"Travelin' Thru" is an original song written and performed by Dolly for the movie "Transamerica." The song went on to receive nominations for an Academy Award for Best Song and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. It was also nominated by the Broadcast Film Critics Association for Best Song and won for Best Original Song at the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards on 2005.
When Duncan Tucker, the director of the movie "Transamerica," was looking for a song for the end credits of his movie, he had only one thought, Dolly Parton.
Dolly said about her motivation for writing the movie’s song,
"Some people are blind or ignorant, and you can't be that prejudiced and hateful and go through this world and still be happy. One thing about this movie is that I think art can change minds. It's alright to be who you are."
The song was one of three songs nominated for an Oscar the same year. The song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from the movie "Hustle & Flow" won the Academy Award.
Dolly spoke to legendary interviewer Larry King about the process that created the song.
“Well Duncan Tucker, who is the writer/director of the film, I understood he was a fan of mine and he called me and asked if I would write this song. And so I said, I'll give it a try. I was actually on tour, and I was out promoting a new CD of my own, the CD that you know about, 'Those Were The Days.' And so I said, I don't know if I'm going to have time to work on it, but I'll see. He said, ‘Oh please, give it a try.’ So he sent me a rough cut of the film, and he gave me some great direction, gave me some great input and I kicked around with it for a little while and one morning I woke up and it just all come together and now here I am, nominated and I was really shocked and surprised it all happened so quick.”
The Oscars, "reward the previous year’s greatest cinema achievements as determined by some of the world’s most accomplished motion picture artists and professionals. The Academy’s roughly 6,000 members vote for the Oscars using secret ballots, which are tabulated by the international auditing firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers. The auditors maintain absolute secrecy until the moment the show’s presenters open the envelopes and reveal the winners on live television."
In 1982, Dolly starred alongside Burt Reynolds in the American musical comedy film, "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." The film revolves around a sheriff, played by Burt Reynolds, and a regular patron who fights to keep a historical whorehouse open when a television preacher targets it as the devil’s playhouse.
The film was Dolly’s second appearance in a major theatrical release, her first being "9 to 5." The film was successfully positioned as a star vehicle for Dolly and Burt Reynolds.
With a budget of $35 million and gross box office sales of $69 million, the film was a huge success. It earned Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture in a Comedy or Musical and Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for Dolly.
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.
