Ticket sale dates for the other European shows are all expected to be announced in the next day or two -- and most will likely be on sale by this weekend. Image from her "Hello I'm Dolly" Tour is © copyright 2004 Duane Gordon/Dollymania.net. May not be reproduced without prior written consent.Oscar Gift Bag Auction Extended
The Humane Society of the United States has extended the deadline to try and get your hands on Dolly's goodie bag from the Oscars. Originally slated to end on Nov. 3, the auction will now be over at 5 p.m. Eastern Nov. 17. Valued at more than $20,000, it is the gift bag which Dolly received as a nominee and performer at this year's Academy Awards. In addition to the collectable nature of it having been owned by Dolly, the Dooney and Burke Wheel Travel Bag includes a Frette travel blanket, BlackBerry 8700c, Canon DC10 Camcorder, Canon PowerShot SD30 camera, Selphy compact photo printer, Vongage broadband phone system, Firefly mobile phone for mobile kids and much more. Place bids for it and other items up for auction to benefit the charity helping animals nationwide here. Image of Dolly arriving at this year's awards ceremony is Copyright ©A.M.P.A.S.®. Used with permission.
'Giants' Airtime Released
CMT has revealed the time for its premiere of the first episode of its Giants series. The installment, honoring Reba McEntire and featuring Dolly performing one of her songs, will first air at 8 p.m. Eastern Nov. 18. Although the network had previously announced the date it would be broadcast, the actual air time was not known until Monday. The concert, tickets for which remain available via Ticketmaster, will tape Thursday in Hollywood. In addition to Dolly, other performers include Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, Kelly Clarkson, Martina McBride, Wynonna, Jennifer Nettles and LeAnn Rimes, among others.
Library Profiled On Ky. Show
Dolly's national literacy project will soon be featured on a television program in The Bluegrass State. The Grayson County News Gazette reported Monday that a new show for Kentucky Educational Television (KET) titled "Art to Heart" recently completed a story on Dolly's Imagination Library. Although there's no word on when her episode will air, the eight-part series premieres at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Nov. 1 on KET2. The article noted it will also be shopped to public television stations nationwide (check listings to see if your local station plans to air it) and that Kentucky educators will also soon be able to order it on DVD. Read more here.
Oct. 23:
New Tour Show Previewed In Music City
Gearing up for her first return to the road in nearly a year, Dolly previewed her new live stage show Friday at a private "family and friends" concert at Belmont University's Curb Center theatre. I'm told the performance, which ran between 90 minutes and two hours, was largely a combination of her two most recent tours, 2004's "Hello, I'm Dolly" and 2005's "The Vintage Tour." No "new" songs were added, although a handful she hasn't performed in quite a while are featured in the new show. A sole fiddle opening the show returns again, although this time the strings play "My Tennessee Mountain Home," the speed of which increases as the other band members join in and it morphs into "Baby I'm Burning," her disco hit which was her standard opening number for most concerts from its release in 1978 through her tours of the '80s and early '90s. The stage features a double staircase starting at each end of the stage and meeting with a large platform in the middle. Dolly rises out of the middle of the staircase and performs the song, followed immediately by "Two Doors Down." Her playing the piano on "The Grass Is Blue" (which she did for the 2004 tour) returns, and the Kenny Rogers puppet with his pre-recorded voice (which she used for just a few dates on her 2004 tour) is back for "Love Is Strange" and "Islands In The Stream." Also, longtime Dollywood fixture Steve Summers makes a couple of appearances: dancing during "Thank God I'm A Country Girl" and as an Elvis Presley impersonator during "I Dreamed About Elvis" (both songs she began performing on the 2004 tour but took out of the 2005 tour). Also returning are two crowd favorites from her most recent CD, "Me And Bobby McGee" (which she performed on both recent tours) and "Crimson And Clover." Other returning numbers include "Jolene," "Coat Of Many Colors," "These Old Bones," "Here You Come Again," "9 To 5," "Shine," "Little Sparrow" and, of course, her signature tune, "I Will Always Love You." New to the show are a full version of "Puppy Love" (her first song which she recorded when she was a child -- she introduced it with a couple of verses of the first song she ever wrote, "Little Tiny Tasseltop"), "God's Coloring Book" (which she recorded in 1977 but has re-recorded with Charlie Pride on his upcoming CD), her bluegrass cover of Billy Joel's "Travelin' Prayer" and this year's finale, a new mix of her Oscar-nominated track, "Travelin' Thru." And although she didn't sing "My Tennessee Mountain Home" at the opening, she later did offer a chorus of the tune as well as a couple of lines from her first country chart single, "Dumb Blonde." Her outfits were described as appearing to be the ones from her 2004 tour with some alterations, and the band appeared to be most if not all of the same folks from last year's tour. She noted for the crowd that this would, in fact, be a world tour and that more dates will be added in early 2007. Currently, she is scheduled to play five U.S. and Canadian casino shows in November (three of which are sold out) and 17 dates in Europe from March to early April. Thanks to my sources! (Also, my friend Christian at Dolly Parton Central posted a blurb of the show on his site as well.) And keep watching the Dollymania tour page here for information as it becomes available! Image of Dolly on tour last year is © copyright 2005 Duane Gordon/Dollymania.net. May not be reproduced without prior written consent.
