As summertime comes to a close, the days start to get shorter, and we all get to slow down a bit to appreciate the beauty that arrives with autumn. Dolly ushers in a celebration of this wonderful season by sharing everything she loves about her favorite time of year.
“I love fall. It’s my favorite time of the year,” Dolly shared. “I love all the fun, the food, the beautiful leaves… I love all of God’s beauty and the fall, I think, shows it almost more than any other part of the year.”
Dollywood welcomes guests to celebrate the splendor of autumn during their annual Harvest Festival, happening September 24-October 30. The popular event, which includes the family-friendly Great Pumpkin LumiNights, features all of the fun, flavorful food and award-winning entertainment that make this a must-see experience for your family this fall!
Dolly’s Stampede in Pigeon Forge and Branson welcomes families to saddle up for an autumn adventure filled with thrilling horse riding stunts, while enjoying a bountiful four-course feast. Buccaneers of all ages will enjoy visiting Pirates Voyage in Pigeon Forge and Myrtle Beach, where a swashbuckling adventure awaits!
Dolly’s Imagination Library received one of the highest literacy honors from the Library of Congress for its dedication to inspiring a love of reading in children. The Library of Congress awarded the Imagination Library with the $150,000 David M. Rubenstein Prize for its work in gifting more than 167 million books to children around the world.
During the 2021 Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony, Dolly won her first Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie as executive producer of her Netflix holiday musical, “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square.” The film’s choreographer, Debbie Allen, also took home an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography For Scripted Programming.
TIME Magazine has named Dolly Parton among the 100 most influential people of 2021, with a foreword written by her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus. Dolly is one of only two country artists, along with Kane Brown, who earned a coveted spot on the list, announced on Wednesday, September 15.
Dolly has partnered with award-winning Puerto Rican musician José Feliciano to add some “new flair” to her song, “Eagle When She Flies,” in a new recording of the country music classic.
Dolly’s first-ever signature fragrance in partnership with Scent Beauty is now available! Dolly – Scent From Above transports us to a place where everything is possible. Flowers blossom with rhinestone hearts and playful butterflies. Notes of mandarin, peony blossoms, jasmine, vanilla, sandalwood, musk and patchouli are truly Scent from Above.
Fall is an inspiring time of year, not just in the Great Smoky Mountains where Dolly grew up, but God’s beauty can be seen all around us. As the leaves change and autumn colors burst forth, take time to reflect and embrace the beauty found in our own lives.
Words can’t describe what I feel inside
When I see the beauty in each coming day
What my eyes behold can’t be bought or sold
And everything’s beautiful in its own way
Global music icons José Feliciano and Dolly Parton released their first-ever song collaboration in a new recording of “Eagle When She Flies.” Dolly originally wrote and recorded "Eagle When She Flies" for the 1991 album of the same title, with the song reaching No. 33 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Now, Dolly has partnered with award-winning Puerto Rican musician José Feliciano to add some "new flair" to her song in a new recording, released on September 17 along with a new lyric video.
“Eagle When She Flies” releases on the heels of Feliciano’s recent 50-year anniversary celebration of his iconic holiday classic, “Feliz Navidad.” No stranger to the country music world, he has recorded many country songs in the span of his legendary career and performed with some of the genre’s most critically-acclaimed artists, including Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Glenn Campbell. Now, his collaboration with Dolly marks his latest contribution to the country music world. Feliciano shared,
"'Eagle When She Flies' became very personal when my producer, Rick Jarrard, brought it to me for our Nashville recording session for the 'Behind This Guitar' album. After hearing it the very first time, I knew exactly what Dolly was saying, knowing certain women who are precisely what the song is about and so I needed to echo that, myself. I am blown away and so honored, really, that she offered to sing it with me. You know, Dolly, herself, is a magnificent eagle."
“Eagle When She Flies,” featuring José Feliciano and Dolly Parton, is available now via all digital and streaming services.
TIME Magazine has named Dolly Parton among the 100 most influential people of 2021, with a foreword written by her goddaughter Miley Cyrus. Dolly is one of only two country artists, along with Kane Brown, who earned a coveted spot on the list, released on Wednesday, September 15. TIME CEO and editor in chief Edward Felsenthal said in a statement,
“[The TIME100 list] features extraordinary leaders from around the world working to build a better future, from entertainers striving to make Hollywood more inclusive to activists fighting for sustainability and human rights…They are disruptors, fixers, doers, iconoclasts, problem solvers—people who in a year of crisis have leaped into the fray.”
While Dolly has long been known for her humanitarian efforts, she made headlines during the pandemic when her $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University helped fund research for the highly effective Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. And, since 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has delivered more than 165 million books to children around the world, instilling a love of literacy.
The TIME100 list also features pairings where guest contributors talk about the impact of each of the people featured on the list. Dolly’s own goddaughter, singer-songwriter and actress Miley Cyrus, penned a touching tribute to the country music legend.
