Being raised in West Texas….while also being weened on country music….as Bone Daddy and his family would gather around the black and white television set with rabbit ears antenna….which they would regularly have to move in all directions just to find the weekly Porter Wagoner Show…..when the hour long syndicated show was broadcast live in Midland, Texas back in 1967…..as Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton would grace the airways with some of the best country and western music and entertainment on television at the time….as Bone Daddy can stil remember duets sung by Porter and Dolly like “The Last Thing on My Mind” in 1967…..“We’ll Get Ahead Someday” in 1968….”Just Someone I Used to Know” in 1969….“Daddy Was An Old Time Preacher Man” in 1970….“Better Move it on Home” in 1971….“The Right Combination” in 1972….“Please Don’t Stop Loving Me” whih hit # 1 in 1974 and “Making Plans” which hit # 2 in 1980…..which gives our readers a pretty good indication why BD has been a Dolly Parton fan for over 55 years. So, that is why today I am dedicating this story to one of the true queens of country music, Dolly Parton….whose story still continues to be written as 2020 is passing on to 2021…..and all we can say is…..What A Career!!!….and What A Lady!!! When it comes to setting an examble….there are many that could learn from the legend….for Dolly Parton did everything that she did by being natural…..whether it be beauty, grace, dignity, dedication and all woman….that’s what this lil ole chiweenie Sportsphile loves about Dolly….and oh my God Dog, what a voice….even still today. Dolly Parton established the path to being a superstar with common traits and humility….cuz in our opinion, if you want to describe the word class when it comes to entertainers….Dolly Parton is your girl.
Music – 2020 – Special Film – “The Good Life And Bad Times In The Career Of Dolly Parton”
Dolly Parton is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist musician, actress, author, businesswoman and humanitarian….who is known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others….Parton made her album debut in 1967 with Hello, I’m Dolly. After her success during the remainder of the 1960’s….both as a solo artist and with a series of duet albums with Porter Wagoner….when her sales and peak of chrting songs came during the 1970’s…..and continued well into the 1980’s…..and albeit Dolly’s albums in the 1990’s didn’t sell as well as before….but, she achieved commercial success again in the new millennium…..and has released albums on various independent labels since 2000…..including on her own label, Dolly Records. As you will see, her story is quite incredible.
News & Music – 2013 – 60 Minutes Australia With Ray Martin – Presents Dolly Parton On Why She Wrote Jolene And More
Parton’s music includes RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards. She has had 25 songs reach # 1 on the Billboard country music charts….which is a record for a female artist shared with Reba McEntire…..while she has 44 career Top 10 country albums….which is a record for any artist…..and she has 110 career-charted singles over the past 40 years. Dolly Parton has garnered 10 Grammy Awards and 49 nominations….including the Lifetime Achievement Award and a 2020 win with for King And Country for their collaboration on “God Only Knows”….10 Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year….and is one of only seven female artists to win the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award….five Academy of Country Music Awards, also including a nod for Entertainer of the Year….four People’s Choice Awards ….and three American Music Awards.
Music – 2019 – KING & COUNTRY + Dolly Parton – In The Story Behind The Song “God Only Knows”
Music – 2019 – KING & COUNTRY + Dolly Parton – “God Only Knows’
In 1999, Parton was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She has composed over 3,000 songs, including “I Will Always Love You”….which is about as pretty a song as ever recorded and a two-time U.S. country chart-topper….as well as an international pop hit for Whitney Houston)…..“Jolene”, “Coat of Many Colors”, and “9 to 5”. She is also in a select group to have received at least one nomination from the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, and Emmy Awards. As an actress, she has starred in films such as 9 to 5 in 1980…..and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 1982….for which she earned Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress….as well as Rhinestone in 1984….Steel Magnolias in 1989….Straight Talk in 1992… and Joyful Noise in 2012.
Movies – 1989 – Bobbie Wygant Archive – Dolly Parton for “Steel Magnolias”
Parton began performing as a child, singing on local radio and television programs in the East Tennessee area. By ten, she was appearing on The Cas Walker Show on both WIVK Radio and WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee. At 13, she was recording the single “Puppy Love” on a small Louisiana label, Goldband Records….while appearing at the Grand Ole Opry….where she 1st met Johnny Cash…. who encouraged her to follow her own instincts regarding her career.