'Alibi' Drops From GAC List
After 10 weeks on the chart and a peak all the way at No. 3, the video for "Heartbreaker's Alibi" by Rhonda Vincent and Dolly last week fell off the viewer-voted Great American Country (GAC) Top 20 Country Countdown, down from No. 8 the previous week, the cable network showed Friday. You may still vote for the video to try and get it back on this week's countdown here!
Burke Contest Winner Announced
Thanks to everyone who entered, but congratulations go out to Joey Wiles of Bloomington, Ind., who was selected as the winner in the Dollymania/Shout! Factory Records contest for a free copy of Solomon Burke's new country CD, Nashville, complete with its Dolly duet on "Tomorrow Is Forever." Look for your CD in the mail in a few days, Joey!
Delays In Updates Coming
OK, the time is almost here for your webmaster to take that trip to Japan I warned you about a month or so back, but I will do my best to try and not leave you completely in the dark! I have purchased a new laptop and -- depending upon how frequently I have Internet access overseas and how much spare time I have while there -- I will attempt to keep up as best I can with "Dolly happenings" to offer sporadic, and most likely abbreviated, site updates while on vacation for about two weeks. Monday night's regular update should be posted here as usual, but I will be in transit all day and night Tuesday and do not expect to post anything that night. Check back daily starting on Wednesday and I will post as I am able. Regular daily updates should return on Nov. 6, including coverage of that night's CMA Awards. (Also, for anyone who is interested, I also plan to blog a blurb or two and post a couple of pics during the journey whenever I do site updates while in Japan, so check out that page here while I'm gone.)
Oct. 21:
Get Entries In For Burke Contest!
Your last chance to enter the contest to win a free copy of Solomon Burke's country album Nashville from Dollymania and Shout! Factory Records is fast approaching! The period to send in your name and mailing address ends at midnight Eastern Sunday morning (11 p.m. Central Saturday night), with the winner announced in Sunday evening's news update, so send those entries in now here! Currently, about five times as many folks had entered last week's contest to win the new Dolly boxed set, so that means chances are about five times better that you could win this one! (Complete rules here.) In related news, another newspaper has offered a stunning review of Burke's soul-meets-country set, once again singling out Dolly's participation as one of the disc's top highlights. Las Vegas City Life, Sin City's alt-weekly paper, this week notes: "The moment Burke's voice wraps around Dolly Parton's piercing warble, though, it all makes sense. He's turned her classic 'Tomorrow Is Forever' into the kind of slow dance that could work both uptown and farmland. The rhythm sways. The music swells, giving you permission to hold that someone tight. And the duo's voices lock together like two folks in love. It's the kind of track that could melt a cynic." Read the full review here.
Dolly Interview Available
Thanks to Tony for alerting me to a Dolly interview in the fall issue of Smoky Mountain Living magazine in which she talks about her family, businesses and more. Take a read online here.
Broadway/Country Show Gets Dolly Tune
There will be a bit of Dolly again at the CMA's second annual "Broadway Meets Country" benefit, it was announced Friday. Although she won't be there, one of her songs will. Event host Jane Krakowski (whom you may remember as the sexy, singing secretary from Ally McBeal or "Wanda" from the video for the Dixie Chicks' "Goodbye Earl") will duet with Phil Vassar on Dolly's classic Kenny Rogers collaboration "Islands In The Stream," the song list released this week showed. The concert will be held Oct. 30 in Nashville. Dolly was also represented at last year's debut event in New York, where Marin Mazzie performed "9 To 5." Read more about this year's show from Broadway World here.
Oct. 20:
'Acoustic Collection' On Bluegrass List
Although it didn't sell enough copies in its first week to make it onto the country or pop albums charts, the Sugar Hill boxed set Dolly Parton: The Acoustic Collection, 1999-2002 debuts at No. 9 on the Oct. 28 Billboard bluegrass albums tally, the magazine revealed Thursday. Elsewhere on the charts, "When I Get Where I'm Going," her former chart-topper with Brad Paisley, inches up four more digits to No. 15 in its 27th week on the country recurrent singles chart, which tracks radio airplay of tunes that have been removed from the main country chart due to longevity rules. The album featuring the track, Paisley's Time Well Wasted, moves up three to No. 14 country in its 61st chart week, shooting up 19 to No. 77 pop and 18 to No. 77 comprehensive. Up north, it drops two to No. 36 Canadian country. Solomon Burke's Nashville, with its Dolly duet of "Tomorrow Is Forever," falls off the 75-position country albums chart, down from No. 70 in its second week. (Don't forget to send your name and mailing address here through midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning to enter to win a free copy! Complete rules here.) Martina McBride's Timeless, with Dolly guesting on "I Still Miss Someone," inches down one to No. 14 Canadian country and two to No. 67 country in its 51st chart week in the U.S. Kenny Rogers's 21 Number Ones, including "Islands In The Stream," remains steady at No. 38 country in its 38th week. Rhonda Vincent's All American Bluegrass Girl, with Dolly on "Heartbreaker's Alibi," dips two to No. 5 bluegrass in its 20th week, while her Ragin' Live, with "Jolene," falls off the 15-position chart, down from No. 15 in its 76th week. Clay Aiken's A Thousand Different Ways, with a cover of "Here You Come Again," drops another dozen digits in its fourth week to No. 32 pop. Jimmy Buffett debuts at the No. 1 country spot with Take The Weather With You, which also bows at No. 4 pop with 121,000 units moved in its first week, while George Strait's It Just Comes Natural dips one to No. 2 country in its second week, slipping five to No. 8 pop with 88,000 copies sold.
