July 31:
CMT: Dolly Tour, New Studio Album Coming
Further news comes this week on Dolly's impending tour. CMT.com reported Friday night that a new bluegrass band called The Grascals will open Dolly's concerts on her upcoming tour and perform as her band during the shows as well. In addition, she will soon be releasing a new studio album using the new band, and the Grascals' own debut album, which will come out on Rounder Records, will feature Dolly on a bluegrass treatment of the Elvis classic "Viva Las Vegas." As you may recall, Dollymania was the first earlier this week to officially confirm that rumors were correct that she was working on a tour for the fall. They had been aiming for a late October start date, but scheduling issues may push that to a little later in the year, a spokesman for Dolly said. Read the CMT story here. Thanks, Todd!

Dolly's Water Park To Add Tower
Dollywood's Splash Country this week announced next year it will add yet another attraction, the $2 million Bear Mountain Fire Tower. The multi-level attraction, set to open in 2005, will stand adjacent to the new $1.4 million Big Bear Plunge, which opened in July. It will feature a 1,000-gallon bucket at its highest level. Upon an alarm sounding, the bucket will tip, spilling its water through several smaller buckets throughout the lower levels and soaking those at the attraction. A new restaurant, Brushfire Grill, will also open next year in the new five-acre expansion, construction for which will begin in September. "Bear Mountain Fire Tower is unlike anything we've ever done at Dollywood's Splash Country," said General Manager Gene Scherrer. "Guests will be drawn to it visually because of the tower's bright colors and multi-level design. Upon closer inspection, they'll discover the fun, inviting atmosphere that appeals to every member of the family." Splash Country, open from the end of May through early September, is located adjacent to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

No U.K. 'Live & Well,' At Least Not Yet
To answer questions posed to this site recently by Dolly fans in the U.K., a spokesman for Sanctuary Music Group, which has been distributing Dolly's Sugar Hill recordings in Europe, tells Dollymania that the label is not currently scheduled to release her Live & Well live CD and DVD overseas at this time. The collection comes out in the U.S. on Sept. 14.

Classics May Be Heading To DVD
Could we soon see Dolly's classic 1960s-1970s appearances from The Porter Wagoner Show and her own short-lived 1970s Dolly show in our VCRs and DVD players? Possibly. In a story in the Aug. 2 Hollywood Reporter (posted online here Friday night), the manager of Willie Nelson's museum and store said the singer is hoping to soon begin releasing mail-order videos and DVDs from the Willie Nelson Act IV Library, which owns the rights to both ShowBiz-produced programs. Nelson purchased the library from producer Norman Lear in 1989, who himself had acquired the rights to all of the shows created by ShowBiz in Nashville when he bought a TV station there.

More Talk On Reba Record
Fred Bronson's weekly "Chart Beat Chat" in the online edition of Billboard on Friday touched on Reba McEntire's passing Dolly's record for the longest span between first and most recent No. 1 hits (her 21 years and seven months with the new No. 1 "Somebody," compared to Dolly's 20 years and three months), but he notes that Reba's still behind Dolly on the total No. 1 contest, with 22 against Dolly's record of 24 for a female artist. He adds both are far behind the overall artist with the most No. 1s. That honor goes to the late Conway Twitty, who had 40 of them in his career. Read the "chat" here.

Getting Nebraska Reading
Columbus, Neb., is joining up for Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program, The Columbus Telegram reported Friday. The effort there, sponsored by the local United Way, will kick-off during the town's Columbus Days in August. Local officials said the program, which provides one free book per month for every child from birth to age 5, "speaks volumes for the community's future." Read more here.

July 30:
Live Collection Review Posted
Dollymania's review of Dolly's upcoming live double-CD and DVD releases was posted Thursday evening, the first one published, to my knowledge. Find out what I thought of the collection here.

'Ultimate' Re-Enters U.S. Chart
The BMG compilation disc Ultimate Dolly Parton makes a return to the country chart in the Aug. 7 numbers released by Billboard on Thursday. The disc re-enters the 75-position albums chart at No. 74, logging a 44th chart week. Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, with Dolly dueting on the track "Creepin' In," loses six notches to No. 44 pop, six places to No. 45 comprehensive and one space to No. 4 for Internet sales in its 24th chart week. Mindy Smith's One Moment More, with Dolly providing harmony on "Jolene," shoots up six spots to No. 13 in its 26th week on the independent labels albums chart. Kenny Rogers' 42 Ultimate Hits, including the Dolly duet "Islands In The Stream," inches down one place to No. 31 country and falls out of the pop top 200, down from No. 185, in its eighth chart week. Jimmy Buffett's License To Chill remains at No. 1 country with 148,000 copies sold but inches down one spot to No. 2 pop in its second chart week. Gretchen Wilson's Here For The Party remains steady at No. 2 country and No. 5 pop in its 11th chart week; the "Redneck Woman" disc had spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the country tally.

And Up North
Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, featuring its Dolly guest appearance, gains three to No. 23 in its 25th week on the Canadian pop albums chart.

Kohrs Disc Coming Soon
Randy Kohrs, formerly of Dolly's Blueniques touring band, tells Dollymania that he has shipped his new CD, I'm Torn, to the presses, so it should be available soon from his Web site here. The third track on the collection, a Carl Jackson song titled "It Looked Good On Paper," is a duet with Dolly. Look for more details here on the official release date when it's known. His fan club is located on Yahoo here. Thanks, Randy!

Smith Talks Up Dolly Again
Mindy Smith raved about Dolly, and the support and encouragement she has given her since covering her "Jolene," in an interview with Bob Harris which aired Thursday on his BBC Radio 2 country show. You can catch an online version of the show here (Smith's interview begins about 35 or 40 minutes into the program and continues until its end.) Thanks, Steve!

Library Hits Washington Town
Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program has come to Lummi Island, Wash., thanks to its local Grange group, The Bellingham Herald reported this week. One mother quoted in the story noted, "That was one side of Dolly Parton that I didn't know about." Dolly's program, which began in her native Sevier County, Tenn., eight years ago and expanded nationwide a little over four years ago, provides one free book per month to every child from birth to age 5 whose parents register in a participating community. Active in nearly 300 communities across 36 states, it distributes nearly 1.5 million books per year. Read more here.