Music – 1959 – Dolly Parton At Age 13 – “Puppy Love”
After graduating from Sevier County High School in 1964, Dolly moved to Nashville the next day…..where her initial success came as a songwriter….after having signed with Combine Publishing shortly after her arrival…. with her frequent songwriting partner, her uncle Bill Owens, she wrote several charting singles during this time….which included two top-10 hits:….with Bill Phillips’s “Put It Off Until Tomorrow” in 1966 ….and Skeeter Davis’s “Fuel to the Flame” in 1967….as her songs were recorded by many other artists during this period, including Kitty Wells and Hank Williams Jr…..then she signed with Monument Records in 1965 at age 19….and she initially was pitched as a bubblegum pop singer. She released a string of singles, but the only one that charted, “Happy, Happy Birthday Baby”….which didn’t crack the Billboard Hot 100…..albeit she expressed a desire to record country material….as Monument resisted, thinking her unique voice with its strong vibrato was not suited to the genre.
Music – 1984 – Dolly Parton + Willie Nelson – “Happy Happy Birthday Baby”
After her composition “Put It Off Until Tomorrow”, as recorded by Bill Phillips….with Parton being uncredited on harmony went to # 6 on the country chart in 1966…..when the label relented and allowed her to record country. Her first country single, “Dumb Blonde” (composed by Curly Putman, one of the few songs during this era that she recorded but did not write), reached # 24 on the country chart in 1967….which was followed by “Something Fishy”….which went to # 17…..as the two songs appeared on her 1st full-length album, Hello, I’m Dolly.
Music – 1967 – The Bobby Lord Show Live – Dolly Parton – “Dumb Blonde”
In 1967, musician and country music entertainer Porter Wagoner invited Parton to join his organization, offering her a regular spot on his weekly syndicated television program The Porter Wagoner Show….and in his road show. As documented in her 1994 autobiography, initially, much of Wagoner’s audience was unhappy that Norma Jean, the performer whom Parton had replaced, had left the show…..and were reluctant to accept Parton….while sometimes chanting loudly for Norma Jean from the audience…..then with Wagoner’s assistance, Parton was eventually accepted. Wagoner convinced his label, RCA Victor, to sign her….as RCA decided to protect their investment by releasing her 1st single as a duet with Wagoner. That song, a remake of Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind”, released in late 1967, reached the country top 10 in January 1968, launching a six-year streak of virtually uninterrupted top-10 singles for the pair.
Music – 1967 – Porter Wagoner + Dolly Parton – “You Know That Was The Last Thing On My Mind”
Parton’s first solo single for RCA Victor, “Just Because I’m a Woman”, was released in the summer of 1968…..and was a moderate chart hit by reaching # 17…..for the next two years, none of her solo efforts even “In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)”….which later became a standard….which were as successful as her duets with Wagoner….for the duo was named Vocal Group of the Year in 1968 by the Country Music Association….but Parton’s solo records were continually ignored…..which led to Wagoner having a significant financial stake in her future….and as of 1969, he was her co-producer….and owned nearly half of Owe-Par….which was the publishing company Parton had founded with Bill Owens.
Music – 1970 – Dolly Parton – “In The Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)”
Music – 1975 – Dolly Parton – “The Bargain Store”
By 1970, both Parton and Wagoner had grown frustrated by her lack of solo chart success. Wagoner persuaded Parton to record Jimmie Rodgers’ “Mule Skinner Blues”…..which was a gimmick that worked …..as the record shot to # 3….which was followed closely in February 1971, by her 1st number-one single, “Joshua”…..and for the next two years, Dolly had numerous solo hits…..which included her signature song “Coat of Many Colors” at # 4 in 1971…..in addition to her duets. Top-20 singles included “The Right Combination” and “Burning the Midnight Oil”….which were both duets with Wagoner in 1971….along with “Lost Forever in Your Kiss” also with Wagoner…..then “Touch Your Woman” in 1972…..and “My Tennessee Mountain Home” and “Travelin’ Man” in 1973.