Paper Loves Boxed Set
Speaking of the new boxed set, it gets a prime review in the new LA Weekly with the reviewer calling it "gorgeous stuff." Read the full review here.
Dolly And Charlie Sing
An Associated Press story Thursday on Charlie Daniels and his performing for American troops around the globe noted that he is currently working on a duets collection which will feature collaborations with Dolly, Travis Tritt, Gretchen Wilson and Earl Scruggs. Read more from ABC.com here.
Oct. 19:
Dollymania Announces Dolly's European Tour
Four days after news of a reported Dolly world tour next year first leaked in the Dutch press with word of a March concert in The Netherlands, a Dolly spokesperson on Wednesday released to Dollymania the details of her 2007 European tour. The preliminary schedule for the month-long tour will bring her to 17 cities in 10 countries, starting in Denmark on March 7 and ending in Erie (Ireland) on April 2. The initial list of dates, which Dollymania is pleased to be the first anywhere to report, is as follows:
April 2 -- The Point in Dublin, Eire
Indy Library Building Support
Dolly's Imagination Library is gaining ground in the Indianapolis, Ind., area, The Indianapolis Star reports. In a piece Wednesday here, the paper says the program hopes to have one-third of all children in the county participating, or about 19,000 out of the 57,000 eligible kids under the age of 5, and they're more than half-way there with 11,000 signed up.
Oct. 18:
'CW': Dolly Will Win CMAs
The new issue of Country Weekly out this week offers readers its predictions for the 2006 Country Music Association Awards next month, and they're expecting a clean sweep for Dolly. She and Brad Paisley share nominations for their collaboration "When I Get Where I'm Going" in the Single of the Year, Music Video of the Year and Musical Event of the Year categories, and the magazine says they are the most likely winners for each one. (In one other category, though, Song of the Year for the song's composers, Rivers Rutherford and George Teren, the publication expects "Believe" will beat out "Going.") Winners will be announced live on ABC Nov. 6. Should Dolly take home three trophies, it would bring her total of "regular" CMA Awards to 11 (or 13 if her two "special" CMA Awards are included). The issue also features a full-page spread on Dolly's new cookbook, Dolly's Dixie Fixin's, which is raising money for her nationwide Imagination Library literacy program. The piece includes a publicity image from Dollywood's BBQ and Bluegrass Fest where she previewed the book and recipes for both of the dishes she prepared during that appearance at the park. (Get your copy of the cookbook here!)
Contest Winner Revealed
Thanks to the several hundred who entered, but of course there could be only one reader made happy when all was said and done. And the new boxed set goes to John Northcutt Young of Mary Esther, Fla.! Congratulations! John will be receiving in the mail the complete collection Dolly Parton: The Acoustic Collection, 1999-2002 courtesy of Dollymania and Sugar Hill Records after being randomly selected as the winner. My apologies again for the delay in selecting the winner due to e-mail network problems. (By the way, click on the CD or its title to visit the page for it at Amazon.com, where the online retailer on Tuesday posted the full video of "Shine" for free viewing -- which dramatically increased orders for the collection. Thanks, Chad!) And remember that there's another contest going on: You may enter here through Sunday morning for your very own free copy of Solomon Burke's country album, Nashville, with a Dolly duet on her song "Tomorrow Is Forever."
Another DVD Out
And thanks to Tony for alerting me that Dolly's duet partner Brad Paisley had his own DVD come out last week, The Video Collection, featuring what appear to be all of his videos, including "When I Get Where I'm Going" with Dolly. Get your copy here!
Oct. 17:
A Few More Details On March Concert
Although no word has come yet on any other dates for what has been called Dolly's 2007 "world tour," the venue where she will play in The Netherlands in March added a page for her concert there to its website on Monday. The page, accessible here, confirms the March 18 concert and the previously-reported on-sale date for tickets of Oct. 28. It also reveals that tickets will be sold through Ticketmaster's Dutch arm, Ticket Service. Thanks, Tony!
Boxed Set Winner Delayed, New Contest Up!
Unfortunately, BellSouth's e-mail servers for my area went down Monday evening, leaving me unable to access any contest entries received after about 5 p.m., so you'll have to wait until Tuesday night's news update for me to gather those final entries up to add to the hat for the random winner's selection for the prize of the new Dolly Parton: The Acoustic Collection, 1999-2002 boxed set. Sorry! But, don't fret, as you can try again for another prize, as the site's next contest has already begun! Simply e-mail your name and postal mailing address here by midnight Eastern Sunday morning (11 p.m. Central Saturday night) for your chance of winning a free copy of Solomon Burke's country album, Nashville, with his Dolly duet on her classic "Tomorrow Is Forever!" As with the previous contest, there is a limit of one entry per person and one entry per physical mailing address. The winner will be announced in next Sunday night's news update. Click here to read the complete rules. Thanks!
'Gimmie' Some Good Press
A couple of online music resource pages on Monday offered some positive reviews of alt-punk band Me First & The Gimmies' new CD, Love Their Country, which hits stores Tuesday with a cover of Dolly's "Jolene," among other country hits. Read the first one from Texas Gigs here and the second from Aversion here.
