Dolly was honored on Feb. 15, 2002, with the Galaxy Award, the highest honor offered by the American Association of School Administrators at its annual convention. At the event, Dolly sang "9 to 5" and "I Will Always Love You." The award recognizes Dolly’s work in support of raising awareness for early childhood literacy through her Imagination Library.
In her acceptance speech, Dolly mentioned the things that inspired her to get involved,
"My mother only got an eighth-grade education but she could read and write...My father couldn't do either, and I've often wondered how that affected his dreams. I've always been blessed with big dreams. The Imagination Library was one way that I could give back. I could help children chase their dreams."
The song appears on her album, "9 to 5 and Odd Jobs." It is based on the film of the same name in which Dolly starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Dolly explained in her Rolling Stone interview why she accepted the role that inspired the hit song,
"'Nine to Five' fascinated me, and I knew instantly that I should do it – I knew that it was a career move. And it fell together really well – just according to my lists."
Dolly was unable to attend the awards show. Her "9 to 5" co-star, Dabney Coleman, accepted the award on her behalf and Ann Jillian performed the song.
The 7th Annual People's Choice Awards were held at the Desilu TV studios in Los Angeles, California on, March 9, 1981. The show was broadcast on CBS.
Released in 1980, the feature film "9 to 5" tells the story of three female employees who plan to get even with their boss, who they utterly despise in every way imaginable.
The film was a huge hit at the time, grossing more than $3.9 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. It was a star vehicle for Dolly, an established singer and songwriter at the time. After the film’s release, Dolly was permanently launched into mainstream pop culture.
The film’s theme song, "9 to 5," was written by Dolly and become one of the biggest hits of the decade and her career. Certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, the song won two GRAMMY awards. It was nominated for another as was the album of the same title. Dolly was nominated for her first Academy Award, in the category of Best Music, Original Song, for "9 to 5" in 1981.
The film, "9 to 5," is No. 74 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Funniest Movies.