Music – 1970 – The Porter Wagoner Show – Dolly Parton – “Mule Skinner Blues”
Music – 1971 – Dolly Parton – “Coat Of Many Colors”
Music – 1971 – The Porter Wagoner Show – Dolly Parton – “Joshua”
Although her solo singles and the Wagoner duets were successful, her biggest hit of this period was “Jolene”…..which was released in late 1973….and topped the country chart in February 1974….while reaching the lower regions of the Hot 100…..as it eventually also charted in the U.K. reaching # 7 in 1976….while representing Parton’s first U.K. success. Dolly Parton, who had always envisioned a solo career….when she made the decision to leave Wagoner’s organization….as the pair performed their last duet concert in April 1974….and she stopped appearing on his TV show in mid-1974, although they remained affiliated…..as he helped produce her records through 1975….albeit the pair continued to release duet albums….with their final release being 1975’s Say Forever You’ll Be Mine. In 1974, her song, “I Will Always Love You” was written about her professional break from Wagoner….as it went to # 1 on the country chart. Around the same time, Elvis Presley indicated that he wanted to record the song….and Parton was interested until Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, told her that it was standard procedure for the songwriter to sign over half of the publishing rights to any song recorded by Presley….to which Parton refused…..and that decision has been credited with helping to make her many millions of dollars in royalties from the song over the years. Parton had three solo singles reach # 1 on the country chart in 1974 with “Jolene”, “I Will Always Love You” and “Love Is Like a Butterfly”….as well as the duet with Porter Wagoner, “Please Don’t Stop Loving Me”. In a 2019 episode of the Sky Arts music series Brian Johnson: A Life on the Road…. Parton described finding old cassette tapes and realizing that she’d composed both “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” in the same songwriting session, telling Johnson “Buddy, that was a good night.” Parton again topped the singles chart in 1975 with “The Bargain Store”.
Music – 1974 – The Porter Wagoner Show – Dolly Parton – “I Will Alwys Love You”
Music – 1988 – The Dolly Show – Dolly Parton – “Jolene”
Music – 2016 – Hallmark Channel Live On Home & Family At Dollywood – Dolly Parton – “Say Forever You’ll Be Mine”
Music – 1974 – The Porter Wagoner Show – Dolly Parton – “Love Is Like A Butterfly”
Between 1974 and 1980 Parton had a series of country hits….with eight singles reaching # 1…..as her influence on pop culture is reflected by the many performers covering her songs….including mainstream and crossover artists such as Olivia Newton-John, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt…..and that is when Parton began to embark on a high-profile crossover campaign….while attempting to aim her music in a more mainstream direction….and increase her visibility outside of the confines of country music….when in 1976, she began working closely with Sandy Gallin….who served as her personal manager for the next 25 years. With her 1976 album All I Can Do….which she co-produced with Porter Wagoner….as she began taking more of an active role in production…..and began specifically aiming her music in a more mainstream, pop direction. Her first entirely self-produced effort, New Harvest…First Gathering in 1977, highlighted her pop sensibilities, both in terms of choice of songs….as the album contained covers of the pop and R&B classics “My Girl” and “Higher and Higher” and production. Though the album was well received and topped the U.S. country albums chart, neither it nor its single “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” made much of an impression on the pop charts.
Music – 1977 – Dolly Parton – “My Girl (My Love)”
Music – 1977 – Pop Goes Country Show – Dolly Parton – “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher”
Music – 1977 – Dolly Parton – “Light Of A Clear Blue Morning”
After New Harvest’s disappointing crossover performance, Parton turned to high-profile pop producer Gary Klein for her next album. The result, 1977’s Here You Come Again, became her 1st million-seller…. while topping the country album chart…..and reaching # 20 on the pop chart…..as the Barry Mann-Cynthia Weil penned title track topped the country singles chart….and became Parton’s 1st top-10 single on the pop chart at # 3. A 2nd single, the double A-sided “Two Doors Down”/”It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right” topped the country chart and crossed over to the pop Top 20…..and for the remainder of the 1970’s and into the early 1980’s, many of her subsequent singles moved up on both charts simultaneously. Her albums during this period were developed specifically for pop-crossover success.
Music – 1977 – MDA Telethon Live – Dolly Parton – “Here You Come Again”
Music – 1977 – Dolly Parton – “Two Doors Down”
Music – 1977 – Dolly Parton – “It’s All Wrong, But It’s Alright”
In 1978, Parton won a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her Here You Come Again album. She continued to have hits with “Heartbreaker” in 1978…..”Baby I’m Burning” and “You’re the Only One” in 1979…..all of which charted in the pop Top 40 and topped the country chart…..when “Sweet Summer Lovin'” in 1979 became the 1st Parton single in two years to not top the country chart….albeit did reach the Top 10. During this period, her visibility continued to increase with multiple television appearances. A highly publicized candid interview on a Barbara Walters Special in 1977…. which was timed to coincide with Here You Come Again’s release….and was followed by appearances in 1978 on Cher’s ABC television special….plus her own joint special with Carol Burnett on CBS, Carol and Dolly in Nashville.