Oct. 16:
March Concert In The Netherlands Reported
Thanks to several of the site's Dutch readers for writing in over the weekend with press accounts that Dolly will play a concert in their nation next spring. Although she had said about a month ago that she intended to schedule some European dates in 2007, this is the first news to break of those shows. The readers say their local media are reporting that this will be a "2007 world tour" and that it will include a stop on March 18 at Ijssel Hallen in Zwolle, The Netherlands. One report stated that tickets will go on sale Oct. 28. Look for more details here on this and other possible shows as they are announced.
Rising On GAC
Rhonda Vincent's video for "Heartbreaker's Alibi" with Dolly continues to head back up the chart on the viewer-voted Great American Country (GAC) Top 20 Country Countdown. The track gained two more spots to reach No. 8 in its 10th week on the list, the network revealed Friday. Vote for it in this week's tally here!
Walker Event Scheduled
Dollywood is once again honoring the park's namesake's beginnings, in a way, this time by sponsoring A Tribute to Cas Walker Oct. 27 by the East Tennessee Historical Society at the organization's headquarters in Knoxville. The program features recently-discovered film clips and other vintage footage of the area's legendary businessman, TV host and political figure. Dolly got her start as a child appearing on Walker's television program which he hosted to promote his chain of grocery stores. Read more from The Mountain Press here.
Get Those Entries In For Free CDs!
Here's your final reminder to enter the contest to win a copy of the new boxed set, Dolly Parton: The Acoustic Collection, 1999-2002, from Dollymania and Sugar Hill Records. The deadline for entries is midnight Eastern Tuesday morning (11 p.m. Central Monday night), soon after which the winner will be announced (and a new contest for a different CD will begin)! Visit the contests page here for directions on how to enter!
Oct. 14:
Dolly Sees Herself In Paris . . . Hilton?
Read what parts of herself Dolly sees in Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Simpson and even Paris Hilton in a conversation with Knoxville News Sentinel columnist Terry Morrow here. Dolly also confirms that Simpson wanted her to be in a recent music video of hers and shoot it at Dollywood, although that didn't work out, and that Simpson will be among the artists honoring her at the Kennedy Center in December.
Punk Version Of 'Jolene' Coming
Perhaps Dolly's most-covered classic, "Jolene" is getting yet another shot at life. This time, the recording comes from punk covers band Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies, which is made up of members of several other bands (including the guitarist for the Foo Fighters). Their country CD, Love Their Country, comes out Tuesday and also includes such nuggets as "Goodbye Earle," "Annie's Song" and "Ghost Riders In The Sky." Reserve yours here!
Library Hits Another Fla. County
Hillsboro County, Fla., is the fourth community in the Sunshine State to sign up for Dolly's nationwide Imagination Library literacy program, The St. Petersburg Times reports here.
Contest Reminder
Remember you just have until Monday night to get your entries in to win a free copy of the new The Acoustic Collection, 1999-2002 boxed set from Dollymania and Sugar Hill Records. Check out the contests page here for full details! (And look for information once this give-away is over on how you can win a copy of Solomon Burke's Nashville, with its Dolly duet!)
Oct. 13:
Other Canadian Dates Sell Out
A day after one of Dolly's three shows next month in Canada sold out, the other two followed suit on Thursday, leaving no tickets remaining for any of her three engagements Nov. 20-22 at the Casino Rama near Toronto, Ont. Seats remain available for her other two concerts scheduled for this year: Nov. 16 in Uncasville, Conn. (on the second raised level and back of the first raised level only), and Nov. 18 in Verona, N.Y. (on the second raised level), via Ticketmaster. Image of Dolly on tour last year is © copyright 2005 Duane Gordon/Dollymania.net. May not be reproduced without prior written consent.
Win A Copy Of New Sugar Hill Boxed Set
Thanks to Sugar Hill Records, Dollymania is pleased to offer you a chance to win your very own copy of the new boxed set The Acoustic Collection, 1999-2002! All you have to do is e-mail your name and mailing address to the site here by midnight Eastern Tuesday morning (11 p.m. Central Monday night) to enter. One entry will be randomly selected at that time from those received. Limit one entry per person and one entry per mailing address.
Billboard Chart Updates
Losing about 500,000 audience members for the week, the former No. 1 hit "When I Get Where I'm Going" by Dolly and Brad Paisley dips two spots to No. 19 in its 26th week on the country recurrent singles chart, Billboard revealed Thursday. The song registered an audience of about 6.1 million for the week on the Oct. 21 listing of song popularity for tracks which have been removed from the main singles tally due to longevity rules. The album which includes the collaboration, Paisley's Time Well Wasted, slides one to No. 17 country in its 60th chart week, losing two to No. 96 pop but remaining steady at No. 95 comprehensive. In Canada, it slips three to No. 34 country. Solomon Burke's Nashville, with Dolly on "Tomorrow Is Forever," falls 15 to No. 70 on the country albums chart in its second week. Martina McBride's Timeless, featuring Dolly on "I Still Miss Someone," loses two to No. 13 Canadian country and falls out of the pop top 100 up north, down from No. 100 the previous week. In the U.S., the CD remains steady at No. 65 country in its 50th chart week. Kenny Rogers's 21 Number Ones, with "Islands In The Stream," dips one to No. 38 country in its 37th week. Rhonda Vincent's All American Bluegrass Girl, featuring Dolly on "Heartbreaker's Alibi," inches up one to No. 3 bluegrass in its 19th week, while her Ragin' Live, with "Jolene," dips two to No. 15 for its 76th week. Clay Aiken's A Thousand Different Ways, with a cover of "Here You Come Again," drops a dozen digits in its third week to No. 20 pop. George Strait's It Just Comes Natural opens at No. 1 country, No. 3 pop with 232,000 units moved in its first week, while Alan Jackson's Like Red on a Rose slips one to No. 2 country and seven to No. 11 pop in its second week.