July 29:
Dolly Tune Tops European Chart Again
For the third chart in a row, Arly Karlsen and Pat Roden's cover of Porter & Dolly's "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" remains at No. 1 on the European CMA's bi-weekly country countdown, it was announced Wednesday. The tune had been a No. 1 country hit in the U.S. in 1974 for Porter & Dolly, who also wrote the song together. The European recording of it in the current chart falls out of the top 20 country airplay in France and Austria, both countries where it had been No. 1 in the previous tally; slips one to No. 3 in Holland, where it had been No. 1 two countdowns ago; drops 10 places to No. 11 in Belgium, down from No. 1; and falls out of the top 20 in Denmark, Spain and Germany, where it had been No. 7, No. 4 and No. 2, respectively on the most recent charts. It debuts at No. 4 in Poland and re-enters the top 20 at No. 7 in the U.K., where it had been No. 1 four weeks ago. In Malta, where old songs seem to be very popular, Dolly's 1971 "Coat Of Many Colors" falls out of the top 20 for country airplay, down from No. 10, but her 1974 album track "Blackie, Kentucky," which was never released as a single, debuts at No. 19.

Homeschoolers Head To Dollywood
Homeschoolers from across the nation will turn out at Dollywood next month for its annual Home School Day Aug. 27. Sanctioned by Homeschool Parent Magazine with its 2004 Homeschool Friendly Stamp of Approval, activities on tap include craft classes, storytelling and safety classes. Class sizes are limited, so they are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission is $21.75 for children and $33.45 for adults, with a picnic available for those who register prior to Aug. 13 ($9.31 for adults and free for children). Click here for more details.

Sony/BMG Marriage Approved
The mega-merger of entertainment conglomerates Sony Music and BMG received its final approval on Wednesday, with the Federal Trade Commission okaying the deal to merge the music divisions of each corporate giant, Billboard reported Wednesday. The European Commission approved the deal last week, allowing the merger to take place as early as the next few days. As has been reported here previously, the merger is important to Dolly fans because now one company will own almost all of her career recordings: Sony's Monument catalogue (where Dolly recorded from 1965 through 1967), BMG's RCA Records (her home from 1968 through 1985) and Sony's Columbia Records (where she was a hitmaker from 1987 through 1995). Aside from a handful of songs (guest appearances on other labels, the Trio recordings, her first songs on indie labels in 1957, 1962 and 1963) and her most recent work (at Universal Music Group-affiliated labels from 1996 through 1998 and Sugar Hill Records from 1999 to the present), her entire catalogue will be centered at one company, which should greatly ease the release of multi-label compilations and hopefully could spur more classic reissues of her long-out-of-print albums. One drawback, though, is that this one company will set the prices for all of those CDs as well.

July 28:
'Country Weekly' Top 20 Award Picks Revealed
Dolly is a preliminary nominee for top female vocalist in the third annual Country Weekly Fan Favorite Awards, the magazine announced in its current edition on newsstands this week. Each category has 20 semi-finalists, who were the top vote-getters in the first round of balloting. Paper ballots from the magazine are now available to be mailed in, and online voting will begin Aug. 3. The top five contestants in each category will be announced as the final nominees in September, after which time the final round of voting will begin. Dolly was a preliminary nominee in the same category's semi-final ballot in 2002 and 2003 but didn't make the top five either year. The current issue also includes a great shot of her on stage at CMT's 100 Greatest Love Songs concert taping, where her "I Will Always Love You" took the top spot earlier this year.

Another Library Success
Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program has certainly taken root in Spring Hill, Tenn., the local Williamson County Review Appeal reported Tuesday. In its first two months of operation, the project has seen 234 children sign up, way past the 130 or so organizers expected to have after the end of its first year. The program, which is sponsored there by a variety of local businesses and organizations who pay the actual book purchase price and shipping fees, provides one free book per month for every child birth to age 5 whose parents register in a participating community. Administration is handled at the Dollywood Foundation, which pays for all administrative costs. The program, active in nearly 300 communities across 36 states, will distribute nearly 1.5 million books this year nationwide. Read more about Sugar Hill's participation here.

July 27:
Dolly Planning Possible Tour
Rumors started flying over the weekend about Dolly's benefit concerts and a possible tour to begin in October, and officials this week confirmed the details, or at least what's in place right now. As for a tour, although she had stated in January she did not expect to schedule any concerts in 2004 and in June said she wasn't sure when she'd be on the road again, a spokesman for Dolly confirmed to Dollymania on Monday that Dolly is, in fact, in the planning stages for a possible tour later this year. However, nothing has been finalized yet. They had hoped to begin the tour in late October, but if it does come together, it would likely begin later than that now, it was explained. Look for more details here as they become available. Thanks!

Dollywood Concerts Announced
As for the Dollywood Foundation benefit shows, which likewise were not expected to occur this year, they have been scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 25 and 26, at the Celebrity Theatre at Dollywood. You may recall she said in response to a question from your webmaster at a June press conference that she was considering scheduling the concerts at the park during that weekend. A fourth show has been added this year, with 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. concerts each day instead of the usual three sold-out shows. Tickets are $75 (rows D-L), $50 (rows M-S center, M-O left and right) and $35 (rows P-S left and right, BB-EE) plus a $3 order fee, with $20 of each ticket being a tax-deductible contribution to the Foundation. Season pass holders will receive order forms in the next few days, which must be returned via mail only, postmarked by Aug. 16. Tickets will go on sale to the general public by phone on Aug. 26, if any tickets remain available at that time. For several years, the concerts were held during the park's season opening in April, but they moved to mid-December in 2000. This marks the first time they will be presented during the park's annual Harvest Celebration and Bluegrass Blast, which kick off Sept. 24 (no word yet on where any other acts originally scheduled to play that Saturday and Sunday in the Celebrity Theatre may move). Visit the concert page on Dollywood's Web site here for more information. Thanks!