Music – 1978 – The Carol Burnett Show – Dolly Parton + Carol Burnett – “No One Picks Like A Nashville Picker Picks”
Parton served as one of three co-hosts along with Roy Clark and Glen Campbell on the CBS special Fifty Years of Country Music. In 1979, Parton hosted the NBC special The Seventies: An Explosion of Country Music, performed live at the Ford Theatre in Washington, D.C. …..whose audience included President Jimmy Carter. Her commercial success grew in 1980….with three consecutive country chart # 1 hits…. the Donna Summer-written “Starting Over Again”….“Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You”….and “9 to 5”….which topped the country and pop charts in early 1981. She had another Top 10 single that year with “Making Plans”, a single released from a 1980 reunion album with Porter Wagoner.
Music – 1980 – 14th Country Music Awards Show – Dolly Parton – “Starting All Over Again”
Music – 1978 – Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers – “Old Flames Can’t Hold A Candle To You”
Music – 1978 – Porter Wagoner + Dolly Parton – “Making Plans”
The theme song to the 1980 feature film 9 to 5, in which she starred along with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin….as “9 to 5” not only reached # 1 on the country chart….but also, in February 1981, reached # 1 on the pop and the adult-contemporary charts….which gave her a triple # 1 hit. Parton became one of the few female country singers to have a # 1 single on the country and pop charts simultaneously…..plus, It also received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Her singles continued to appear consistently in the country Top 10 between 1981 and 1985….when she had 12 Top-10 hits….with half of them being # 1 hits…..and she continued to make inroads on the pop chart as well. A re-recorded version of “I Will Always Love You” from the feature film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 1982 scraped the Top 50 that year….while her duet with Kenny Rogers, “Islands in the Stream” (written by the Bee Gees and produced by Barry Gibb), spent two weeks at # 1 in 1983.
Music – 1980 – Dolly Parton – “9 To 5” – With Clips From The Movie Of Same Name
Music & Movies – 1982 – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas – “I Will Always Love You” Scene
In the mid-1980’s, her record sales were still relatively strong with “Save the Last Dance for Me”…. “Downtown” and “Tennessee Homesick Blues” in 1984…..along with “Real Love” (another duet with Kenny Rogers) and “Don’t Call It Love” in 1985….plus “Think About Love” in 1986 all reached the country Top 10….as “Tennessee Homesick Blues” and “Think About Love” reached # 1….and the “Real Love” duet also reached # 1 on the country chart….and became a modest crossover hit…..however, RCA Records did not renew her contract after it expired in 1986….and that is when she signed with Columbia Records in 1987.
Music – 1984 – Dolly Parton – “Tennessee Homesick Blues”
Music – 1985 – Dolly Parton – “Think About Love”
Music – 1985 – Dolly Parton + Kenny Rogers – “Real Love”
Dolly released Trio along with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt in 1987 to critical acclaim…..as the album revitalized Parton’s music career….while spending five weeks at # 1 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart….as it also reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Top-200 Albums chart…..while selling several million copies….and producing four Top 10 country hits….which included Phil Spector’s “To Know Him Is to Love Him”….when it went to # 1….as Trio won the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal….and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. After a further attempt at pop success with Rainbow in 1987….which included the single “The River Unbroken”….after which Parton focused on recording country material like White Limozeen in 1989….which produced two # 1 hits in “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That” and “Yellow Roses”…..and albeit Parton’s career appeared to be revived….the brutal truth was that it was actually just a brief revival before contemporary country music came into vogue in the early 1990’s….which moved most veteran artists off the charts.
