GRAMMY Award-winning entertainment and international icon Dolly Parton announces the release of “Mary, Did You Know?” today from her upcoming Christmas album, "A Holly Dolly Christmas," available everywhere on October 2. The classic holiday tune follows a series of Christian faith-based releases from Dolly including the #1 Platinum single and Grammy winning song, with Four-time Grammy award-winning Christian Pop Duo, for KING & COUNTRY, “God Only Knows,” which she performed with the duo at the 2019 CMA Awards. That same evening Dolly took the stage with Grammy award-winning Christian artist, Zach Williams, to perform their hit song, “There Was Jesus.” The track is Dolly’s first Top 10 single on Hot Christian Songs and Christian Airplay charts, and is currently top 5 and climbing on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs & Christian Airplay charts this week. Dolly’s steadfast connection to her faith has been a theme throughout her legendary career, from her childhood in the East Tennessee mountains singing hymns at church with her family, to now when the world can collectively use a little something more to believe in.
"'Mary, Did You Know?' is one of the greatest, sweetest, well-written songs that I’ve ever had the chance to sing on,” says Dolly. “When I was recording it, I got very emotional. It is to me what Christmas is about and I’m proud to be able to sing it for my upcoming album.”
Releasing on Butterfly Records in partnership with 12Tone Music, "A Holly Dolly Christmas" is Dolly's first holiday album in 30 years and includes some of the timeless Christmas songs we all know and love, as well as a few original tracks. Five of the 12 tracks were written solely by Dolly with one additional co-write with Kent Wells. Duet partners and featured artists on the album are some of Dolly's dearest friends including Michael Bublé, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon and Willie Nelson, plus a special song with her brother, Randy Parton.
"A Holly Dolly Christmas" is available now worldwide for digital pre-add/pre-save/pre-order, exclusive pre-order bundles, and physical pre-order.
"A Holly Dolly Christmas" Track Listing
Photo Credit: Stacie Huckeba
Courtesy of Butterfly Records, LLC
Recently, Dolly also announced her partnership with Chronicle Books to release "Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics." The visual memoir and annotated songbook will give an intimate look at Dolly's enduring career as a songwriter, musician, and Country legend. Fans will have access to the stories behind the lyrics in Dolly's own words with never-before-seen photographs and memorabilia, bringing them closer to her work than ever before. The Recorded Books audiobook form and CD of "Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics" will be available on November 17, 2020, and is currently available for preorder on Amazon.
"Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics" will be available on November 17, 2020.
To pre-order, please visit: Dolly.ChronicleBooks.com.
Good Housekeeping offers readers an exclusive first taste from Dolly Parton's upcoming holiday release, "A Holly Dolly Christmas." The song, "Mary, Did You Know?" is one of 12 songs on the new album which is due out Oct. 2, 2020. On Instagram, Dolly shared her fondness for the song and why it was important for her to have it on this project. She said,
"I got very emotional recording 'Mary, Did You Know?' It’s the sweetest song about beautiful things being born out of unexpected situations and that’s a message we all need to hear now more than ever."
“A Holly Dolly Christmas” is available now worldwide for digital pre-add/pre-save/pre-order, exclusive pre-order bundles, and physical pre-order.
Governor John Carney and First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney today joined American icon Dolly Parton to announce the statewide expansion of her namesake Imagination Library book gifting program and to encourage parents of young children across Delaware to participate. Dolly said,
“I am so excited to be working with Governor and First Lady Carney to bring my Imagination Library to children and families across Delaware! It takes visionary leaders to make this possible, and I can’t thank them enough. It is such an important time to share the gift of books and reading with as many children as we can, and I know Delaware families will love receiving a specially selected book in the mail each month.”
Children whose parents enroll them in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library through Delaware libraries receive one new book in the mail each month from birth until the child’s fifth birthday at no cost to the family, creating a personal library of as many as 60 books that can help form the foundation of a child’s early reading experience. Information and registration are available online via the Delaware Division of Libraries.
Books are selected by a national panel of early childhood literacy experts who review hundreds of children’s books each year and choose those that best fit the needs of children as they learn and grow.
“A healthy reading habit motivates, inspires and encourages creativity among children and adults alike,” said Delaware Governor John Carney. “One of the most important things we can do to improve childhood literacy is to give our children access to books, especially during this challenging time. It’s a simple but powerful idea. That’s why Delaware is proud to partner with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to improve literacy in our state. I want to thank our state librarian, Annie Norman, and my wife, Tracey, for spearheading this important effort in Delaware.”
Governor Carney announced a pilot launch of the Imagination Library program in five Delaware school districts in his 2020 State of the State address. Beginning in February, the Division of Libraries partnered with 13 local public libraries to make the program available to families within the pilot districts. So far, more than 3,800 children have been enrolled in the program and received more than 16,000 books.
The Imagination Library program is also an important component of the First Chance Delaware initiative for children, led by First Lady Carney. The mission of First Chance Delaware includes promoting learning readiness through literacy and parent-child engagement.
“It’s a great privilege for me to serve as the honorary chair of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in Delaware,” said First Lady Carney. “The quantity and quality of early language experience, starting at birth, correlates to children’s academic success at ages nine and 10—the target of our state’s grade-level reading campaign—which then correlates to the likelihood of high-school graduation, which correlates to virtually every positive life outcome from then on. Expanding the Imagination Library program in Delaware is a great investment in our families and in our future.”
For public libraries across Delaware, the Imagination Library program will serve as a springboard for children and parents to engage with their local libraries, participate in library programming and take advantage of the many resources libraries have to offer.
“It’s never too early to start reading to children,” said Delaware State Librarian Dr. Annie Norman. “Kids who read succeed! Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library helps develop the reading and library habit, a foundation for success throughout life.”
Parents who enrolled their children with the Imagination Library earlier this year through pilot school districts have already reported positive results, especially in light of the changes to daily lives and routines as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The books we have received have helped a lot with his vocabulary and his ability to express himself,” said Lewes mom Ashely Durden about her son Quentin, who has been enrolled in the Imagination Library Program for the last two years. “Thank you for bringing reading to everyone in our district and our state; it’s a really great resource to get new books to children at a very young age.”
Visit Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
The August 15 issue of Billboard features Dolly Parton in an exclusive cover story. In what is sure to become one of the magazine’s most sought after issues, Dolly Parton shares some of her best business strategies and talks about making tough decisions during the pandemic. Dolly also talks about her new holiday album, “A Holly Dolly Christmas” due out on Oct. 2, 2020.
Parton photographed July 6 in Nashville. Styling and wardrobe design by Steve Summers. Hair by Cheryl Riddle.
“A Holly Dolly Christmas” is available now worldwide for digital pre-add/pre-save/pre-order, exclusive pre-order bundles, and physical pre-order.
Shop exclusive pre-order bundles
Pre-Order the album on iTunes or Amazon
Pre-Save the album on Spotify, Deezer or Apple Music
As part of CBS's new School Matters series, Dolly Parton will be on "CBS This Morning" on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, during the 8 AM (EST) hour. Dolly will talk about her Imagination Library and how the program's efforts contribute to education and learning.
Each month Dolly Parton's Imagination Library gifts a free, high-quality book to registered children. Once a year, a specially selected panel of early childhood literacy experts reviews hundreds of potential titles for inclusion in the Imagination Library. This panel takes great care in choosing books that meet the different needs of children as they progress from birth to age five. To date, the Imagination Library has gifted over 140 million free books to children around the world.
Recent studies suggest participation in the Imagination Library is positively and significantly associated with higher measures of early language and math development.