Reba Bests Dolly Record
If she gets Dolly to guest star on her WB sitcom as she hopes to do later this year, I'm sure Dolly would offer her congratulations to Reba on apparently breaking one of her longstanding records. Reba's official Web site (here) reported Monday that her current single, "Somebody," will be announced Thursday as the new No. 1 country song in Billboard magazine, giving her the longest run of No. 1 hits for a female country artist. The new chart will be dated Aug. 7, which equals a span of 21 years and seven months since her first No. 1, "I Can't Even Get The Blues," on Jan. 8, 1983 (although her Web site mistakenly extends the period three months by using the debut date for her first single rather than the date it actually went to No. 1 and subtracts two weeks by using the date of the announcement for the most recent one instead of the chart date on which it will reach No. 1). The streak breaks Dolly's record, which had stood at 20 years and three months from "Joshua" in February 1971 through "Rockin' Years" in May 1991. Reba's most recent No. 1 before "Somebody" was "If You See Him/If You See Her" in 1998. Dolly, however, can still claim bragging rights to one other chart record. The song is Reba's 22nd No. 1, just two behind Dolly's record total of 24 and two ahead of the third place artist in that contest, Tammy Wynnette, with 20.

July 26:
Paper: Dolly And Norah To Sing At Ryman
Although she has her own live DVD coming out in a couple of months, that soon won't be the only place to watch Dolly on stage in your own home. The Tennessean reported Sunday in Brad Schmidt's celebrities column that Dolly will perform at an invitation-only concert with Norah Jones at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville Aug. 9 which Jones will later release as a live concert DVD. Also performing with Jones will be Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings. Although the song or songs Dolly and Norah will sing haven't been announced, Jones covered "The Grass Is Blue" on last year's tribute collection Just Because I'm A Woman: Songs Of Dolly Parton, the two sang it as a duet on the Country Music Association Awards, and they recorded a duet titled "Creepin' In" on Jones' February release Feels Like Home. Read the full story here.

Jones Falls Overseas
And speaking of Norah, her Feels Like Home with the Dolly track loses six places to No. 24 in its 23rd week on the U.K. pop albums chart, it was announced Sunday. It also falls six notches to No. 23 pop in Australia and loses four to No. 17 in Germany.

Dolly On CBS
As was predicted here last week, Dolly's interview with Dan Rather on CBS News Sunday Morning was a repeat originally broadcast in February, offering a pretty good overview of her career and some wonderful archival footage and photographs. The network has re-posted its online version of the story here.

July 24:
CMT 'Feuds,' 'Funniest' Recaps
CMT delved into the turmoil of Dolly and Porter's splitting of their duet partnership as part of its Most Shocking: Feuds episode Friday night in a segment promoted as "The Dolly Folly" and titled during the show as "I Will Always Leave You." Patty Loveless, who toured at the time with their show as a teen-ager, said she knew there was a lot of hurt there but they kept it behind closed doors, and she never saw them fight in front of others. Several music historians offered their two cents' worth, and an old interview clip from before they buried the hatchet showed Porter blasting Dolly as "the kind of person I wouldn't trust anything of mine with" and one who would turn on her family if it benefited her. It briefly touched on his lawsuit against her for breech of contract and their reuniting a decade later and friendship to this day, including footage of Dolly more lightheartedly ribbing Porter at a 1995 roast. Of course, it also noted her writing "I Will Always Love You" as her farewell to him. The episode also included spats between Billy Ray Cyrus and Travis Tritt, Jet Williams and the estate of Hank Williams, and the infamous Toby vs. Natalie fights, among others. It repeats throughout the month. Also premiering Friday night, CMT named Dolly's "Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That" as its 19th funniest video, with comedians offering their opinions on it and her. One said she was "America's first famous female impersonator" and another noted "before Beyonce and J.Lo., there was Dolly." Jeff Foxworthy's "Redneck Stomp" was No. 1. The show also repeats throughout the month.

Library Gets Good Grades In Ill.
Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program is getting great marks in Whitney County, Ill., according to Columbus City's The Post & Mail. The newspaper reported Friday that the program, which is sponsored there by the local United Way, recently surveyed its participating families, with the results showing more than half of the children enrolled read every day and about a third are read to by their parents daily. Nearly half of those involved are in the low to moderate income range. While local officials said it is too early in the project to judge the impact it will have on literacy rates, most parents said the program has greatly increased the amount of time they spend with their children reading and also gets many older siblings involved in the reading process with younger children. Dolly's program, which distributes more than 1 million books a year in nearly 300 communities nationwide, provides one free book per month from birth to age 5 to any child whose parents sign up in a participating community. Read the full story here.

July 23:
'Woman' Back Off The Chart
After two weeks of chart reappearance this month thanks to Oprah, the tribute album Just Because I'm A Woman: Songs Of Dolly Parton fall back off the 75-position country albums chart in the July 31 tally Billboard released Thursday, down from No. 70 in its 31st chart week last week. Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, including the Dolly duet "Creepin' In," gains two places to No. 38 pop, one spot to No. 39 comprehensive and 10 points to No. 3 for Internet sales in its 23rd chart week. Mindy Smith's One Moment More, featuring Dolly on "Jolene," inches down one notch to No. 19 in its 25th week on the independent labels albums chart. Kenny Rogers' 42 Ultimate Hits, featuring "Islands In The Stream," falls eight more spots to No. 30 country and is down 38 to No. 185 pop in its seventh chart week. Jimmy Buffett's License To Chill debuts at No. 1 country and No. 1 pop with 234,000 copies sold in its first week. Gretchen Wilson's Here For The Party moves down one to No. 2 after a nine-week stint in the No. 1 position on the country albums chart and slips two to No. 5 pop.

Also Gone Up North
The tribute collection Just Because I'm A Woman: Songs Of Dolly Parton also falls out of the top 50 on the Canadian country albums charts this week, it was announced Thursday, down from No. 46 the previous week, its 25th on the chart up north. Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, with its Dolly duet, drops six to No. 26 in its 24th week on the Canadian pop albums chart.

More Guest Spot Talk
Reba's quotes about working to get Dolly on her WB sitcom continued to get press this week, with Brad Schmidt's celebrities column in The Tennessean Thursday reprinting here the information reported over the weekend by the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Not to be outdone, the News-Sentinel's Terry Morrow, who first broke the story, in Thursday's paper reported that Dolly's Steel Magnolias co-star Olympia Dukakis would like for Dolly to shoot a guest spot on her new sitcom, Center of the Universe, coming this fall on CBS. The Oscar-winner said, "I have her records. I have always admired her and her work." The series is also slated to co-star John Goodman, Ed Asner and Jean Smart, with whom Dolly worked on an episode of Designing Women. Read the story here.