Story: Postal Rates Threaten Library
Could an increase in postal rates end Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program in some less-affluent communities? The Library's organizers fear that's what could happen, according to a piece from Knoxville TV station WBIR available here. The story notes that proposed postal rate increases could double the cost of mailing books to children nationwide in the program and encourages concerned citizens to address their thoughts to the Postal Rate Commission (click on "Contact Us" or write them at Manager of Mailing Standards, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Room 3436, Washington DC, 20260-3436) by Nov. 13.
Dolly Fan Doc Heads To Indiana
The film just keeps gaining momentum. Dolly fan documentary For The Love Of Dolly has been added to the Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival next month, with a screening scheduled for 5 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Key Cinemas. Thanks, Matt!
Auction Back On
Teddy asked me to remind everyone that the autographed Dolly dulcimer he had on eBay to benefit the Pike County Artisan Center is up again after the initial auction winner backed out. View the item, which will be up until about 7 p.m. Eastern Sunday, here.
Oct. 12:
Concert Sells Out
The first of Dolly's fall concerts to sell out appeared to have reached that mark on Wednesday, with her Nov. 22 engagement, the third of her three shows at the Toronto-area Casino Rama, showing no tickets available. The other two nights at that venue are also on the verge of selling out and should do so in a matter of days. Tickets for those, and her New York and Connecticut casino shows, remain available at Ticketmaster.
Doc Added To Another Fest
Fan documentary For The Love Of Dolly will show up at yet another festival in coming days, as the film has been added to the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, with a screening scheduled for 2:15 p.m. Oct. 24. A preview is available in The Seattle Weekly here.
Oct. 11:
Pride Duet Date Revealed
The release date for Charley Pride's new album, featuring a guest spot by Dolly, has been announced. The set, Pride & Joy: A Gospel Music Collection, is slated to hit stores from Music City Records on Nov. 7. As has been previously noted, Dolly joins him on the collection for a cover of her "God's Coloring Book." Those in the Nashville area, however, will be able to get the disc a little early. According to The Tennessean, Pride will be signing advance copies of the CD at the Country Music Hall of Fame on Oct. 19. Reserve your regular copy here!
Dolly On CMT Again
Dolly is to be featured in yet another installment of CMT's "Greatest" countdown series, the network announced Tuesday. This time, it's the 40 Days That Shaped Country Music, premiering at 8 p.m. Eastern Nov. 4. The two-hour show promises to look at what its producers view as the most important days to impact the genre, including its "big breaks, breakups, hookups and more." The episode notes Dolly appears at least once on the countdown with frequent duet partner Kenny Rogers, but there's no word as to whether this will be her only spot on the special.
Dolly Fan Doc Hits N.J.
Dolly fan documentary For The Love Of Dolly has been added to Chillfest, a film festival happening this weekend in Jersey City, N.J. The movie will screen at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Jersey City Museum (350 Montgomery Street at Monmouth). Tickets, $7 each, may be purchased at the door or by calling 210-413-0303 x 141 for reservations.
'Parking Lot' Online
And speaking of Dolly fans on film, thanks to Jeff for bringing to my attention that the Parking Lot program is now available for free viewing here from OutZone TV, one of the online channels which absorbed the programming from now-defunct cable network TRIO. The show, based on the documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot, interviewed various folks outside of events around the country, including Dolly's annual parade in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., back in April 2003. The program aired on TRIO in 2004 and repeated several times over the next year or so before the NBC-owned sister network to Bravo went off the air.
Oct. 10:
Canada Concerts Closer To Selling Out
All three of Dolly's Canadian concerts the week of Thanksgiving are now sold out except for a handful of single-ticket seats, meaning all tickets where more than one seat is available side-by-side in the venue are gone. She will perform three back-to-back shows at the Toronto-area Casino Rama Nov. 20-22. The single tickets, as well as seats for her other two U.S. casino shows next month, are available via Ticketmaster.
Get That Boxed Set Tuesday!
Don't forget Dolly's big, bluegrass-inspired boxed set drops on Tuesday! The Acoustic Collection, 1999-2002 features her three recent roots music CDs -- The Grass Is Blue, Little Sparrow and Halos & Horns -- and a bonus DVD with five re-mixes, three videos, two tracks from the Dolly tribute album and footage of her CMA performance of "The Grass Is Blue" live with Norah Jones. And keep an eye out here in a few days for information on how you can win a free copy from Dollymania and Sugar Hill Records!
Birmingham Library Started
Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program is now in Jefferson County, Ala., The Birmingham News reports here, although the reporter mistakenly identifies it as a program to provide books to low-income children (Dolly purposefully prohibits income restrictions for participation so that it is available to all children in the community and to prevent children in poverty from being singled out). The local sponsor there is the Junior League, which has signed up 1,200 children this school year.