Music – 1987 – “Trio” Documentary – With Linda Ronstadt + EmmyLou Harris + Dolly Parton
Music – 1987 – Dolly Parton + EmmyLou Harris + Linda Ronstadt From “Trio” Album – “Dear Companion” & “Hobo’s Meditation” + “Those Memories Of You”
Music – 1994 – Dolly Parton + EmmyLou Harris + Linda Ronstadt From “Trio II” – “After The Gold Rush”
A duet with Ricky Van Shelton, “Rockin’ Years” in 1991 reached # 1…. although Parton’s greatest commercial fortune of the decade came when Whitney Houston recorded “I Will Always Love You” for the soundtrack of the feature film The Bodyguard in 1992…..as both the single and the album were massively successful…..as Parton’s soundtrack album from the 1992 film, Straight Talk, however, was less successful…..but her 1993 album Slow Dancing with the Moon won critical acclaim….and did well on the charts….while reaching # 4 on the country albums chart and # 16 on the Billboard 200 album chart….then she recorded “The Day I Fall in Love” as a duet with James Ingram for the feature film Beethoven’s 2nd in 1993…..as the songwriters (Ingram, Carole Bayer Sager, and Clif Magness) were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song…..and Parton and Ingram performed the song at the awards telecast. Similar to her earlier collaborative album with Harris and Ronstadt….that is when Parton released Honky Tonk Angels in the fall of 1993 with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. It was certified as a gold album by the RIAA…. and helped revive both Wynette and Lynn’s careers. Also in 1994, Parton contributed the song “You Gotta Be My Baby” to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country produced by the Red Hot Organization. A live acoustic album, Heartsongs: Live from Home, featuring stripped-down versions of some of her hits, as well as some traditional songs was released in late 1994.
Music – 1991 – Rickey Shelton + Dolly Parton Duet – “Rockin’ Years”
Music – 1994 – Dolly Parton + Tammmy Wynette Medley – “Stand By Your Man” & “Apartment # 9” & “D*I*V*O*R*C*E” & “I Don’t Wanna Play House” & “Your Good Girl Is Gonna Go Bad”
Music – 1995 – Dolly Parton + Loretta Lynn – Sing A Medley Of Loretta Lynn’s Greatest Hits
Music – 1986 – Dolly Parton + Loretta Lynn + Tammy Wynette – “Silver Threads And Golden Needles”
Music – 1996 – Dolly Parton + Tammy Wynette + Loretta Lynn – “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”
Parton’s recorded music during the mid-to-late-1990’s remained steady and somewhat eclectic. Her 1995 re-recording of “I Will Always Love You”….which was performed as a duet with Vince Gill) from her album Something Special.….as it won the Country Music Association’s Vocal Event of the Year Award…..when in the following year, Treasures, an album of covers of 1960’s/70’s hits was released and featured a diverse collection of material….including songs by Mac Davis, Pete Seeger, Kris Kristofferson, Cat Stevens and Neil Young. Her recording of Stevens’ “Peace Train” was later re-mixed and released as a dance single….which reached Billboard’s dance singles chart…..while her 1998 country-rock album Hungry Again was made up entirely of her own compositions….and although neither of the album’s two singles, “(Why Don’t More Women Sing) Honky Tonk Songs” and “Salt in my Tears” charted….plus, videos for both songs received significant airplay on CMT. A second and more contemporary collaboration with Harris and Ronstadt, Trio II, was released in early 1999….and its cover of Neil Young’s song “After the Gold Rush” won a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. Parton also was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
Music – 1996 – Live In Concert – Dolly Parton + Ladysmith Black Mambazo – “Peace Train”
Music – 1995 – Dolly Parton + Alison Krauss + Billy Dean – “Sweet Music Man”
Music – 1989 – TV Special “Something Inside So Strong” – Medley Of Songs With Willie Nelson + Dolly Parton + Kenny Rogers
Parton recorded a series of bluegrass-inspired albums, beginning with The Grass Is Blue in 1999….which won a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album….and Little Sparrow in 2001 with its cover of Collective Soul’s “Shine” winning a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance….then came the 3rd, Halos & Horns in 2002….which included a bluegrass version of the Led Zeppelin song “Stairway to Heaven”. In 2005, she released Those Were The Days consisting of her interpretations of hits from the folk-rock era of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s….which included “Imagine”, “Where Do the Children Play?”, “Crimson and Clover” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”
Music – 1999 – Dolly Parton Sings Bluegrass – “Shine”
Music – 1999 – Dolly Parton – “Where Have All The Flowers Gone”
Music – 1998 – Dolly Parton – “Where Do The Children Play”
Music – 2009 – Dolly Parton – “Imagine”
Parton earned her second Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for “Travelin’ Thru,” which she wrote specifically for the feature film Transamerica. (2005) Due to the song’s (and film’s) acceptance of a transgender woman, Parton received death threats. She returned to number one on the country chart later in 2005 by lending her distinctive harmonies to the Brad Paisley ballad, “When I Get Where I’m Going”.