CMT Reminder
Don't forget that CMT on Friday night premieres two new shows with Dolly features. The first, CMT's Most Shocking: Feuds, airing at 8 p.m. Eastern, includes the post-duo Dolly vs. Porter fights, and the second, The Greatest: 20 Funniest Videos, will have a Dolly video in its countdown, which starts at 9 p.m. Eastern. An online video on CMT.com (accessible on the episode's main page here) showing clips from "some of country's funniest videos" has two brief excerpts from Dolly's 1989 hit "Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That?," which suggests that's her entry on the episode. Both shows repeat several times throughout coming weeks.

CBS Interview To Repeat
CBS has announced that a Dan Rather interview with Dolly will air on this Sunday's CBS News Sunday Morning (which airs at 9 a.m. in most markets). The program note didn't explain whether this is a new interview or a repeat, but my suspicion is it will be a repeat of the interview he conducted with her which was broadcast on the show in late February.

Trio Member Invited Back To Casino
For those following the flap over Dolly's Trio member Linda Ronstadt's ejection and "permanent" banishment from Las Vegas' Aladdin Casino over the weekend for dedicating a song to Michael Moore and his controversial film Fahrenheit 911, here's the latest. The Associated Press reported Thursday that the investors from Planet Hollywood which are in the process of purchasing the casino have extended an invitation for her to return. They also said they would take up Moore's offer to introduce Ronstadt at a later concert at the venue, perform "America The Beautiful" with her on stage and offer a free screening of the film at the casino. Although the report said neither Ronstadt nor Moore had responded to the offer, Moore posted a note on his Web site here Thursday afternoon calling the new owners "brave" and "courageous" and accepting the invitation. Plant Hollywood should take ownership of the property as early as September.

July 22:
Another Guest Appearance Coming Soon
I'm told that Randy Kohrs, former leader of Dolly's Blueniques band during her Halos & Horns tour, has completed his next CD, I'm Torn. It has been mixed and mastered, and a release date should be known soon. The set, coming out on Kohrs' own Left Of Center Records label, is slated to include a new duet with his former boss, Dolly! Look for more information here as soon as it becomes available. In related news, Kohrs' official fan club has moved entirely online and dropped its membership fee. You may join for free here. Thanks!

Reba Continues Dolly Guest Talk
Reba again this week touted plans to have Dolly on her hit WB sitcom. I'm told that during a telephone interview on Knoxville's WIVK morning show on Wednesday, the hosts asked her about the recent article in their local newspaper (noted on the news page here Sunday night) on her desire for Dolly to do a guest spot on the series. She said that she talked to Dolly's people, her people talked to Dolly, and finally she and Dolly played phone tag for a while before speaking one-on-one. She reiterated that she wants the "perfect" script before having Dolly appear because she wants the episode to be "top notch." Thanks, Brian!

Dolly Fashion Keeps Popping Up
First there was the shirt worn by a member of Rascal Flatts on the Flame Worthy Awards, then a model on the cover of a prominent gay magazine, and now a label mate is seen donning Dolly-wear! In a promotional photo for their new collaborative CD, Mutual Admiration Society, Nickel Creek's Sean Watkins is seen wearing a 1977 Dolly t-shirt. The image is available on CMT.com with a story about the album, which the bluegrass band (and Dolly pals) recorded with former Toad The Wet Sprocket lead singer Glen Phillips and released on Sugar Hill Records last week. Read the story and see the pic here!

July 21:
Dolly In The Mags
Dolly gets a little coverage in the country music magazines out now. The issue of Country Weekly which hit newsstands this week has a "Legend's Corner" on former duet partner Porter Wagoner complete with a photo of the cast of his television show, including Dolly. And CMT's Country Music Today magazine on newsstands now features a montage of six images of Dolly in various costumes from her hosting gig at the network's Flame Worthy Video Music Awards earlier this year.

Trio Member Gets 'Dixie Chicked'
Linda Ronstadt, who is one-third of the legendary Trio with Dolly and Emmylou Harris, was in the news this week for controversial reasons. The Associated Press and other media outlets on Tuesday picked up the tale of her expulsion from the Aladdin Casino in Las Vegas following a weekend concert where she closed by dedicating the show's encore, "Desperado," to filmmaker Michael Moore and his documentary Fahrenheit 911. According to the hotel, after her statement introducing the song, in which she called Moore a "patriot" and urged the audience to see the motion picture, a large portion of the crowd booed, stormed out and proceeded to deface posters of Ronstadt in the lobby and throw drinks in the air. Audience members, however, disagreed, saying in interviews that they saw no such vandalism and that equal numbers of the crowd briefly booed and cheered before settling down and enjoying the final song. Ronstadt was escorted out of the casino after the show, barred from her suite, and her belongings removed from the hotel by security and taken to her bus. Hotel officials say she is not welcome there in the future. She has apparently been closing all of her concerts with the dedication since the film came out but hasn't seen this type of reaction before, according to reports. Read stories on the incident in the BBC here and Las Vegas Review-Journal here.

July 20:
'Don't Stop' No. 1 In Europe Again
Arly Karlsen and Pat Roden's cover of "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" remains No. 1 on the European CMA's bi-weekly singles chart this week, it was announced Monday. The song, written by Dolly with Porter Wagoner, 30 years ago was their sole No. 1 duet. The new version remains No. 1 in France, slips one to No. 2 in Holland and falls six to No. 7 in Denmark. It gains two to reach No. 1 in Belgium, moves up seven to No. 4 in Spain and debuts in this week's chart at No. 2 in Germany and No. 1 in Austria. The song falls out of the top 20 in the U.K., Italy and Scandinavia after being No. 1 on each of those charts in the previous edition. Dolly's own "Coat Of Many Colors" from 1971 re-enters the country airplay chart in Malta, coming in at No. 10.