Oct. 9:
Photo Coverage, Boxed Set On CMT
Dolly showed up a few places on Saturday's CMT Insider. A few seconds of footage showed her at the photo shoot for the new music issue of Vanity Fair magazine which hits newsstands on Tuesday, and two Dolly-related items were the week's featured "Fresh" products: the first, Dolly Parton: The Acoustic Collection, 1999-2002, is the three-CD/one-DVD boxed set of her Sugar Hill roots recordings which comes out on Tuesday, and the other, Sugar Hill Records: A Retrospective (1978-2003), is the label retrospective which includes one Dolly track and was released last week.
Boxed Set Gets Rave Review
In related news, the boxed set gets a big thumbs up from The Bradenton Herald in Florida this weekend, with the reviewer saying here that the set is definitely worth a buy and giving it three-and-a-half out of four stars.
Wanting To Work With Dolly
Self-professed Dolly "fanatic" Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters is pleading with his idol to work with him. Asked by Gay Wired here with whom he most wants to collaborate (following successful outings with Kylie Minogue and Elton John), he replied: "I'm going to vie to work with Dolly Parton until the day I die, or she does. I really, really want to do some sort of extended 12-inch with that lady. It's time for her to break out another dance song, I think." Shears has said the band's current multi-week U.K. No. 1, "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" (co-written with and featuring Sir Elton), was inspired by Dolly's music and personality.
Contest Note
My pal Christian at Country Stars Central has launched this month's new contest, which features an autographed Dolly photo. Visit his site here and follow the contest links to enter.
Oct. 7:
Dolly & Rhonda Rise On GAC
The video for "Heartbreaker's Alibi" by Rhonda Vincent with Dolly moves back up two digits to No. 10 in its ninth week on this week's Great American Country (GAC) Top 20 Country Countdown, the network announced Friday. Cast your ballot for the viewer-voted tally next week here!
Simpson Apparently In Kennedy Honors
Singer/reality-star/movie-star Jessica Simpson, who has long professed an idolization of Dolly, gushed over her again on Thursday night's Jimmy Kimmel Show on ABC. The host asked who was the ultimate famous person she had met, and she quickly replied Dolly was the greatest because she loves her so much and looks up to her so much. Kimmel seemed a little surprised. Simpson added that she just found out Dolly has asked her to sing one of her songs at a tribute program to her and that she's so honored to do so (although she didn't specify what tribute program, I suspect she was referring to the Kennedy Center Honors to be held in December). Kimmel also asked if she had ever been to Dollywood, to which Simpson said she had not but hopes someday to have her own Jessicawood (which led to a sexual joke by Kimmel). Thanks to Stephen for alerting me to a posting of a clip from the interview on AOL here!
Dolly In Print
The new Country Weekly is out with a few Dolly mentions. She and Porter Wagoner capture the flashback section with their second consecutive win for the CMA's Vocal Duo of the Year on Oct. 10, 1971, the second year the award was presented. She also is noted in a story on TomKat, not Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, but rather a Nashville caterer, and a brief about the most popular current country songs at funerals and memorial services notes her hit "When I Get Where I'm Going" with Brad Paisley.
Win A Bunch Of CDs
CMT has a new contest which includes a Dolly CD. The network is taking entries here for a chance to win all 81 albums from which tracks were taken for the newly-released boxed set Sugar Hill Records: A Retrospective (1978-2003), including Dolly's The Grass Is Blue.
Oct. 6:
Brad & Dolly Still On The Chart
"When I Get Where I'm Going" by Dolly and Brad Paisley holds on another week after its return to the Billboard recurrent country singles chart, which tracks radio airplay of songs that have been removed from the main singles charts due to longevity rules. The former No. 1 inches up one to No. 17 in its 25th week on the 20-position chart by gaining about 600,000 listeners for the week for a total audience of 6.6 million. Elsewhere in the Oct. 14 tallies, the CD featuring the song, Paisley's Time Well Wasted, slips two to No. 16 country in its 59th chart week, losing four to No. 94 pop and No. 95 comprehensive. Up north, it rises two to No. 31 Canadian country. Nashville, the country collection by soul great Solomon Burke featuring a duet with Dolly on her "Tomorrow Is Forever," debuts at No. 55 on the country chart. Martina McBride's Timeless, with Dolly harmony for "I Still Miss Someone," inches down one in Canada to No. 11 country and 11 spots to No. 100 pop there. Stateside, the album drops four to No. 65 country in its 49th chart week. Kenny Rogers's 21 Number Ones, featuring "Islands In The Stream," loses one to No. 37 country in its 36th week. Rhonda Vincent's All American Bluegrass Girl, with Dolly on "Heartbreaker's Alibi," rebounds three to No. 4 bluegrass in its 18th week, while her Ragin' Live, featuring a cover of "Jolene," re-enters the 15-position chart at No. 13 for a 75th week. Clay Aiken's A Thousand Different Ways, with his cover of Dolly's first pop hit, "Here You Come Again," loses six in its second week to go to No. 8 pop with 74,000 copies sold. Alan Jackson's Like Red on a Rose debuts at No. 1 country, No. 4 pop with 149,000 units moved in its first week, while Kenney Chesney's LIVE: Live Those Songs Again loses the top spot in its second week, falling to No. 2 country and losing 14 to No. 18 pop.
CMT Dishes On 'VF' Shoots
CMT Insider this week will profile the new Vanity Fair issue featuring Dolly's photo, the network has revealed. The show premieres at 1:30 p.m. Saturday with repeats Sunday and Monday.
