Dolly Parton today announced an unprecedented entertainment lineup to ensure the spotlight remains solely on her Dollywood theme park. The performing icon unveiled her unwavering commitment to Dollywood’s family entertainment offerings with an extraordinary investment for 2018.
Hailing the year as a “Season of Showstoppers,” Dolly announced an entertainment lineup which represents an investment $1 million greater than any season-long entertainment schedule in the park’s history. Headlining 2018 are performances by The Marshall Tucker Band, The Drifters, T.G. Sheppard, Suzy Bogguss, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Crystal Gayle, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and a host of other award-winning artists.
“Music is the universal language that unites all of us,” Dolly explained. “It celebrates our people, our families and our communities. I’ve made music my life’s work because I feel each and every one of us has a special song to sing. I’ve made sure that here at my Dollywood, we use music to encourage and inspire those songs in each and every one of our shows.”
Dollywood’s 2018 entertainment roster reads like the nomination list from an awards ceremony. A range of performers—from CMA Hall of Fame members to emerging artists—ensure there is something for everyone. Combined, the headlining artists performing at Dollywood in 2018 have 42 gold albums, 18 platinum albums, 30 Grammys, 14 Country Music Association Awards, 10 American Country Music Awards, five American Music Association Awards and 62 Dove Awards.
It all begins with Dollywood’s Festival of Nations (March 17-April 9). Headliners include National Dance Company of Siberia, The Flamenco Kings starring Los Vivancos, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Hailing from South Africa, internationally-known Grammy award-winning group Ladysmith Black Mambazo worked with Dolly on her 1996 album "Treasures." They have also teamed with Paul Simon, Sarah McLachlan, Emmylou Harris and many more.
April plays host to three weeks (April 11-29) of stellar performances during the all-new Spring Mix music series. Dollywood guests can expect performances by Dollywood entertainment alumnus Bogguss, Sheppard, Pam Tillis, Gayle, Connie Smith and Shenandoah during the first week of the event. The second week plays host to artists such as Amy Grant, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Larnelle Harris, David Phelps and comedienne Chonda Pierce – also known as “The Queen of Clean.”
Classic artists like The Marshall Tucker Band (Can’t You See and Heard it in a Love Song), The Drifters (Under the Boardwalk and Save the Last Dance for Me), Debby Boone (You Light Up My Life), The Atlanta Rhythm Section (So Into You and Imaginary Lover), Firefall (Just Remember I Love You and You Are the Woman), and Al Stewart (The Year of the Cat and Song on the Radio) entertain park guests during the final week of the event. Individual concert dates and show times will be announced at a later date.
Already one of the nation’s best bluegrass events, Dollywood’s Barbeque & Bluegrass (May 25- June 10) adds an extra week of concerts from the biggest names in the business. Guests should expect hundreds of live bluegrass performances during the festival with headline shows from Grammy and IBMA winner Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, and IMBA winners Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Dailey & Vincent, and many more.
Families have a multitude of world-renowned options to keep them entertained during Dollywood’s Summer Celebration. iLuminate, finalists on America’s Got Talent in 2011, bring their electrified glow-in-the-dark costumes to DP’s Celebrity Theater to perform dynamic dance routines and illusions to thrill guests. Summer 2018 also sees international touring sensation DRUMLine Live! visit the park with riveting rhythms, bold beats and ear-grabbing energy. Developed by the consultants of the hit 2002 movie Drumline, the band featured in this exhilarating show creates a synchronized musical masterpiece for guests—it’s more than just the typical halftime performance! Dan Dunn—America’s favorite speed painter—brings his innovative and mesmerizing PaintJam to Dollywood. Audiences will be astonished as he creates stunning works of art on a spinning 360-degree canvas, while he dances and moves throughout the performance.
Dollywood’s popular Rock the Smokies moves to August 25 with TobyMac and Crowder serving as headliners. Multiple contemporary Christian artists perform throughout the park during this exciting conclusion to the summer.
Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 28 – Nov. 3) provides more fall family fun with the expansion of the new guest-favorite Great Pumpkin LumiNights and the largest Southern gospel event in America. During the festival, several hundred performances by Southern gospel royalty take place during the day. And at night, thousands of carved pumpkins illuminate the dark. Guest will experience an expanded number of displays and activities for families to enjoy. And can expect spectacular artistry of visiting crafters from across the country. All the while they can sample the special harvest-themed food items from Dollywood’s award-winning foods team.
Dollywood’s 2018 season again ends with America’s favorite theme park holiday event, Smoky Mountain Christmas. Voted as the best theme park Christmas event for a decade, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (Nov. 10, 2018 – Jan. 5, 2019) features four million spectacular lights, classic holiday entertainment—including Christmas in the Smokies and It’s a Wonderful Life—Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Friends, and the heartwarming Parade of Many Colors.
Dollywood won the 2017 Golden Ticket from Amusement Today for Best Entertainment at any theme park in the world. The honor was the ninth consecutive triumph for the park in that category. With Dolly’s commitment to entertainment in 2018, Dollywood looks to lead the way in securing its 10th victory in the category.
Dollywood continues to celebrate its Year of the Family this season with a number of exciting festivals, performing groups, and two new attractions—Drop Line, a 230-ft. tall free-fall experience, and Whistle Punk Chaser, a junior coaster designed for Dollywood’s younger visitors. The season ends with America’s favorite Christmas theme park event, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (Nov. 4, 2017 – Jan. 1, 2018). Guests can upgrade their park admission during the Christmas festival to a season pass and receive next year for free!
For more information about Dollywood’s 2018 entertainment lineup, please visit Dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD.
Earlier this season, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana celebrated its tenth consecutive victory in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards. Once guests experience the park’s festive holiday atmosphere for themselves, they understand why Dollywood has earned the award for the last decade.
Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas (Nov. 4, 2017 – Jan. 1, 2018) kicks off the holiday season with its signature light displays, family-favorite shows, delectable food and warm Christmas spirit. The awe-inspiring Parade of Many Colors returns for its second season, while traditional holiday performances—including Christmas in the Smokies and It’s a Wonderful Life—and four million festive lights delight guests during this lively festival.
“There is no time of the year that is more special to me than Christmas,” Dolly Parton explained. “Some of the best memories of my life are from my time spent with family and friends celebrating Christmas together. It’s when we all come together to enjoy sweet traditions and the warm love of family and to have those special experiences we’ll always remember.
“Now when we were growing up, we never could have imagined millions of Christmas lights or even a life-size Rudolph. But I know the families who come to visit my Dollywood this Christmas will leave with wonderful memories they’ll treasure forever—just like me and my family.”
Dollywood—which earned its ninth consecutive Golden Ticket Award for Best Shows—continues to provide guests with classic Christmas entertainment which brings the holidays to life! Based on the timeless holiday story of love and generosity, It’s a Wonderful Life follows small-town businessman George Bailey as he discovers the true value of life, family and friends with a little help from his guardian angel, Clarence. One of Dollywood’s greatest entertainment offerings, Christmas in the Smokies, returns to D.P.’s Celebrity Theater and serves as the headline show for the festival. Guests can celebrate the joy of the season while a cast of singers and dancers performs hometown holiday favorites accompanied by a band of live musicians!
After a successful debut season in 2016, the crowd-favorite Parade of Many Colors returns to celebrate the fun, faith, family and harmony of the holiday season. The parade features whimsical floats, interactive characters and a heart-warming, cheerful message for Dollywood guests to enjoy.
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, the beloved Christmas television special, again comes to life at Dollywood this season. Guests can meet Rudolph and his friends, including Clarice, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster and Yukon Cornelius in Rudolph’s Holly Jolly™ Junction, a magical area where festive fun awaits. After meeting Rudolph and his friends, families can head to Clarice’s kitchen to decorate custom Christmas cookies or even take part in a few reindeer games!
