One of the highlights of Dolly’s 42nd album 'Blue Smoke' is the duet 'You Can’t Make Old Friends,' recorded with one of her most beloved singing partners Kenny Rogers. The song is a poignant reflection of enduring friendship.
Rogers said of this, his first duet with Dolly since 1985’s 'Real Love,'
“We really are those kind of friends, where you can't make old friends. Dolly knows me like a book, and I know her like a book. So this is the perfect idea for a song for us."
Dolly calls Rogers her "best friend" and talks about how she is glad she got to "walk that road" with the man she sang one of the most loved duets of all time, "Islands in the Stream."
The song was nominated for a 2014 GRAMMY Award in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category. This was the third GRAMMY-nominated collaboration for Dolly and Kenny! Other nominated collaborations include 'Islands in the Stream' and 'Real Love.'
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Dolly credits her Uncle Bill Owens with being one of her earliest supporters and one of the biggest reasons she reached for her childhood dreams. On March 23, 2013, she dedicated a section of her Chasing Rainbows Museum at Dollywood in honor of Uncle Bill and everything he has done for her. The room features pictures, songs, her very first single and, occasionally, Uncle Bill himself!
Dolly was among six recipients to receive the honor during an invitation-only ceremony. The ceremony was held the night before the live telecast of the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards. Due to a family commitment, scheduled months earlier, Dolly was unable to attend the event. In her recorded acceptance speech she said,
“I appreciate all my GRAMMYS, all of my fans, all the folks that work hard to see to it that I’m still out here on the road… I do thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Dolly won her first GRAMMY in 1978. She was awarded Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her song, "Here You Come Again." In addition to her wins, she has earned 39 nominations to date.
The other honorees included Julie Andrews, Roy Haynes, Juilliard String Quartet, Kingston Trio and the Ramones. In the official press release, The Recording Academy President and CEO Neil Portnow said,
“These influential performers and brilliant innovators have been of great inspiration to our culture and industry. Their legendary work has left a lasting impression and will continue to influence generations to come.”
The GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 1962. Bing Crosby was the first to receive this distinction. In 1967, Ella Fitzgerald became the first woman honored.
The Recording Academy’s National Trustees vote on the honorees. The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to those who, “during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.” In 1972, the award broadened to include non-performers.
Dolly accepted the Liseberg Applause Award, the amusement park industry’s most prestigious honor, at the Amusement Park International Expo in Orlando, Florida, in November 2010 for her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
The Applause Award is given out every other year (since 1980) and is designed to honor a park whose “management, operations and creative accomplishments have inspired the industry with their foresight, originality and sound business development," according to a statement from Liseberg park in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Mats Widen who was in charge of the selection committee explained why Dollywood received the amusement park equivalent of the Oscar,
"It's probably the friendliest park in the world... The thing that stands out the most are the people."
In addition to recognizing her partners, Jack and Pete Herschend of Herschend Family Entertainment, and the region where Dollywood is located, the Great Smoky Mountains, in her acceptance speech, Dolly also included one of her classic ‘Dollyisms’ referencing her famous bustline,
“Of course, Walt Disney became successful because he had Mickey Mouse who has two big ears... So I figured I could be successful with Dollywood with my two big partners.”
Dollywood’s Splash Country was recognized in 2009 as the Must-See Waterpark at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo. Although not the first award won by Dolly’s waterpark, this international recognition ranks Dollywood’s Splash Country above other waterparks across the globe, making winning the Must-See Waterpark Award particularly special.
