Photo Credit: © Curtis Hilbun Dollywood
Hallmark Channel visited Dolly at her Smoky Mountain theme park for a special filming of "Home and Family," set to air May 30. The show will highlight Dollywood's unique mix of southern charm, thrill rides, amazing shows and down-home cooking.
Alyvia Alyn Lind was in attendance soaking in all the sights and sounds of Dollywood. Alyvia won the hearts of millions in 2015 when she starred as Little Dolly in the NBC hit film "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors." Alyvia recalled some of Dolly's inspiration,
"She just told me that a dream is a lot bigger than a wish and she said to never give up on your dreams..."
Dolly joined "Home and Family" hosts Mark Steines and Cristina Ferrare as well as the show's family members including lifestyle expert Debbie Matenopoulos, beauty expert Kym Douglas, medical expert Matt Iseman, family man Matt Rogers, fashion designer Orly Shani, DIY expert Ken Wingard and design expert Paige Hemmis.
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The fourth season of "Home & Family" features not only the best in lifestyle advice but also plays host to some of Hollywood's biggest stars and most exciting music acts.
Watch "Home and Family" featuring Dolly Parton and Dollywood May 30 - June 3 on Hallmark at 10 am.
Update (Nov. 3, 2016): Dollywood will host the Hollywood Premiere of "Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love" on Nov. 22, 2016.
"Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love" airs on NBC on Nov. 30 at 9/8c.
Coming off the phenomenal performance of last year’s holiday special and looking to recapture the enthusiasm of the nearly 16 million viewers who tuned in, NBC is announcing the sequel "Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love."
"Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love" is the next chapter in the life of young Dolly Parton. The film delivers Christmas joy and peril as an unexpected blizzard threatens the Parton family while at the same time Dolly’s father (and his kids) make sacrifices to raise enough money to finally buy his loving wife the wedding ring he could never afford to give her. Meanwhile, an important person in little Dolly’s life begins to see that her amazing voice and musical gift might just be made for something bigger than rural Tennessee.
The original cast will return for the sequel: Jennifer Nettles as Avie Lee Parton, Ricky Schroder as Robert Lee Parton, Gerald McRaney as Rev. Jake Owens and Alyvia Alyn Lind as young Dolly Parton. Other members of the cast, as well as a premiere date, will be announced in the coming months. Dolly said,
“I was so overwhelmed and touched by how many people watched ‘Coat of Many Colors’ and their reaction to it. The song ‘Coat of Many Colors,’ of course, has always been my favorite and has touched so many people through the years, especially me. It is a true story from a very special time in my childhood. I am so happy to share this story with the viewers and to say there is so much more to tell because mine truly has been a life of many colors. I hope the viewers will fall in love all over again.”
Stephen Herek, who directed the original film, is also back to direct the sequel. Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment said,
“It’s no secret that everyone loves Dolly Parton and the response to our first movie was overwhelming, both in terms of the size of the audience and outpouring of love for a film with family values and faith. So it felt like a no-brainer to bring this talented cast back together and tell another compelling holiday story culled from Dolly’s own life growing up in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Her spirit and belief in God — and her music — will infuse this movie with the true spirit of Dolly Parton.”
"Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love" is written by Pamela K. Long. She executive produces with Sam Haskell and Dolly Parton. The film is a production of Magnolia Hill Entertainment and Dixie Pixie Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
“Dolly Parton’s Coat Of Many Colors" premiered on NBC on Dec. 10, 2015, and drew a record-breaking audience of nearly 16 million viewers making it the most-watched movie on broadcast television in six years. It became available on DVD on May 3, 2016.
This summer, Dolly Parton is embarking on a 60-city tour throughout the United States and Canada and she is making a special stop in Pigeon Forge, TN. On Nov. 15, Dolly will return to her hometown for a special concert which will benefit her Imagination Library.
Dolly's set list during the tour includes a number of hit songs, with a few new offerings from her double-disc album "Pure & Simple with Dolly’s Biggest Hits." She will also perform a number of hits that have not been heard live by some fans in decades.
Tickets go on sale to Dollywood season passholders on June 15 and to the general public on July 1. The concert is set for Nov. 15 at LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, TN.
UPDATE July 5: SOLD OUT
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a book gifting organization which began in Sevier County, TN. The program, inspired by Dolly's father, has sent over 77 million free books to children in Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States.
View Dolly Parton's Pure & Simple Tour Schedule.
In 1975, Dolly released "The Bargain Store" which topped the U.S. Country Singles Charts becoming her fifth consecutive No. 1 single and the album became another Top 10 hit. In October, Dolly was named Female Vocalist of the Year at the CMA awards. The following month, she released her 16th solo album "Dolly: The Seeker / We Used To." "The Seeker" climbed to the No. 2 spot on the U.S. Country Singles Charts and "We Used To" reached No. 9.