Music – 2005 – Dolly Parton – “Travelin’ Through”
Music – 2009 – Brad Paisley + Dolly Parton – “When I Get Where I’m Going”
In September 2007, Parton released her first single from her own record company, Dolly Records, titled, “Better Get to Livin'”…..which peaked at # 48 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart…..which was followed by the studio album Backwoods Barbie….which was released on February 26, 2008 and reached # 2 on the country chart…..while the album’s debut at # 17 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart was the highest in her career….as Backwoods Barbie produced four additional singles, including the title track, written as part of her score for 9 to 5: The Musical….which was an adaptation of her feature film. After the sudden death of Michael Jackson….whom Parton knew personally….was when she released a video in which she somberly told of her feelings on Jackson and his death.
Music – 2008 – Dolly Parton – “Better Get To Livin'”
On October 27, 2009, Parton released a four-CD box set, Dolly, which featured 99 songs and spanned most of her career. She released her 2nd live DVD and album, Live From London in October 2009….which was filmed during her sold-out 2008 concerts at London’s The O2 Arena.
Music – 1983 – Dolly Parton Live In London – Part 1
Music – 1983 – Dolly Parton Live In London – Part 2
On August 10, 2010, with longtime friend Billy Ray Cyrus, Parton released the album Brother Clyde. Parton is featured on “The Right Time”….which she co-wrote with Cyrus and Morris Joseph Tancredi. When you stop to think about it…..the measure of a truly great singer is not just how beautiful they are singling alone….but also, how well they sound when singing with someone else….and folks, Dolly Parton added beauty and harmony to so many different types of singers…..as evidenced by the videos seen in this story herewith.
Music 2010 – Dolly Parton + Billy Ray Cyrus – “Romeo”
Music – 2010 – Dolly Parton + Billy Ray Cyrus – “The Right Time”
On January 6, 2011, Parton announced that her new album would be titled Better Day…..and in February 2011, she announced that she would embark on the Better Day World Tour on July 17, 2011….with shows in northern Europe and the U.S. The album’s lead-off single, “Together You and I”, was released on May 23, 2011…..and Better Day was released on June 28, 2011…..plus, in 2011, Parton voiced the character Dolly Gnome in the animated film Gnomeo & Juliet.
Music – 2011 – Dolly Parton – “Together You And I”
Music – 2011 – Dolly Parton Tour TV: Episode 10 – Better Day Album
On February 11, 2012, after the sudden death of Whitney Houston, Dolly Parton stated, “Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston. I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song, and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, ‘Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.'” In 2013, Parton joined Lulu Roman for a re-recording of “I Will Always Love You” for Roman’s album, At Last.
Music – 2009 – Dolly Parton + Kenny Rogers Duet – “Islands In The Stream”
Music – 2013 – Dolly Parton + Kenny Rogers – “You Can’t Make Old Friends”
Music – 1985 – Kenny Rogers + Dolly Parton – “We’ve Got Tonight”
In 2013, Parton and Kenny Rogers reunited for the title song of his album You Can’t Make Old Friends. For their performance, they were nominated at the 2014 Grammy Awards for Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. You know, the truth be known, it is really hard to find one really good friend in life….for hasn’t everyone thought that someone was a good friend, until times turned bad, only to find out that they really weren’t a good friend….cuz there’s nuthin’ cold as ashes, after the fire is gone….but our hopes here at ImaSportsphile are that everyone of our readers and viewers has at least one really good friend….cuz you just can’t make old friends.
Music – 1989 – Willie Nelson + Dolly Parton + Kenny Rogers Sing A Medley Of Songs On Live Television Event “Something Inside So Strong”
In 2014, Parton embarked on the Blue Smoke World Tour in support of her 42nd studio album, Blue Smoke…..as the album was 1st released in Australia & New Zealand on January 31 to coincide with tour dates there in February….and reached the top 10 in both countries….and then it was released in the United States on May 13….while debuting at # 6 on the Billboard 200 chart….which made her first top-10 album and her highest-charting solo album ever….as it also reached the # 2 on the U.S. country chart. The album was released in Europe on June 9th and reached # 2 on the UK album chart…..then on June 29, 2014, Parton performed for the 1st time at the UK Glastonbury Festival performing songs such as “Jolene”, “9 to 5” and “Coat of Many Colors” to a crowd of more than 180,000.
