She has a new holiday album, A Holly Dolly Christmas, she is starring in a new Netflix musical, Christmas on the Square and she just announced the premiere of a new documentary about her global book gifting organization called, The Library That Dolly Built. We know she is always working but even while managing all these facets of her life, Dolly took time to sit down and talk about a few of the things that matter most to her. Here Dolly shares a few of her most treasured Christmas memories from her childhood. She also explains why Christmas at Dollywood is so important to her and how she loves seeing families enjoying themselves at the park and making great memories.
Dolly recalls two of her most precious Christmas memories from her childhood in East Tennessee. In one, she talks about her brother Randy and why they consider him their "Christmas Baby." Dolly explains how Randy is the inspiration behind, "You Are My Christmas," a new song from her holiday album, A Holly Dolly Christmas. Dolly also retells the story about the family's plan to buy her mother her first wedding band one year. Her father had devised a scheme to award a prize to the child who found the ring which he had hidden on Christmas Eve. One might imagine the chaos caused by the kids as they frantically search for the special gift for their mother. Dolly said,
"I swear that I found it. My brother Denver swears he found it. So we 'bout tore the house down, fighting, trying to get the ring."
Dolly goes on to say,
"Truth be told, Daddy had got a big box of candy for the one that found the ring. But it was so big that we had to share it with everybody else so it really was a gift for all of us."
In reflecting on the true meaning of the holiday season, Dolly says,
"Well Christmas, personally to me, means the birth of Jesus Christ. Who I'm so happy every year to say 'Happy Birthday dear Jesus.'"
She also finds joy in celebrating Christmas with the same traditions that many of us hold dear.
Over the years, Dollywood has garnered a grand reputation as offering one of the biggest and brightest Christmas celebrations in the country. Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas boasts over 5 million glistening lights, award-winning shows, culinary delights and, for the first time ever this year, nightly fireworks. The park brings families together for a magical holiday celebration, year after year all to Dolly’s delight. She said,
“I love the fact that Dollywood is now known for a tradition...It's just like a wonderland."
Finally, Dolly shares her favorite thing about Dollywood’s Christmas season. You might be surprised by her answer. Watch the video clip below to learn what Dolly looks forward to every year.
Visit Dollywood this holiday season and celebrate with your family. Smoky Mountain Christmas runs through January 3, 2021.
A Holly Dolly Christmas
Christmas on the Square
The Library That Dolly Built
Following the screening, Dolly Parton will be live for fan Q&A and for a very special acoustic performance.
Dollywood and Abramorama in association with The Dollywood Foundation have partnered to present a free one-night-only live streaming world premiere event for “The Library That Dolly Built,” a behind-the-scenes look at Dolly Parton’s non-profit program, the Imagination Library. The world premiere event is a free live stream screening of the film, exclusively on Facebook, available nationally on Wednesday, December 9, at 7 PM EST / 6 PM CST / 4 PM PST. The screening will be followed by a conversation with, and an acoustic performance, by Dolly Parton. Viewers can tune into the live screening and conversation on Facebook.com/dollysimaginationlibrary.
The European premiere will be Thursday, December 10 at 7 PM GMT. Renowned actress, writer and politician, Baroness Floella Benjamin, DBE, will be on hand to kick off the evening. The Australian premiere will be Friday, December 11 at 7 PM AEDT, with the multi-award-winning husband and wife duo Mark and Jay O’Shea introducing the film. Dolly Parton will also host fan Q&A and give a special acoustic performance following both the European and Australian premieres.
The film features the music of Dolly Parton and is narrated by actress and author, Danica McKellar. It is produced by Land Grant Films, directed by journalism professor Nick Geidner, edited by video instructor Clinton Elmore and crewed by 15 University of Tennessee students. In talking about the documentary Dolly said,
"I am so excited that we can finally tell the whole story of the Imagination Library. It is certainly not just about me. Our story is the story of children, of families and communities who all share the dream to inspire kids to love to read and to love to learn. My hope is this documentary will encourage more towns, more states and even more countries to jump onboard. One thing is for sure, I think this is the best investment I have ever made!"