'Fight And Scratch'
Porter & Dolly's famous 1970s falling out makes CMT's new episode of Most Shocking, aiming at country music most legendary "feuds," the network announced on Monday. The show also includes rifts between Billy Ray Cyrus and Travis Tritt over the video "Achy Breaky Heart," Trisha Yearwood and LeAnn Rimes both recording "How Do I Live," the battle over Hank Williams Sr.'s estate and more. The show premieres at 8 p.m. Eastern Friday with repeats throughout the month. For more recent Dolly converts, Dolly was the "girl singer" on then-big-star Porter's weekly country music television variety program from 1967 until 1974, during which time they charted dozens of hit duets and Porter acted as her uncredited manager and producer, controlling almost every facet of her career. By the end of their partnership, she had become the bigger star and wanted to leave his show to branch out to a wider audience, but Porter wouldn't hear of it. She wrote "I Will Always Love You" as her way of telling him goodbye. They remained on speaking terms for a brief period before starting to attack each other in the press in the mid-1970s. After her pop success of the late 1970s, he sued her for $3 million alleging breech of contract, settling out of court for $1 million cash and the issuance of their unreleased final album. They patched things up by the late-1980s and reunited for several appearances together, including Dolly's ABC variety series, concerts at Dollywood and performances at The Grand Ole Opry. They remain friends today.

July 19:
Limited Edition Dolly Prints Released
Knoxville artist Chris McAdoo is now offering the public the chance to buy prints of his new Dolly artwork, commissioned by Sugar Hill Records and seen at left. The 14.5-by-20- inch limited edition prints, for sale through his Web site, Revolution Art and Design here, include 25 personally autographed by Dolly herself for $125 each. The 100 additional non-autographed prints are $50 each (plus $10 shipping). McAdoo has previously created prints of Johnny Cash, Randy Travis and Johnny Paycheck, among others. Read a profile from Sunday's Knoxville News-Sentinel here, or visit McAdoo's site here for more information. (Image courtesy Revolution Art and Design. Used with permission.)

Jones Slips On Overseas Charts
Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, featuring Dolly on the cut "Creepin' In," remains steady at No. 18 in its 22nd week on the U.K. pop albums chart, it was announced Sunday. It falls five places to No. 17 pop in Australia and loses two to No. 13 in Germany.

Dolly On 'Reba'? Maybe!
Dolly may do an episode of Reba McEntire's hit WB sitcom Reba this season, the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports. Reba has longed to have Dolly on the set since her series began, but finding a storyline and script that works has been difficult. "It can be nothing less than perfect for Dolly," Reba told the paper, adding: "If I would get to work for her for a week, it would be a dream come true . . . She is a sweetheart of a person. She's witty. She's funny, and she treats everyone so nice. That's the kind of people I like to hang out with." Read the full story here.

Dollywood Story Posted
Site reader Chris Dossenbach had an article profiling Dollywood published in his local paper, The Sanford Herald, last week and offered to share it with you as well. Read it, and see shots from the park's season opening and KidsFest kick-off, here. Thanks, Chris!

July 17:
Utah Concert Helps Literacy Program
If you're in Utah and want to have some fun and help out a good cause, stop by Hot Country Nights in Ogden. According to a story in the Salt Lake Tribune, proceeds at the star-studded event at the Ogden City Entertainment Center will benefit the local chapter of Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program. The Friday night show featured Rhett Akins, Chad Brock, David Kersh, Daryle Singletary, Ronnie Milsap, Chris Cagle and Clay Walker, and Saturday holds shows by Mark Wills, Phil Vassar, Creedence Clearwater Revisited and Sawyer Brown. Read the story here or click here for the concert Web site.

Smith Album Up For Award
An album containing Dolly is up for the Americana Music Association's Americana Honors & Awards, it was announced this week. Mindy Smith's One Moment More, which features Dolly singing harmony on Smith's cover of "Jolene," is nominated against work by Loretta Lynn, Rodney Crowell and Slaid Cleves for Album Of The Year. Smith also received a nod for Song Of The Year for her tune "Come To Jesus." Winners will be announced Sept. 24 in Nashville.

Live Project Prices Released
Sugar Hill Records has revealed the suggested retail prices for the upcoming Dolly live concert CD and DVD packages, Live & Well. Each release will carry a recommended price of $19.99, which is what the label will sell the collections for on its own Web site, although many stores discount new releases below the regular retail prices. I haven't seen any online retailers taking advance orders yet, so there isn't any information on what discounts may be offered to shoppers. The label has also released the DVD cover art, shown at left, which utilizes the same image as the CD cover, just a little taller photo to accommodate the case's larger dimensions. As was first reported on Dollymania, the double CD collection and DVD set will both be released on Sept. 14.

July 16:
Dolly Sings 'Thank God' Duet
        Thanks to an astute reader, I can inform you of another recent Dolly guest appearance now available on CD! Thanks, Mike! Released in February on Clear Rivers Records, newcomer Roy Rivers' album Thank God I'm A Country Boy features Dolly singing a duet on the title track. The CD is available exclusively through Rivers' Web site.
        The project was recorded as a tribute to John Denver and contains Rivers' covers of many of Denver's biggest hits. Dolly's participation came because a former band leader of hers worked on the album as engineer and noted that Dolly was planning to start singing "Thank God I'm A Country Girl" in her live shows, so the invitation went out for her to sing on the track.
        Rivers says she nailed it in one take but offered, "I think I can do better than that," and sounded even better on the second take, using slightly different inflections and performing some adlibbed lines toward the end.
        When asked what it was like working with Dolly, Rivers told Dollymania: "Oh my goodness! It was fantastic! She was the first major artist I got the opportunity to work with. She was a joy to work with. She has no ego and gave me some great advice."
        Her advice: Do what you love, take long breaks and enjoy the people -- whenever fans want to talk or take a picture or have you sign an autograph, do it and appreciate them.
        Rivers recently signed with AGR/Universal in Germany, which will distribute the CD to overseas markets beginning in January -- the project has yet to find a U.S. distributor. He will co-host WSM-FM's 10 a.m. morning show on Thursday, July 22, and he hopes a "special guest" may be able to drop by.
        Click here to order the CD or listen to a sample of the track. His site also contains a couple other shots of Rivers and Dolly in the studio. (Images courtesy Roy Rivers International. Used with permission.)