Music – 1977 – Dolly Parton + Linda Ronstadt + EmmyLou Harris – “Apple Jack”
Music – 1977 – Dolly Parton + EmmyLou Harris + Linda Ronstadt – “The Sweetest Gift”
On March 6, 2016, Parton announced that she would be embarking on a tour in support of her new album, Pure & Simple. The tour was one of Parton’s biggest tours within the United States in more than 25 years….with 64 dates were planned in the United States and Canada…. while visiting the most requested markets missed on previous tours…. and in the fall of 2016, she released “Jolene” as a single with the a cappella group Pentatonix and performed on The Voice with Pentatonix and Miley Cyrus in November 2016. Also in 2016, Parton was one of 30 artists to perform on “Forever Country”…..with a mixture of songs like “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, “On the Road Again” and her own “I Will Always Love You”…..as the song celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards…..when at the ceremony itself, Parton was honored with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award…..which was presented by Lily Tomlin and preceded by a tribute featuring Jennifer Nettles, Pentatonix, Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood and Martina McBride.
Music – 2016 – A Capoella On The Voice – Dolly Parton + Miley Cyrus + Pantatonix – “Jolene”
In 2017, Parton appeared on Rainbow, the 3rd studio album by Kesha performing a duet of “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You”…..as the track had been co-written by Kesha’s mother Pebe Sebert…..for it was previously a hit for Parton….and was included on her 1980 album Dolly, Dolly, Dolly. She also co-wrote and provided featuring vocals on the song “Rainbowland” on Younger Now, the sixth album by her goddaughter Miley Cyrus.
Music – 2017 – Dolly Parton – “Old Flames Can’t Hold A Candle To You”
Music – 2018 – Miley Cyrus + Dolly Parton – “Rainbowland”
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Parton as one of the hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. In July 2019, Parton made an unannounced appearance at the Newport Folk Festival….and performed several songs accompanied by The Highwomen and Linda Perry. Also in 2019, Dolly sang with Christian alternative rock duo For King & Country called “God Only Knows”…..which went RIAA certified platinum….as we provide the background to the song and the actual music video as seen below.
Music – 2019 – The Newport Folk Festival – Dolly Parton + The Highwomen – “She’s An Eagle” Et Al
Music – 2019 – Zach Williams + Dolly Parton – “There Was Jesus”
In 2020, Parton received worldwide attention after posting four pictures in which she showed how she would present herself on the social media platforms LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The original post on Instagram went viral after celebrities posted their own versions of the so-called Dolly Parton challenge on social media.
Music – 2020 – Dolly Parton – “When Life Is Good Again”
On April 10, 2020, Parton re-released 93 songs from six of her classic albums. Little Sparrow, Halos & Horns, For God and Country, Better Day, Those Were The Days, and Live and Well are all available for online listening. On May 27, 2020, Parton released a brand new song called “When Life Is Good Again”…..as this song was released to help keep the spirits up of those affected by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Parton also released a music video for “When Life Is Good Again” which premiered on TIME 100 talks on May 28, 2020. In August 2020, Parton announced plans to release her first holiday album in 30 years, A Holly Dolly Christmas, in October 2020.
Music – 2020 – Dolly Parton + Miley Cyrus – “Christmas Is”
Music – 2020 – Animated Special From A Holly Dolly Christmas – Dolly Parton + Michael Buble – “Cuddle Up And Cozy Down With You”
After putting this story and these videos of the “footprint” that Dolly Parton has left on this Earth….and it becomes obvious to me that there may never have been a bigger talent or a bigger heart that Dolly Parton’s…..for she has established a “level of her own”…..which probably will never be matched…..cuz when a person has been in the “public eye” for as long as Dolly has….there is always “some kind of dirt” that has been thrown in that person’s direction…..however, that doesn’t seem to be the case when it comes to “The Queen of Country Music”…..as Dolly Parton’s life has been a testament to one of Bone Daddy’s favorite saying…. that “Time will either promote you or expose you.”….and when it comes to Dolly Parton….simply put….time has done nothing but promote her….for she is loved by everyone, and you just can’t find many folks that that can be said about….as this post has made me love and appreciate her even more.
Music – 2020 – Special Film -The Story Of Dolly Parton: Queen Of Country Music