Dolly created the Imagination Library to inspire a love for books and reading amongst the nation’s preschool children. Since its inception in 1995, the Imagination Library has grown into a global endeavor and recently hit a new milestone, gifting its 150 millionth book. The Imagination Library is currently gifting books to 1.7 million children around the world each month. This spring, Dolly participated in a weekly bedtime reading series, “Goodnight With Dolly,” presented across Facebook and YouTube which garnered more than 15 million views, exceeding all expectations.
About The Documentary
The Library That Dolly Built, directed and produced by journalism professor and director of Land Grant Films Nick Geidner, and narrated by Danica McKellar, goes behind the scenes of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, to show how one of the most famous and beloved performers in the world has partnered with thousands of local community organizations to develop an efficient and effective program for spreading the love of reading. Imagination Library started as a gift for the children in Dolly’s hometown, Sevierville, Tennessee, and is now active in all 50 states, and 5 countries, gifting 1.7 million free, age-appropriate books to children every month. The film also provides a glimpse of the profound impact the Imagination Library has on the people through original interviews with authors, policymakers, Imagination Library staff, recipients, and the legend herself, Dolly Parton. Woven throughout the film is a biographical sketch of Dolly Parton, featuring rare photos and films from her childhood. Unlike most biographies of Dolly, it doesn’t focus on her music. Instead, it demonstrates that at every point in her career, any time she has had success, Dolly Parton has come back to Sevierville to give back to her people.
Evan Saxon, Head of Music at Abramorama stated,
“Dolly Parton is an amazing human, extremely generous in her time and resources, and the world is in a much better place because of her. Everybody at Abramorama is honored to be part of the team to bring this heart-warming documentary about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to fans around the world.”
On December 11, the film and the conversation with Dolly Parton will be released nationwide as a Watch Now @ Home Cinema Release, and in early 2021 across multiple digital platforms.
Starring Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski, Jenifer Lewis, Treat Williams and directed and choreographed by three-time Emmy and Golden Globe winner Debbie Allen, Christmas on the Square features 14 original Dolly songs in what is sure to become a new holiday classic.
In these one-on-one interviews from The Front Porch, the cast and crew share special memories from on and off the set. Director and Choreographer Debbie Allen was overjoyed to slip back into her musical theater shoes. Christine Baranski welcomed the role of yet another "Christmas Scrooge" as long as it was opposite an angel played by Dolly Parton. And Jenifer Lewis hopes this film will fill everyone's hearts with some Christmas joy during a time when we may need it most. Everyone has a "Dolly Story" and within these interviews, this loveable cast shares how they forged lasting friendships while making the film.
Sam Haskell is the founder of Magnolia Hill Productions. Partnering with Dolly Parton, Magnolia Hill produced Christmas on the Square and Dolly Parton's Heartstrings for Netflix. He also produced two television movies for NBC, Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors and Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love. Coat of Many Colors drew more than 16 million live viewers making it the most viewed film on broadcast TV in over six years. Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love garnered 14.5 million live viewers and received an Emmy Nomination
Virtual Event includes performances by Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Brett Eldredge and Carly Pearce
Pandora announced today that Dolly Parton will bring some holiday cheer to the Pandora LIVE stage as she’s joined by Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Brett Eldredge and Carly Pearce for a special virtual celebration on December 4, at 9:00 PM EST/6:00 PM PST. Pandora LIVE is the continuation of the popular live event turned virtual series that features top artists from all genres, including country, rock, R&B, and more. Listeners can RSVP for the free event online.
To get in the holiday spirit leading up to the event, attendees can tune into Christmas Radio and Holiday Hits on Pandora. Both stations now feature Modes, a new feature that allows users to customize their station listening experience based on a musical theme.
