I've lost my beloved Uncle Bill Owens. I knew my heart would break when he passed, and it did. I'll start this eulogy by saying I wouldn't be here if he hadn't been there. He was there... there in my young years to encourage me to keep playing my guitar, to keep writing my songs, to keep practicing my singing. And he was there to help build my confidence standing on stage where he was always standing behind me or close beside me with his big ol' red Gretsch guitar.
He was there to take me around to all of the local shows, got me my first job on the “Cas Walker Show.” He took me back-&-forth to Nashville through the years, walked up-&-down the streets with me, knocking on doors to get me signed up to labels or publishing companies.
It's really hard to say or to know for sure what all you owe somebody for your success. But I can tell you for sure that I owe Uncle Billy an awful lot.
Uncle Bill was so many things. He loved the music, loved to play, loved his guitar and loved to write and sing. He wrote great songs, at least 800 of them through the years. We wrote several songs together, the biggest one being “Put It Off Until Tomorrow.” We won our first big award on that one back in 1966. It was the BMI Song of the Year.
He wrote songs that were recorded by Loretta Lynn, Porter Wagoner, Ricky Skaggs, Kris Kristofferson and many others. He also traveled the road with many big artists playing his guitar, including playing on stage with me in my early years in Nashville.
Uncle Bill worked at Dollywood from the time we opened in the family show for many years. He was funny, friendly and generous. He always had a kind word for everybody and gave good advice to young people starting in the business. He joined forces with Dollywood, The American Chestnut Foundation, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and The American Eagle Foundation to bring back the endangered chestnut tree to the Great Smoky Mountain area. That was his passion. He also championed the cause of protecting the natural environment at Dollywood in 1986. During that time, he took it upon himself, with his wife Sandy, to plant 70,000 trees on the Park property.
I bet a lot of our own relatives don't even know all of the great things that Uncle Bill did behind the scenes through his life. But the greatest thing he ever did for me was to help me see my dreams come true and for that I will be forever grateful. I'm sure that Uncle Bill's friends, fans, his wife Sandy, his kids, grandkids and great-grandkids will join me when I say that we will always love you. Rest in peace, Uncle Bill.
A new limited-edition flavor, Strawberry Pretzel Pie, is available at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams on April 8. It's the new ice cream flavor specially made for Dolly Parton by Jeni’s. Strawberry Pretzel Pie benefits Dolly Parton's Imagination Library®, which has gifted more than 154 million books to children in five countries.
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams is a Certified B Corporation endorsed by the international nonprofit B Lab as a company that meets rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. They are devoted to making better ice creams and bringing people together.
On Wednesday, April 7, "Dolly Parton: A MusiCares Tribute" will premiere on Netflix. It’s a star-studded evening of music and memories featuring a community of iconic performers. Dolly changed the world, song by song and this special tribute celebrates everything her fans love about her artistry, compassion and generosity.
Dolly is the first artist from the Nashville music community to receive this honor. Her considerable creative accomplishments and longtime support of several causes, including her Imagination Library, led the Recording Academy™ to honor Dolly with this prestigious award in 2019. Since 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library® has gifted more than 154 million books to children from birth to five years of age in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
The Recording Academy™ has recognized Dolly throughout her career, most recently when she received the GRAMMY® for Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for her duet with Zach Williams, “There Was Jesus.” This was Dolly’s 11th GRAMMY win, including her Lifetime Achievement Award and MusiCares Person of the Year Award.
As 2020 gets further behind us and a post-pandemic world inches closer to reality, Dolly ushers in a celebration of springtime.
Dolly shares,
“I know this past year has opened my eyes and my heart in ways I never imagined. Perhaps we have all been reborn and now stand as ready as ever before to laugh, love and get the most out of every moment life has to offer.”
At Dollywood, guests were welcomed back for a fun-filled 2021 season, packed with a myriad of festivals, brand new shows, entertainment and, of course, amazing food! At Dollywood, your entire family will love every moment. There’s always something for everyone to enjoy!
Dolly’s Stampede in Pigeon Forge and Branson, and Pirates Voyage in Pigeon Forge and Myrtle Beach, all welcomed families back with four-course feasts and action-packed adventures!
ROLLING STONE
Dolly’s Imagination Library makes headlines in a new Rolling Stone article highlighting the program’s amazing milestones. Imagination Library gifts nearly two million books a month to children across the globe and, to date, has gifted more than 155,000,000 books in total.
GRAMMY WIN
During the 63rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards, Dolly won her 11th GRAMMY® for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for her collaboration with Zach Williams on “There Was Jesus.” Watch the music video here:
SPOTIFY
Dolly’s top songs are now streaming on Spotify in the Dolly Parton: Top Tracks playlist. From “9 to 5” to “Here You Come Again” and 70 more hit songs from Dolly, this playlist is a must for spring!
Dolly launches new “I Will Always Love You” merch on Amazon and deluxe sample sizes of her new perfume, “Dolly – Scent From Above,” are also now available! As fragrant as the fresh smell of spring, the world got its first hint of the glorious aroma on February 5. Described as a playful floral, it is as soft and spirited as its namesake! New merchandise can be found inside Dolly’s Shop.
Springtime is an exciting time of year, not just in the Great Smoky Mountains where Dolly grew up, but the hope of new life is bursting forth all around us. It’s a time when many things are made new, including the renewed hope of a “clear blue morning.”
'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
Last night at the 63rd GRAMMY® Awards, Zach Williams and Dolly Parton won the Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song award for their number 1 hit, “There Was Jesus.” This marks Dolly’s 11th Grammy win, including her Lifetime Achievement Award and MusiCares Person of the Year Award. This is Zach Williams' second GRAMMY win. Dolly said,
“Thank you Jesus, thank you Zach Williams, and thank you to the GRAMMYS and all of our fans. I am very humbled but proud.”
In September, the duet hit number 1 on the following Christian charts: Billboard Airplay, Billboard AC Monitored, Billboard AC Indicator, Mediabase Audience, Mediabase AC Monitored and Mediabase AC Activator. In the earliest stages of this collaboration, Dolly was very touched by the lyrics and said,
“When I heard the song, I thought it was one of the best songs I’d ever heard. I was at that time, wanting to do something more uplifting, and I feel like it was a Godsend.”
See a full list of winners from 83 categories who were honored at the 63rd GRAMMY® Awards.