'Ultimate' Gone From Charts
After an impressive 43 weeks on the country albums chart, the compilation CD Ultimate Dolly Parton falls out of the 75-position tally in the July 24 Billboard countdowns released Thursday. The CD, which drops from No. 74 the previous week, had peaked at No. 20. Continuing to sell well off the recent The Oprah Winfrey Show repeat touting it, the tribute album Just Because I'm A Woman: Songs Of Dolly Parton marks its 31st week on the country albums chart, slipping 11 spaces to No. 70; the CD falls off the 50-position independent labels albums chart, down from its No. 46 re-entry the previous week. Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, with Dolly on "Creepin' In," gains two places to No. 40 pop and comprehensive in its 22nd chart week but falls four to No. 13 in Internet sales. Mindy Smith's One Moment More, with Dolly harmonies on "Jolene," inches up one notch to No. 18 in its 24th week on the independent labels albums chart. Kenny Rogers' 42 Ultimate Hits, with the Dolly duet "Islands In The Stream," falls three spots to No. 22 country and is down 11 to No. 147 pop in its sixth chart week. Gretchen Wilson's Here For The Party remains steady at No. 1 on the country albums chart for a ninth week and gains five to No. 3 pop. Big & Rich's Horse Of A Different Color remains steady at No. 2 country and moves up seven to No. 6 pop in its 10th chart week.

Canadian Update
The tribute collection Just Because I'm A Woman: Songs Of Dolly Parton also remains on the Canadian country albums charts this week, it was announced Thursday, falling five places to No. 46 and logging its 25th week. Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, with its Dolly duet, remains steady at No. 20 in its 23rd week on the Canadian pop albums chart.

Dolly The Writer
Dolly has contributed an essay for a book described as Martha Stewart with attitude. Her piece, titled "Contraband Candy," appears in the Ame Mahler Beanland and Emily Miles Terry book Nesting: It's A Chick Thing, released in May on Workman Books. Others contributing to the publication include Anna Quindlen and Sweet Potato Queen Jill Conner Browne. Get your copy here and read a profile of the book in The Dallas Morning News here.

'I Wanna Be Dolly!'
Bluegrass queen Rhonda Vincent gives Dolly a big thumbs up in an interview which appeared this week in several papers, including The Seattle Times. Vincent, who often plays mandolin and sings harmony for Dolly on albums and at special appearances, said Ralph Stanley and Dolly are her "heroes," adding "I want to be Dolly and Ralph when I grow up." Read the interview in the Seattle paper here. Thanks, Bridget!

July 15:
Library Coverage
Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program gets some coverage in local papers this week. The Gleaner in Henderson, Ky., on Thursday will feature a profile of the program there, which has more than 500 children currently enrolled. Read it here. And The Plainsman in Huron, S.D., this week plugs the Heartland United Way's annual fund drive kick-off, a portion of the proceeds from which support the program in that community. Read it here.

Gospel Inductees At Dollywood
The Southern Gospel Music Association has announced this year's inductees into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame, which is housed at Dollywood. Jim Hamill, Kenny Hinson, Arnold Hyles, Lillian Klaudt, Harvey Lester, Ed O'Neal, London Parris, Derrell Stewart, B.C. Unseld, Charles Vaughan and James D. Walbert will be inducted in a ceremony held in Dolly's Celebrity Theatre at the Tennessee theme park at 7 p.m. Oct. 14. Tickets are $50 each.

July 13:
Smith Falls Off Americana Tally
After several months on the chart, Mindy Smith's One Moment More, featuring Dolly on her cover of "Jolene," falls out of the Americana Music Association's weekly radio airplay chart released Monday. The CD, which had peaked at No. 4 for several weeks in March and April, was No. 40 on the 40-position countdown last week.

Norton Talks Up Dolly
I missed its airing but I'm told cheeky import talk show host Graham Norton spoke a lot about his personal idol, Dolly, when he appeared on Last Call With Caron Daly on NBC Friday night. He talked at length about filming his 2001 Christmas special at Dollywood with Dolly herself and how she pigged out with him on waffles with whipped cream for lunch. He also joked that Pigeon Forge, Tenn., where the park is located, isn't in the middle of nowhere, but it's on the edge of nowhere, and said that Dollywood is the happiest place on earth in his opinion and he'd follow Dolly anywhere. Thanks, Tegan!

July 12:
Jones Gains More Overseas
Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, featuring Dolly on the cut "Creepin' In," gains two spots to No. 18 in its 22nd week on the U.K. pop albums chart, it was announced Sunday. It gains four places to No. 12 pop in Australia and remains steady at No. 11 in Germany.

July 10:
DVD Coverage
CMT.com Thursday night posted a note about Dolly's upcoming live DVD and CD, Live & Well, to be released Sept. 14. Read it here.

Canadian Correction
Thursday evening's news report accidentally contained the wrong information for the Canadian chart update. I apologize for the error. The correct report should have read: The tribute collection Just Because I'm A Woman: Songs Of Dolly Parton also re-enters the Canadian country albums charts this week, it was announced Thursday. The set comes in at No. 41, logging its 24th week. It had previously peaked at No. 7. Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, featuring a Dolly duet, loses four spots to No. 20 in its 22nd week on the Canadian pop albums chart.

July 9:
Live CD, DVD Drops In Sept.
Countless fans longing to see and hear Dolly's live concert taped at the Dollywood Celebrity Theatre in December 2002 only have two more months to wait, Dollymania is pleased to be the first media outlet to report. Live & Well will be released on Sept. 14 both as CD and DVD sets, Sugar Hill Records announced on Thursday. The 23-track, two-disc CD set or DVD set (you'll have to pay separately for each) will include all of the songs she performed at the show. Many fans will remember Dolly had recorded the concerts, which were fundraisers for her Dollywood Foundation, and had said in a newspaper interview last year they would air as a concert special on CMT, but that deal apparently fell through. This will mark Dolly's third concert album (her first in a decade), but it will be her first-ever live DVD release (in the U.S., at least; her 1985 Real Love concert with Kenny Rogers has been released on DVD in Asia only). Look for more details here!

Tribute Bounces Back
With increased sales due to the repeat of the Dolly tribute episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the tribute album Just Because I'm A Woman: Songs Of Dolly Parton re-enters the Billboard charts in the July 17 numbers released Thursday. The CD comes in at No. 59 country for a 30th week on the chart and No. 46 on the independent labels albums chart for a 22nd week. The disc had peaked at No. 6 country and No. 2 indie. Ultimate Dolly Parton remains steady at No. 74 in its 43rd week on the country albums chart. Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, featuring a Dolly duet of "Creepin' In," plummets 13 spots to No. 42 pop and comprehensive in its 21st chart week and falls four to No. 9 in Internet sales. Mindy Smith's One Moment More, with Dolly performing on "Jolene," remains steady at No. 19 in its 23rd week on the independent labels albums chart. Kenny Rogers' 42 Ultimate Hits, which features the Dolly duet "Islands In The Stream," goes down seven spots to No. 22 country and 25 points to No. 136 pop in its fourth chart week. Gretchen Wilson's Here For The Party remains steady at No. 1 on the country albums chart for an eighth week and slips two to No. 8 pop. Big & Rich's Horse Of A Different Color remains steady at No. 2 country and moves up one to No. 13 pop in its ninth chart week.