Taking place in a Nashville studio majestically decorated for the holidays, the evening will feature each artist performing classic holiday tunes backed by Dolly’s longtime band members. Exclusive interviews will be included where the guests recall their favorite memories of Dolly and talk about their favorite holiday traditions. Additionally, children around the country will act as the evening’s interviewers, asking Dolly about her holiday traditions in a special “Dear Dolly” segment. Pandora and flavor brand McCormick will be partnering for a charitable donation to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and encourage viewers to get involved and give the gift of reading this holiday season.
Dolly Parton, an 11-time Grammy award winner and member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1969 is the first country artist to have a top 20 Billboard single across 7 consecutive decades (from the 60s through the 20s). For her Pandora LIVE performance, she’ll be performing tracks from her latest release "A Holly Dolly Christmas" which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Country Albums and Holiday Albums chart.
Tasha Cobbs Leonard is one of the strongest voices in gospel music right now. Her achievements include 1 Platinum record, 3 Gold records and 600 million lifetime streams on Pandora. A Grammy winner for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance, she is also the recipient of 13 Stellar Awards and 12 Dove Awards.
Country music superstar Brett Eldredge’s fifth studio album "Sunday Drive" was the top-selling country album upon release, marking his fifth Top 5 on the Top Country Albums chart. His fan-favorite Christmas record "Glow" debuted at No. 2 on the country charts and features the Billboard Adult Contemporary and Holiday Music Chart-topping duet “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Meghan Trainor. The album has spawned an annual headlining holiday tour, and he recently joined Kelly Clarkson for original duet “Under The Mistletoe.” He’s earned 1.5 billion lifetime streams on Pandora and thanks to Snapple, some of his top listeners will have the opportunity to participate in a virtual meet and greet with Brett prior to the performance.
Life comes full circle for Carly Pearce who left her Kentucky home and high school at 16 to take a job at Dollywood and is now sharing the stage with Dolly for Pandora LIVE. Carly had the most CMA Award nods for any new artist nominee this year for her No. 1 hit song “I Hope You’re Happy Now” and took home this year’s trophy for Musical Event of the Year.
Event sponsors have helped to create a truly unique virtual event experience that brings interactive fan activities and exclusive content together in an innovative and engaging way. Leading up to the show, Sierra® will get fans in the holiday spirit with a curated gift guide and a chance to test their artist knowledge with pre-show trivia.
During the show, fans will be invited to pose in the Meow Mix virtual photo booth and partake in the interactive chat hosted by Wendy’s. CarMax will provide a limited amount of exclusive artist merchandise for attendees on a first-come, first-served code redemption basis.
For fans looking to continue the celebration after the show, Wendy’s will be partnering with a social influencer to host an official virtual afterparty on Instagram Live and soon will announce a deal for fans to enjoy Wendy’s at home during the show. For fans looking for more music, LendingTree Powered by VantageScore will invite fans to check out the new Pandora Live: Backstage with Dolly Parton station on Pandora featuring commentary from Dolly.
RSVP now for Pandora Live Holiday Special Featuring Dolly Parton & Friends!
In true Dolly fashion, the country music icon and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® team up for an amazing Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® performance and more! Following the release of her first holiday album in 30 years, Dolly is set to perform the holiday classic "A Holly Jolly Christmas." The 94th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® marks Cracker Barrel’s second-ever appearance and Dolly’s return to the annual holiday staple.
Watch the 94th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® only on NBC, Thursday, November 26, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm in all time zones!
To celebrate the true meaning of the season, Dolly and Cracker Barrel have gifted a few lucky fans a unique parade viewing experience. With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cracker Barrel and Dolly teamed up to give the gift of a new tradition by providing 10 fans with a VIP Watch Party Package. These packages provide fans an awesome and safe way to enjoy the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from the comfort of their home. This exclusive package included:
In addition to the nine winners of the VIP Watch Party Package, one grand prize winner was selected. The grand prize winner received a $250 gift card to Macy's and Cracker Barrel meals for a year (valued at $650) in place of the $100 gift cards.
For more information on the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade including performance lineup visit Macys.com. Visit CrackerBarrel.com to plan your holiday shopping and dining!