New Math: Dolly Played For 200,000 In SF
The crowds just keep getting larger for Dolly's free concert last year as part of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Stories out this week previewing this weekend's festivities, headlined by Elvis Costello, noted last year got too big. Previous published estimates at the time had said Dolly's set attracted 185,000 concert-goers, but the figures now are in excess of 200,000. Festival backer Warren Hellman told The San Jose Mercury News here that Dolly brought out more fans than anyone expected. "I don't want it to be as large as it was last year," he said. "There were just too many people."
DMA Rankings Released
A very sincere "Thank You!" goes out to everyone who voted for Dollymania in the Fifth Annual BT Digital Music Awards, which were handed out Tuesday in London. The site was ranked based on worldwide public votes as the 57th best music site online. As has been the case for the past several years, the site was the highest-ranking one dedicated to a country music artist, but 2006 marks the highest listing the site has ever received in the overall awards, where it usually falls somewhere close to No. 100. The top 200 choices were revealed Thursday. It had previously been announced that the official site for British boy band McFly ranked No. 1 and a fan site for British alt-rock trio Muse ranked No. 2.
Oct. 5:
Dolly's Bag Goes To The Dogs, Cats, Horses
Dolly's goodie bag from this year's Academy Awards, containing electronics, clothing, food, jewelry and more valued at more than $20,000, went on the auction block this week to benefit The Humane Society of the United States, a nationwide charity helping protect all animals. The auction ends at 5 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 3. Dolly's gift, which was the standard bag given to presenters and performers at this year's ceremony, is in an auction which also features a jacket from Cher, a Patrick McDonnell print and several autographs. A well-known animal lover herself, Dolly previously offered a helping hand to the Humane Society after Hurricane Katrina, donating to assist animals impacted by the storm all proceeds from her two sold-out concerts in Louisiana on her most recent tour. Place your bid on Dolly's Oscar bag, and see other items in the auction, here. Image of Dolly performing on the telecast is Copyright ©A.M.P.A.S.®. Used with permission.
Dolly Gets 'VF' Pic
Dolly gets a gorgeous shot surrounded by roses in the annual music issue of Vanity Fair magazine, the publication revealed Wednesday. The issue hit newsstands that morning in New York and Los Angeles and will be released nationwide next Tuesday. For the seventh annual look at music, the magazine this year chose to focus on "country and western" music. Dolly is presented as "The Queen of Country," noting she is "one of the greatest American success stories" from a shack in the Smokey Mountains to selling more than 100 million albums without losing "her charm, her sense of humor or her identity as a country girl." Also photographed separately is former duet partner Porter Wagoner, presented as "The Veteran." Others featured in the issue include Shelby Lynne, Willie Nelson and Shooter Jennings (The Rebels); Kenny Chesney (Hillbilly Rock Star), Gretchen Wilson (Redneck Woman), Lee Ann Womack and George Jones (The Pros), Kris Kristofferson (The Man), Julie Roberts (The Heartbreaker), Brooks & Dunn (The Showmen), Alison Krauss and Ralph Stanley (The Virtuosos), Ryan Adams, Patty Griffin, Alejandro Escovedo, Tift Merritt, Steve Earle and Dan Zanes (The Bohemians); Reba (The Showstopper), Wynona (The Diva), Keith Urban (The Rocker), Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Stephen Bruton, Cindy Cashdollar, T. Bone Burnett, Joe Ely and Jessi Colter (The Lone Stars); Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride and Billy Carrington (The Crowd-Pleasers); Carrie Underwood (The Idol), Hank Williams Jr. and Merle Haggard (The Outlaws), Jimmy Buffett, Bob Seger, Sheryl Crow, John Mellencamp and Kid Rock (The Adventurers); Jennifer Nettles (The Georgia Peach), LeAnn Rimes (The Songbird) and Dwight Yoakam, Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett (The Renegades). Contributing Editor Lisa Robinson appeared on NBC's Today Wednesday morning to premiere the issue, including showing Dolly's picture and discussing how down-to-earth she was at the photo shoot (bringing only one person with her instead of an entourage, and even wrapping up the left-over food from the shoot to take home with her). Watch a video clip of that interview on MSNBC here. As a matter of ethics, I must disclose that Dollymania was consulted by the magazine prior to publication to confirm some of its Dolly information.
Dollywood Event Confirmed
Dolly will return to Dollywood once more this year to appear at a media event celebrating the opening of this year's Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival at the park on Nov. 4, Dollymania confirmed on Wednesday. The festival, which runs through the park's 2006 closing on Dec. 30, features more than 3.5 million lights, the "Christmas in the Smokies" show, "Carol of the Trees," the nation's tallest German Christmas pyramid and the premiere of the all-new show "Babes In Toyland," the largest production the park has ever launched. Dolly hasn't appeared for the holiday events at the park since 2003.