Dollywood’s entertainment features several other beloved shows this season, including An Appalachian Christmas, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, O’ Holy Night, My People and Christmas with The Kingdom Heirs. Guests also can experience Santa Land, a whimsical workshop where the smallest guests can share their wish list with Kris Kringle.
Families can finish their visit with a traditional Christmas meal as several of Dollywood’s menus feature holiday-themed items. Among the new offerings this year is the Thanksgiving Feast sandwich—a ciabatta roll filled with cornbread dressing, slices of oven-roasted turkey breast, topped with cranberry sauce and served with sweet potato tater tots. Returning favorites include turkey and dressing, Christmas ham, chicken and dumplings, Cornish hens, center cut pork chops, mashed potatoes and gravy, hot flavored drinks like wassail, Mayfield hot chocolate and cider and much more. Holiday desserts available throughout the park include gingerbread man cookies, red velvet and pumpkin spice funnel cakes.
Smoky Mountain Christmas guests can upgrade a paid one-day admission ticket to a regular 2018 season pass for as low as $30 (plus tax when buying four or more). Ticket purchasers receive credit for the value of a regular one-day ticket ($69) toward the purchase of a 2018 season pass. A season pass purchased during Smoky Mountain Christmas provides unlimited admission to this year’s Christmas festival along with Dollywood’s entire 2018 season. Additionally, for each child’s season pass purchased, families will receive a copy of Dolly’s newest children’s album, “I Believe in You.” (A one-day ticket is valid for upgrade on the day of visit only.)
Visit Dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD for more information, including operating days and hours, daily show schedule and more helpful tips to help plan a visit.
"I've worked with Kirt Webster for many years and he has done a wonderful job. I am hoping that the accusations are not true."
On Oct, 25, Dolly Parton joined her old friend and longtime duet partner Kenny Rogers, at his Nashville, TN performance of “All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration.” This star-studded event honored Kenny’s historic 60-year career. Some of music’s most well-known artists graced the stage including Alison Krauss, Chris Stapleton, Elle King, Idina Menzel, Jamey Johnson, Lady Antebellum, Lionel Richie, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire, The Flaming Lips, The Judds and Wynonna.
The once-in-a-lifetime celebration featured the final performance together by Kenny and Dolly, one of country music’s most beloved duets. Songs like “Islands In The Stream”, “You Can’t Make Old Friends”, “Real Love” and “We Got Tonight” are sure to be covered over and over but will forever remain Kenny & Dolly classics.
In addition to their signature duets, Dolly and Kenny recorded a Christmas album together, “Once Upon A Christmas” and starred in a network television special in 1984 called “Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas To Remember”. In 2015, Kenny held a benefit concert at Dollywood raising money for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. And when Dolly called on him for the 2016 telethon "Smoky Mountains Rise," benefiting East Tennessee wildfire victims, he was eager to help.
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In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Kenny Rogers has left an indelible mark on the history of American music. His songs have endeared music lovers and touched the lives of millions around the world. Chart-topping hits like “The Gambler,” “Coward of the County,” “Through the Years,” “Lady,” and “Islands in the Stream” are just a handful of his songs that continue to inspire new generations of artists and fans alike.
With twenty-four number-one hits, Kenny is a six-time CMA Awards winner, Country Music Hall of Famer, three-time GRAMMY® Award winner and a recipient of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 CMAs. In a joint poll, readers of both USA Today and People voted him the “Favorite Singer of All Time.”
Photo Credit: Curtis Hilbun
Today, Dolly Parton will assist with the ongoing relief efforts around the United States and its territories by making a contribution to the One America Appeal for Hurricane Relief to assist with immediate life-sustaining needs of those affected. The One America Appeal is a joint appeal originally launched by all five living former American Presidents to encourage their fellow citizens to support recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey. This special appeal was expanded to include areas most affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Dolly recalled,
“After the tremendous outpouring of support my hometown received last winter after the wildfires raged through the area, I want to do my part to help other areas affected by natural disasters. I admire and respect this effort led by our Presidents so it is an honor for me to contribute to their work.”