The same year, Dolly earned her 10th GRAMMY nomination for her live performance of "Jolene." It was an incredible year of awards, nominations and chart-topping hits.
Quietly living behind the scenes, Dolly's mama, Avie Lee Parton looked on with pride and admiration. It had been 11 years since her daughter moved to Nashville, TN to follow her Music City dreams. Avie Lee was beyond proud of her Smoky Mountain Songbird and not just for the fame and notoriety she had earned. She was proud her daughter was getting everything she had dreamed of while keeping herself grounded and focused.
In this letter to Dolly’s Fan Club, Avie Lee shares two stories. The first is a delightful tale about 1000 pairs of shoes and the second is about Dolly's overwhelming generosity that surprised even Avie Lee.
Submitted by Avie Lee to Dolly Parton's Fan Club Journal, December 1975
Mama's Memories
As I watched the CMA awards Oct. 13 and saw Dolly win Female Vocalist of the Year, I said to myself, "I've seen another of Dolly's dreams come true."
Hi, I'm Dolly Parton's mother and I want to tell her many fans how proud I am to be her mother and to share some memories with you for this holiday season.
One year for Christmas we bought all the children new shoes, and my sister bought Dolly a pair of black patent leather slippers with bows. Another aunt gave her a pair that were too small for her child, so Dolly had three pairs. I can still remember how proud she was to have that many shoes at one time, and she said in her child-like voice, "When I grow up I'll have a thousand pairs of shoes."
Two years ago when I was helping Dolly move into her new home, I decided I would count her shoes just for fun, remembering what she had said as a child. I counted over a thousand pairs of shoes. She still loves pretty shoes and jewelry, and I remember how she would make rings and bracelets from any pretty thing she could find. I really enjoy seeing Dolly in all her pretty clothes and jewelry.
Dolly has always been sincere in that when she tells someone she is going to do something she does it. When Dolly was fifteen years old we bought a farm. We sold the house we had built because we didn't need two houses, but I cried anyway because I felt close to the home Lee and I had built with our own hands. I remember Dolly saying, "Don't cry Mama. I'll buy it back for you when I get rich." Well, I felt ashamed for crying and didn't let anyone know how foolish I had been. Five years later I had forgotten the promise Dolly had made. She came home for a visit, but it was more than a visit. She came in and said, "Mama, I've bought back your house for you. I told you I would and I have." Lee and I tried to tell her we didn't need it with the house on the farm, too, but she said, "I wouldn't be happy or satisfied to buy a home for myself until you had yours back," so that's where we live today.
Now that the children are all grown up and gone away from home, I have time to look back and think about things. I remember that Dolly made up songs before she could write them down. Her music has always been a sacred thing to her. When other children were going to ball games or out on dates, she would rather be somewhere singing. She would stay up all night writing songs and come downstairs to breakfast singing and laughing and tell her Daddy a joke before he left for work. She would say after he left, "I feel better if Daddy laughs before he leaves for work."
Dolly is a very sensitive person and she can't stand to see anyone sad or hurt. I believe that is why she has such a great talent to write. She can see sorrow and heartache in other people's lives and it hurts her very much.
Lee and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for helping Dolly see another dream come true.
Merry Christmas,
Lee and Avie Lee Parton
Read more about Avie Lee including the famous Stone Soup story in A Mother’s Love & Inspiration – Avie Lee Parton
Order "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors" on DVD starring Jennifer Nettles as Avie Lee Parton.[su_button url="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BLZIFLI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01BLZIFLI&linkCode=as2&tag=sdprof-20&linkId=NURZAAKZCQPCF5Y7" target="blank" style="flat" background="#c13f47" size="6" center="yes" radius="3" text_shadow="0px 0px 0px #fff"]Order "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors" on DVD[/su_button]
Photos courtesy of Curtis Hilbun
Talk show and radio host, Andy Cohen visited Dollywood for a SiriusXM Town Hall featuring Dolly Parton. Before the candid interview, he toured Dolly's Chasing Rainbows museum inside the park and shared a photo on Instagram of his favorite Dolly costumes. He also presented Dolly with two baskets filled with books to honor her book gifting organization, Imagination Library.
Andy helped field questions from the audience and chatted with Dolly about her husband, upcoming tour, movies and a variety of other topics.
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Andy and Dolly recorded the show Live at Dollywood.
It will air on SiriusXM (channel 102), Friday, May 13, 2016, at 4 PM (EST).
