the "Loser's Lounge" as it pays tribute to the music of Dolly, New York Decider noted here Friday.

April 3:
'Barbie' Back On The Charts
As was reported Wednesday, Dolly's Cracker Barrel-exclusive re-issue of Backwoods Barbie makes a big show on the charts this week, the April 11 Billboard numbers showed. As was expected, the publication treated the album the same as its earlier versions, meaning it classified it as a "re-entry" to the chart rather than a new charting title. The title lands at No. 9 country in its 35th chart week, No. 40 pop in its 10th week, No. 41 comprehensive albums in its ninth week and No. 3 independent label albums in its 13th week there, putting it on the charts again for the first time in five months. Dolly's The Grass Is Blue, though, falls off the country catalog albums chart after the 1999 collection spent one week at No. 25 on the 25-position tally thanks to a temporary Amazon bargain MP3 downlad sale. The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1 gains seven to No. 43 on the Canadian country albums list. Steve Martin retains the No. 1 position on the U.S. bluegrass albums chart for an eighth week with The Crow - New Songs for the 5-String Banjo, a CD that includes a Dolly and Vince Gill duet. Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted, featuring Dolly on "When I Get Where I'm Going," rises one to No. 5 on the country catalog albums chart and inches down three to No. 31 Canadian country. Martina McBride's Shine debuts at No. 1 country and No. 10 pop with 41,000 copies sold in its first week, while Taylor Swift's Fearless lets go of the top spot, dipping one to No. 2 country albums and sliding six to No. 12 pop in its 19th week.

More From CBS

Next Reader Shots Available
Thanks to Diane for also sending in her shots from Dolly's appearances at Dollywood last week. They've been added to that section of the site here. In related news, The Bristol Herald Courier in Tennessee offered a great deal of Dolly coverage Thursday from the appearances, even using your webmaster's question he asked of Dolly at the park last week in one of its stories. Read pieces here, here and here.

Dolly I-Pods Coming
A staffer in Dolly's organization on Wednesday night "leaked" a photo of new pink Dolly iPods to several Dolly-related media outlets, including Dollymania, noting: "They are custom-made and will be packed with Dolly songs. I'm sure they'll be used as prizes for a few upcoming contests." Check out the image here.

'Night' Profiled In Paper
Knoxville's Metro Pulse on Thursday previewed Friday night's upcoming second Night Of 1,000 Dollies. Read the story here and check out images from the first event, held two years ago, in galleries available here.

Eagle Charity Hit
Perhaps it's an example of the depth of the Ponzi schemes that have come to light in the American markets in recent months, but The Knoxville News Sentinel reported Thursday that the American Eagle Foundation, which is housed at Dollywood, lost $500,000 as part of an investment scam. Read more here.

April 2:
'Barbie' Opens Big At The Cracker
The promotion for Dolly's Cracker Barrel-exclusive re-issue of her Backwoods Barbie CD appears to have given her the best sales week for the disc since its second week of release more than a year ago. Her official record label website, DollyPartonMusic.net, reported Wednesday that the SoundScan sales charts indicated that the new "Collector's Edition" of the album was country's ninth-best-selling CD of the week, No. 40 on the pop list and No. 3 for independent labels. That's the best since the chart released March 13 that had it at No. 9 country in its second week and its best position on the pop and indie charts since its debut at No. 17 and No. 2, respectively. The positions indicate the CD probably sold between 12,000 and 15,000 in its first few days of availability at the restaurant. We should see when Billboard releases its full charts on Thursday whether the magazine considers it the same album as before or an entirely new release. Meanwhile, Dolly's release of the album gets mention, along with a quote from her, in an Associated Press article released Wednesday about "legacy" artists inking exclusive deals with various retailers for their products. Read it here.

'60 Minutes' Previewed

Reader Shots Go Up
Special thanks to the readers who've been sending in their images from Dolly's appearances on Friday at Dollywood. A few galleries of them have been posted in that section of the site herehere. And, yes, there's still more to come!

Dolly In Print
The Knoxville News Sentinel on Wednesday had a couple of Dolly mentions. The first, here, was an article on the upcoming zip-line attraction at Dollywood based on the park's press release. The second, here, is an April Fool's joke from columnist Terry Morrow.

April 1:
Check Out The Video Report
The Dollymania video report of Dolly's weekend appearance at Dollywood has been added to that section of the site here. Next up: reader-submitted images! In related news, a park spokesperson has announced the price for the park's new SkyZip attraction that will open in May. The tickets for the ride will run $40 each, and the gold season pass discount will be honored (making it $32). See a part of the zip-line in a photo here. (The line in the upper right corner extends over Wilderness Pass and is approximately seven stories high.)

Singin' On CMT
CMT on Tuesday premiered Dolly's Unplugged at Studio 330 concert on its website here. She performs a 25-minute concert set featuring "9 To 5," "Jolene," "I Will Always Love You," "Backwoods Barbie" and "Only Dreamin'," each featuring a story behind the song, just as the original Unplugged series on sister channel MTV used to do. Rather than a one-piece program, though, the concert is broken into five segments, one for each song, usually interrupted by an advertisement. After the songs, the player moves on to 18 individual answers to interview questions, ranging from how she compares poverty and abundance to how she came to record "Tracks Of My Tears," for a total of 20 minutes of interview time (although one interview segment on the first concert she attended was mistakenly left off the upload, instead repeating the interview segment about touring Europe). And don't forget to vote for Dolly's video for "Backwoods Barbie" on CMT's top 20 countdown here and Pure Country countdown here.

Cookin' On GAC
Dolly's cooking skills made GAC on Tuesday, with its website here quoting an interview she did with its radio program. And don't forget to vote for Dolly's video for "Backwoods Barbie" on GAC's countdown here.

Another '9 To 5' Mention
New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams on Tuesday again plugged Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical with some comments here from producer Robert Greenblatt on how the show came about.

Stern Takes Pride In Song
I'm told shock jock Howard Stern mentioned Dolly on his radio program again on Tuesday. This time, he noted a newspaper article that stated Dolly had recorded a song about him for her upcoming dance CD in response to his controversial splicing of audio clips that made it sound like she made several racist and sexual statements she never actually said. He noted that representatives of the show contacted Dolly's manager, who confirmed the story about the song but wouldn't release any additional information. Stern said he is certain the song won't be "a love fest" but still he's always admired her and is honored to have her write a song about him. He then noted her writing "I Will Always Love You" and the hit Whitney Houston had with a cover of the tune before playing Dolly's 1974 original version on his show. Thanks, Al!

Latest On Library
Nashville's NewsChannel5 on Tuesday lauded the fourth anniversary of the Middle Tennessee chapter of Books from Birth, which has distributed more than 770,000 books to three counties in the Nashville area during that period as part of Dolly's Imagination Library program. Read more here. And its expansion into Muskoday First Nation in Canada made Saskatoon Homepage here.