“People look to Dolly for guidance, and she knows that,” Miley shared. “She wears that responsibility with the same grace and pride she rocks a two-piece Nudie suit. She recognizes how impactful her choices will be as one of the most iconic and powerful voices in country music, and she leaves no one behind...There’s a theory that you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but I wish everyone had the chance to meet Dolly Parton, because she’s even better than your sparkliest dreams. She may be my fairy godmother, but I think she’s that to everyone else too.”
Joining Dolly on this year’s list are other notable figures including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Simone Biles, Kate Winslet, Billie Eilish, World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and the writer Cathy Park Hong.
For the full list of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2021 and to read Miley Cyrus’ tribute to Dolly, view the full article on TIME.com.
Congratulations are in order for Dolly Parton, who won her first Emmy Award during the 2021 Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony on Sunday, September 12.
Dolly won an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie as an executive producer of her Netflix holiday musical, "Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square," while the film's choreographer Debbie Allen also took home an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography For Scripted Programming. In a conversation with Deadline, Dolly said:
“Who knew that when we were creating this movie, that it would be aired in the middle of the pandemic, and it would bring so much joy and so much hope to millions of people around the world? I think that was one of greatest gifts that we gave and didn’t even know quite when we were doing it that we were going to help uplift the world.”
Dolly's tremendous success places her in a rare group of fewer than 100 people who have received nominations for an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. With this Emmy win under her belt, now she is one step closer to joining the ranks of only 16 people who have won all four awards.
"Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square" is only the second holiday movie ever to win the Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie. Featuring 14 original Dolly songs, the musical's stellar cast includes Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski, Treat Williams and Jenifer Lewis.
When a cold-hearted, wealthy woman returns to her hometown following her father's passing, she is on a mission to force all of her father’s tenants out of their homes in order to close a real estate deal with a mall developer. Instead, she finds herself reconnecting with people from her past and having an unexpected encounter with an angel, played by none other than Dolly herself, leading to a story of redemption.
“Christmas on the Square” really came to life when Debbie Allen accepted the roles of director and choreographer. The multi-award-winning actress, dancer, choreographer, singer/songwriter, director and producer has enjoyed a show-stopping career, encompassing everything from Broadway to a hit television series to the silver screen. After 20 Emmy Nominations, the award for Outstanding Choreography For Scripted Programming on "Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square" marks her fifth win.
Watch Dolly's Emmy Award-winning holiday musical “Christmas on the Square,” available to stream on Netflix!
Featured photo courtesy of Curtis Hilbun
Good Morning America filmed from Dollywood this week. Robin Roberts and Dolly Parton discussed everything from Dollywood’s Flower and Food Festival to the impact of the pandemic and vaccine plus Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
The park, like all industries, was shaken with closures during the pandemic; however, Dolly credits her staff, or as she refers to them her family, for making it through the tough times:
“People here are like family, so anytime you have a crisis of any kind, you just kind of pull together and get it done.”
It’s Dollywood’s 36th season, and Robin greeted Johnnie Crawford, a Dollywood employee that has worked at the parks since the beginning. Dolly credits her partners, meaning all the employees, for making Dollywood such a success.
Beautiful flowers and delicious food is around every corner for the Flower & Food Festival at Dollywood. Last year, the closure pushed the Flower & Food Festival to the summer months, but this year it is in full bloom for the springtime.
Dollywood's Culinary Director Aaron Banks joined Dolly and Robin for one of the Good Morning America segments. Aaron taught them how to make the Lavender Honey Mini Funnel Cakes, a featured dish during the festival. He also detailed several of the delicious dishes you can find at the park, including the Barbecue Brisket Sliders with brisket that has been smoked for more than six hours. Dolly commented:
"We cheer him [on] all the time here at Dollywood because he makes sure all the food is great. Everybody loves it. He's a great boss and has a lot of talent -- we're lucky to have him."
This marked the first visit for Dolly since last year when the park had to close due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in March 2020. The festival features a depiction of Dolly’s mother quilting the Coat of Many Colors. Dolly was quite emotional upon seeing this in person and knowing how the coat has impacted her life and career, detailing in the interview:
“Just having that big thing there that represents who I am as a person, who my parents were and the kind of mother that I was lucky enough to have and that that little coat has carried me so far. It’s kind of like a little signature thing. My life has been a life of many colors, not just the coat.”
Dolly performed “Coat of Many Colors” during the Good Morning America broadcast.
The Imagination Library is on its way to gifting 200 million books to children. This program was created to help childhood literacy by gifting one book a month to children from birth to age five.
Originally started in Sevier County, TN, the program has since grown globally to include programs in all 50 states as well as the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia and Canada. Robin and Dolly discussed the impact this program has brought to little ones worldwide.
Dolly was inspired to create the program because of her father’s inability to read and write. Even though he was brilliant, she saw the struggles this created and wanted to help others avoid them. In the interview Dolly said:
“I’m the Book Lady. My dad took great pride in that. He got to live long enough to see the Imagination Library doing well. He got such a kick out of them calling me the Book Lady.”