And Up North
Jones' Feels Like Home loses one spot to No. 16 in its 21st week on the Canadian pop albums chart, it was announced Thursday. **See correction in July 10 update.***

Bluegrass Line-Up Released
Dollywood on Thursday announced the talent line-up for its Bluegrass Blast festival Sept. 24-26 at the park. While no Dolly shows have been scheduled yet (she announced last month she was considering performing at the park during the festival), the line-up includes Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sept. 24, the Del McCoury Band Sept. 25 and 26 and Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys with Jim Lauderdale Sept. 26. All major shows are in the Celebrity Theatre, which might lessen the chance Dolly will perform there on those dates. Other performers for the weekend throughout the park include Ronnie Bowman and The Committee (Sept. 24-25, Celebrity Theatre), Kenny and Amanda Smith (Sept. 24, Back Porch Theatre), Adrienne Young and Little Sadie (Sept. 25, Back Porch Theatre), The Special Consensus (Sept. 26, Back Porch Theatre) and Naomi and The Wood Brothers (Sept. 24-26, Back Porch Theatre). In a press release, Dolly said: "I love listening to good bluegrass music just about as much as I love singing it. That makes me especially proud to present bluegrass music's finest at Dollywood during my Bluegrass Blast." All shows are free and feature general admission seating.

July 8:
Memphis Paper Promotes Library Adoption
The Commercial Appeal in Memphis on Wednesday published a wonderful editorial lauding Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program and encouraging leaders in West Tennessee to take on the responsibility of raising the local match for state funds to implement the project there. The newspaper opined: "It would also be wonderful to get parents and family members focused on their children's early academic development. That could pay extra dividends once those children start school. Parents who participate in the program are probably more likely to closely monitor their children's grades, meet with teachers and do whatever is needed to create a home environment where learning is encouraged." Read the full piece here.

Photo Exhibit Lands In Philly
Henry Horenstein's exhibit of country music photographs opens Thursday for a two-week engagement at Philadelphia's Print Center on Latimer Street. The images, taken from last year's book Honky Tonk: Portraits of Country Music 1972-1981, have previously been shown in cities including New York and Houston. A portrait of a young Dolly, taken in 1972 at Boston's Symphony Hall, and one of her duet partner, Porter Wagoner, shot the same night, are the oldest images in the collection. Horenstein recalls the night he took her picture in a story published in this week's Philadephia Weekly here. (And click here to see Dolly's photo online from his Web site.)

July 7:
Dolly Song Rules Europe
Although she doesn't sing on the track, Dolly has Europe's No. 1 country song, according to the new European CMA's charts released Tuesday. In its fourth chart week, Arly Karlsen and Pat Roden's cover of "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" this week moves up two places to take the No. 1 spot for both the continent-wide country singles chart and airplay chart. The tune is also the No. 1 track on country airplay charts in the U.K., France, Holland, Denmark, Italy and Scandinavia and comes in at No. 3 in Belgium and No. 11 in Spain. Dolly and Porter Wagoner wrote the song, which debuted on the U.S. country singles chart 30 years ago next month and soon became their sole No. 1 duet. There was not a Polish airplay chart in this issue, but Dolly and Dottie Rambo's duet "Stand By The River" was No. 18 in the most recent edition of that nation's tally.

Nearing End Of Americana Run
Mindy Smith's One Moment More, with Dolly vocals on her version of "Jolene," drops four more spaces to No. 40 on the 40-position Americana Music Association's weekly radio airplay chart released Tuesday with 155 spins at reporting stations nationwide, down from 179 the previous week.

Library Participant Honored
The Marion County Literacy Council recently received the Arkansas Literacy Councils Conference Excellence In Education Award, partly due to its participation in Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program, the Baxter Bulletin reported Tuesday. Read the full story, which focuses on the rural north central Arkansas organization's current financial struggles, here.

July 6:
A Blast Of Dolly In Houston
I'm told Dolly's "Color Me America" from For God And Country was used as the finale music for the one of the nation's largest fireworks displays this year. The song was used to conclude the Houston, Texas "Wish Upon A Lone Star: A Blast of Fireworks from Walt Disney World," ending its Freedom Over Texas 2004 event Sunday night, which also featured a 20th anniversary concert by The Judds. The concert and fireworks show, which choreographed the pyrotechnics to music saluting Texas and America as well as Disney film favorites, were broadcast live in most major Texas television markets including Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. Thanks, Amy!

Memphis Discusses Library
The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., featured a great story Monday profiling Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program in the small Obion County north of the city and discussing the efforts to bring it to Shelby County, where Memphis is located, the most heavily populated county in the state. Read it here.

July 5:
Jones Gains Continue Overseas
Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, with Dolly providing duet vocals on "Creepin' In," gains four spots to No. 20 in its 21st week on the U.K. pop albums chart, where it had previously spent two weeks at No. 1, it was announced Sunday. It remains steady at No. 16 pop in Australia, where it had peaked at No. 2 for three weeks, and moves up one notch to No. 11 in Germany, where it spent five weeks at No. 1.

Giving The Shirt Off Her Back
Volunteer Equine Advocates, Inc., a Gallatin, Tenn., charity devoted to the prevention of cruelty to horses in middle Tennessee, is auctioning off one of Dolly's cocktail blouses on ebay to benefit the nonprofit organization. It comes with a certificate of authenticity and autographed photo. Place your bid in the auction, which ends July 13, here.

More Praise For 'Our Country'
The Quad City Times in Davenport, Iowa, on Saturday offered a glowing review of the IMAX film Our Country, which features Dolly leading an all-star performance of "Turn, Turn, Turn." Read it here. The film is currently playing in Davenport as well as Austin, Texas, and St. Augustine, Fla. It is scheduled to open in Indianapolis, Ind., in August and Apple Valley, Minn., and Branson, Mo., in September.