In addition to the financial contribution to the One America Appeal, Dolly will launch a partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the nonprofit social enterprise First Book, and Penguin Young Readers to provide 500,000 books to hurricane-affected areas through the First Book National Book Bank. To kick off the campaign, Dolly’s foundation donated 165,000 books and the $90,750 needed to cover the shipping and handling charges to make books available quickly and at no cost to educators affected by the storms.
From Hurricane Katrina to Hurricane Sandy to last year's floods in Louisiana, First Book has distributed over 5 million books to families affected by disasters, in partnership with children’s book publishers, including a substantial book donation from Penguin Young Readers. Penguin Young Readers also partners with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and First Book to support their book gifting programs and other outreach efforts, with a special focus on getting books to children in times of natural disasters. Dolly said,
“I know in the immediate aftermath of a disaster books are not the first thing people need or miss. But I also know from our past experience that after some time has passed, families, schools and libraries are eager to replenish their shelves, and their hearts, with books. First Book asked us to join with them to get the right books in the right hands at the right time and we were pleased to do so.”
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Photos courtesy of First Book
Visit Hurricane Book Relief to learn more or donate to this effort—or if you work with a school or program affected by the storms.
Schools and programs affected by the storms can sign up for free with First Book and will then receive information about how to request books; each book distribution will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Chandler Arnold, First Book’s Chief Operating Officer said,
“Children in need in these communities often didn’t have the books they deserve even before the storm; our work has never been more important than it is right now. In times of crisis, books mean stories at bedtime, adventures with trusted character friends, and opportunities to dream about a world far beyond your own front door. First Book is thrilled to team up with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and Penguin Young Readers to place so many new books in these children’s hands.”
Founded in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting organization that has, to date, mailed nearly 100 million books to children in Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States. Each month, the program currently mails a specially selected, high-quality, age-appropriate book to over 1 million registered children from birth until they start Kindergarten in participating communities. Thousands of local, sponsoring organizations provide funding and support to the program. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading in children, preparing them for school and inspiring them to dream. Recent studies suggest participation in the Imagination Library is positively and significantly associated with higher measures of early language development. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
First Book transforms the lives of children in need. Through a sustainable, market-driven model, First Book is creating equal access to quality education—making everything from brand-new, high-quality books and educational resources, to sports equipment, winter coats, snacks, and more—affordable to its member network of more than 325,000 educators who exclusively serve kids in need. Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 170 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families in more than 30 countries. First Book currently reaches an average of 3 million children every year and supports more than one in four of the estimated 1.3 million classrooms and programs serving children in need. With an additional 1,000 educators joining each week, First Book is the largest and fastest-growing network of educators in North America exclusively serving kids in need.
Penguin Young Readers is one of the leading children's book publishers in the United States. The company owns a wide range of imprints and trademarks including Dial Books, Dutton, Grosset & Dunlap, Kathy Dawson Books, Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Workshop, Philomel, Puffin, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Viking, Razorbill, Speak, and Frederick Warne. These imprints are home to such award-winning, New York Times- bestselling authors as, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jay Asher, Judy Blume, Jan Brett, Eric Carle, Ally Condie, Roald Dahl, Tomie dePaola, Sarah Dessen, Anna Dewdney, John Flanagan, John Green, Oliver Jeffers, Marie Lu, Mike Lupica, Richelle Mead, Richard Peck, Ruta Sepetys, Jacqueline Woodson and dozens of other popular authors. Penguin Young Readers Group is also the proud publisher of perennial brand franchises such as the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, Peter Rabbit, Spot, the Classic Winnie the Pooh, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Madeline, Mad Libs, the Rangers Apprentice, Skippyjon Jones, Who Was?, and Flower Fairies among many others. Penguin Young Readers Group is a division of Penguin Group LLC, a Penguin Random House company.