Where No Singer Has Gone Before
Dolly in space? It may sound like a premise for a crazy episode of Dr. Who, but the idea earned one Scottish writer a prize and a spot on the radio. The BBC recently held a contest called "Imagine" in which people were invited to submit original radio drama plays telling the story of someone meeting a musical hero. According to The Glasgow Evening Times, Ann Fotheringham, one of its own writers, was selected among the five winners. Her play, "Soft Wings In Flight," tells the tale of a Glasgow boy meeting Dolly in the most unlikely of places, aboard the space shuttle. The paper noted here that Fotheringham was the only female writer selected, and Dolly the only female hero (the others being Bob Dylan, Barry Manilow, Jarvis Cocker and Nick Cave). A reading of the play will be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 at 10:30 p.m. British time (5:30 p.m. Eastern U.S.) Tuesday during The Mark Radcliffe Show. You'll be able to listen live online here or anytime after the broadcast by using the "Listen Again" function here.
Ark. Hears Of Library
Rotary Club members in Gurdon, Ark., learned all about Dolly's Imagination Library this week, where the Clark County United Way is bringing the nationwide literacy program to one of its first communities in the state. Read all about it from The Gurdon Times here.
Oct. 4:
Dolly Parade Takes Home Intl. Prize
Dolly's annual parade through Pigeon Forge, Tenn., won the prize as the second-best event of its size in the world at the recent International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) Pinnacle Awards, The Mountain Press reported this week here. The Dolly Parton Parade earned the Pigeon Forge Office of Special Events the Silver Medal for events with a budget of less than $250,000 in the awards' top category, the Grand Pinnacle. The gold medalist was the City of San Jose, Calif., for its San Jose Holiday Parade, and the bronze went to Decatur Arts Alliance, Inc. in Decatur, Ga., for its Decatur Arts Festival. In Dolly's native Sevier County, the city of Gatlinburg placed 18 times in the awards, given out at the 51st annual IFEA convention last month in Ottawa, Canada. In addition to the prize for the Dolly Parade, Pigeon Forge placed five more times, and Sevierville placed in two categories. Dolly's 2007 parade, which celebrates the seasonal "grand opening" of Dollywood, is scheduled for April 13. Image of Dolly "strapped" to a log in the Timber Tower theme of this year's parade in April is © copyright 2006 Duane Gordon/Dollymania.net. May not be reproduced without prior written consent.
'Hannah Montana' Reminder
For those who missed Dolly's hilarious guest spot on The Disney Channel series Hannah Montana last week, don't forget that the episode's first repeat is on the cable network at 6 p.m. Eastern Wednesday. For those who don't have access to Disney, thanks to Brad for directing me to some clips which have already been posted on You Tube: one, two, and three.
Library On NPR
Recess!, a daily, three-minute program about childhood which airs on several public radio stations nationwide and is aimed at an adult audience, is slated to profile Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program in its Oct. 25 installment, the show has announced. Read a transcript of the story here, and audio should be up eventually. Thanks!
Oct. 3:
Vincent Rules Bluegrass List
It's all Rhonda Vincent on the October Bluegrass Unlimited charts, the magazine revealed Monday. Her new disc, All American Bluegrass Girl, with Dolly on the song "Heartbreaker's Alibi," holds onto the top spot of the bluegrass albums chart for a second month, its third month on the chart. The project's title track holds onto the top single spot for a second month as well, while her collaboration with Dolly moves up two to No. 27 in its second month on the singles tally.
Label Set Getting High Marks
Music site Pop Matters on Monday used Dolly to anchor its glowing review of the new boxed set Sugar Hill Records: A Retrospective (1978-2003), noting her return to the roots recording in 1999 and partnering with the label, regarded as one of the nation's preeminent producers of bluegrass music. The writer notes that the label "has continually put out nothing but high-quality music. Think of the collection as an old recipe baked by a cook with fresh ingredients. Come on and grab a big bite. Yum." Read the full review here. (And don't forget another Sugar Hill boxed set, Dolly Parton: The Acoustic Collection, 1999-2002, is just a week away from coming out itself!)
Library Note
The Midland Daily News in Midland, Mich., is profiling its local United Way agencies, including this week the Success by 6 project, which is their local sponsor for Dolly's nationwide Imagination Library literacy program. Read more here.
Charity Auction Starts
Thanks to Teddy from fan site DollyPartners.net for alerting me that the autographed Dolly items to benefit the charity where he works, eastern Kentucky's Pike County Artisan Center, have gone live on eBay. The autographed dulcimer and two photos are available through about 10 p.m. Eastern Thursday here.
Oct. 2:
First Canadian Date Nearly Sold Out
The first of Dolly's three consecutive concerts at the Toronto-area Casino Rama next month is practically sold out, with just a few single-seat tickets remaining scattered throughout the venue for the Nov. 20 show as of Sunday. I would expect it to sell out completely in the next few days and the Nov. 21 and 22 engagements, which are also close to capacity, to sell out in the next few weeks as well. Ticket sales are also going well for her Nov. 16 and Nov. 18 casino shows in Connecticut and New York. Both of those appear to be a little more than half sold out at this time. Tickets for all shows are available via Ticketmaster.
Fly The Friendly Skies
Wonder what Dolly is like on a flight? Well, according to a story over the weekend in The New York Times, a new flight attendant gossip site, www.airlinecrew.net, notes she is a super-friendly passenger, even going so far on one flight as to get up and help the flight attendant pass out cookies to other passengers. Read the article here.
Dolly's European tour next year was all over the press on Monday following formal announcements of it by both the promoters overseeing its Irish leg and those over its opening night in Denmark, although likely confusion over different parts of the tour being handled by several different promoters apparently led the Associated Press and others to mis-report that it only contains eight dates instead of its current configuration of 17.