Another Dolly Wallpaper Debuts
Another exclusive Dollymania Dolly wallpaper for your computer has been added to that section of the site here!

July 3:
Wy To Cover Dolly On Tour
Wynonna Judd will cover Dolly in her new concert tour starting this fall, it has been announced. Although the song or songs of Dolly's Wy will belt out in her show have not been named, she says the new "Her Story: Scenes From A Lifetime Tour" will offer not only her 20 years of hits, but also chronologically present the songs that inspired her throughout her life. Other artists whose tunes will get the Wy treatment include Tina Turner, The Andrews Sisters and Al Green. Members of Wy's fan club will have the first opportunity on July 10 to purchase advance tickets for the shows, which kick off on Oct. 14 in Madison, Wis. Click here for more details.

Big Bear Plunge Should Open Mid-Month
Visitors hoping to ride the new $1.4 million Big Bear Plunge at Dolly's water park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Dollywood's Splash Country, will have to wait a bit longer, according to a story in Friday's Knoxville News-Sentinel. The paper reported that construction delays have already put completion of the project a month behind schedule, but it should be open by the middle of the month. Although the ride's underground plumbing and almost all of its concrete footing had been completed by late May, the steel required for the project was not delivered until this week. Big Bear Plunge will take riders on a 548-foot-long white water rafting adventure complete with winding bends, steep drops, dark caverns and a water curtain. The report said that many projects in the U.S. have seen similar delays this year with a construction boom in China draining much of the world's concrete and steel supplies. Read the full article here.

July 2:
'Ultimate' Hanging On
Ultimate Dolly Parton gets a 42nd week on the country albums chart, remaining steady at No. 74, according to the July 10 numbers released by Billboard on Thursday. Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, with Dolly singing on the CD's current single, "Creepin' In," drops 10 spots to No. 29 pop and comprehensive in its 20th chart week but gains two to No. 5 in Internet sales. Mindy Smith's One Moment More, featuring Dolly vocals on "Jolene," falls five places to No. 19 in its 22nd week on the independent labels albums chart. Kenny Rogers' 42 Ultimate Hits, which features the Dolly duet "Islands In The Stream," inches down one spot to No. 15 country and 22 points to No. 111 pop in its third chart week. Gretchen Wilson's Here For The Party remains steady at No. 1 on the country albums chart for a seventh week and slips two to No. 6 pop. Bolstered by airplay for their quirky single "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)," duo Big & Rich move up one notch on each chart to No. 2 country and No. 14 pop with their album Horse Of A Different Color.

Steady Up North
Jones' Feels Like Home remains steady again at No. 15 in its 20th week on the Canadian pop albums chart, it was announced Thursday.

New Wallpaper Available
Another exclusive Dollymania wallpaper has been added using a shot of Dolly from the recent KidsFest kick-off ceremonies. Take a look at it, and the other seven images available for download, here.

Dolly In Another CMT Countdown
Dolly has made the list in another CMT countdown in its The Greatest series. This time, it's the 20 Funniest Videos, hosted by Jeff Foxworthy. Although Dolly's contribution hasn't been announced (my guess is "Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That"), she is confirmed to have a video on the hour-long program, premiering on the network at 9 p.m. Eastern on July 23.

Dolly Welcomes Pigeon Forge Visitors
Dolly has filmed a welcome film for visitors to Pigeon Forge, Tenn., home of her Dollywood theme park. The mini-movie plays in a 34-seat theater in the city's new $1.5 million official Visitor's Center, which opened in its new home next to the Louise Mandrell Theater last week, according to a story in Thursday's Knoxville News-Sentinel here. Officials said the old location down the road had become hidden behind other businesses, and tourists are often confused by the unofficial "Welcome Center" locations operated along the highway by timeshare dealerships. The new center is said to have better signage clearly stating it is the city's official one.

July 1:
A Pretty Bold Claim
BMG U.K./Ireland has issued yet another Dolly compilation CD, this time boasting via its title that it's The Only Dolly Parton Album You'll Ever Need. The 16-track disc, released about two weeks ago but which I was only able to find at a couple of online music stores in England, features "I Will Always Love You," "My Tennessee Mountain Home," "9 To 5," "Joshua," "Jolene," "Harper Valley P.T.A.," "D.I.V.O.R.C.E.," "You're The Only One," "Love Is Like A Butterfly," "Higher And Higher," "In The Ghetto," "But You Know I Love You," "Here You Come Again," "The Great Pretender," "Coat Of Many Colors" and "Save The Last Dance For Me." Thanks, Mark!

Some Strange New Covers
I stumbled upon a very unique set of Dolly covers on Wednesday. A singer named Robbie D., in collaboration with instrumentalist Roddy Bottum of the band faith no more, has released a four-song EP of covers of Dolly's classics "I Will Always Love You," "To Daddy," "Coat Of Many Colors" and "Jolene." He gives each song a very different rendering than Dolly's originals, or any other cover versions I've heard, for that matter. Take a listen to MP3 samples from the tracks (and look at the cool CD artwork) on his site here.

And Speaking Of Covers
Several readers wrote in this week to alert me that the cover of the July issue of Instinct magazine, a gay publication, features a model from Texas donning a black retro tee-shirt featuring a 1977-era Dolly photo on it, although as of Wednesday night, the magazine's Web site had not updated to the new cover. Thanks, Jamie, Jeff and Frank!

In The New 'CW'
Dolly gets a couple of mentions in the new issue of Country Weekly on newsstands this week. Her discussion of her childhood attempts at homemade make-up, recounted in a recent interview, are printed along a photo from a couple of years ago, and she gets a pic holding up a "DIVA" tee-shirt in a brief on the sparkling, "be-dazzled" shirts which were popular with the performers at the Women Rock! breast cancer awareness concert she headlined last year.

More Library Coverage
Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program received more Tennessee ink in The Tullahoma News and posted on the Web site for The Manchester Times on Wednesday. Read their story here.

Television Reminder
If you missed Dolly's great appearance with Shania Twain, Melissa Etheridge and Allison Krauss on The Oprah Winfrey Show last year, you have a chance to catch it again on Thursday afternoon. The program, which gets its second repeat since originally airing, is syndicated, so stations and broadcast times may vary, but most markets show it at 4 p.m. local time.