Following a shorter than expected break after the first season, Dolly opened her Dixie Stampede in Myrtle Beach for its second regular season on, February 12, 1993. Soon after, Dolly and her attraction received praise from SC Governor Carroll Campbell.
As one of South Carolina’s top new job providers, Dolly’s Dixie Stampede was given the Top Job Creator Award. The dinner show created 200 jobs when it opened in June of 1992. Plans to remain open for 10 months out of the year increased their annual employment. Before the opening of her Dixie Stampede, Dolly was quoted as saying,
“I love to entertain, but I also love to help people,”
when asked about the economic impact of opening a dinner show in Myrtle Beach.
The initial 200 jobs included musicians, singers, trick riders, stable hands, comedians, magicians and horse riders. Because of the show’s success, Dolly and her team had planned to hire even more people for Dixie Stampede's second season.
Dolly starred as Truvy Jones in the 1989 film, "Steel Magnolias." The all-star cast also included Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis and Daryl Hannah. Dolly talked about why she chose the role,
"Since I'm not an actress, and don't exactly know what all that even means - the technical end of it - I took on Truvy 'cause I knew she was close enough to me, where I could play her real well.”
Olympia Dukakis was on hand to accept the award on behalf of the cast and producers. "Steel Magnolias" shared this award with co-winner "Batman" starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson.
The 16th Annual People’s Choice Awards were held at Universal Studios in Hollywood, CA. The show aired on the CBS network.
Dolly was inducted into the East Tennessee Hall of Fame for the Performing Arts in October 1988. At the award ceremony, Dolly got laughs - when the projection of a tribute to her did not work. Dolly quickly responded with her famously quick-wit,
“How do you like me so far?”
The East Tennessee Hall of Fame is housed in the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, TN.
In 1988, Dolly received the Small Town America Hall of Fame Award, an honor that celebrated her small town upbringing in her hometown of Sevierville, TN. In addition, the award recognized her efforts to give back to the community where she grew up in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
On the same night that she won Favorite Female Performer In a New TV Show, Dolly received a second People's Choice Award. She was greeted with a surprise when her long-time friend Kenny Rogers presented the honor. In her acceptance speech, she talked about her many years in show business and thanked her fans. Dolly said,
“I have loved every year I’ve spent [in this business], even the heartaches and the hard times... I've always loved the fans because it’s always the fans that keep you going.”
Past winners include Carol Burnett, Barbra Streisand and Barbara Mandrell.
The 14th Annual People's Choice Awards were telecast on CBS and hosted by Barbara Mandrell and Carl Reiner.
