“Country Music’s Party of the Year” will make history this May with its iconic host pairing of Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks. The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards airs on Thursday, May 11 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT/5 p.m. PT, streaming live exclusively for a global audience across 240+ territories on Prime Video from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The Emmy-nominated star-powered experience will celebrate Country Music’s biggest stars and emerging talent, and will feature unforgettable performances, exclusive collaborations and unexpected moments that will captivate fans worldwide. The full rebroadcast of the ceremony and performances will stream the next day for free on Amazon Freevee.
This marks the first time ever Garth takes the stage to host an awards show, coming ahead of his Las Vegas residency and off the heels of his world tour, which sold over 6.3 million tickets, making it the biggest North American tour in history. It’s the second consecutive year that the show will be hosted by Dolly, following her recent induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“I am thrilled to return to host the ACM Awards, this time with my friend Garth,” Dolly shared. “While I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with him throughout the years, I can’t believe we’ve never had the chance to work together. In addition, getting to see all this great new talent in Country music, I am excited to have the chance to premiere the lead single from my upcoming rock album on the show!”
“Anyone with Dolly Parton makes a fantastic couple,” said Garth.
“The ACM Awards is the world’s biggest and most groundbreaking Country Music awards show and the only one to stream live across the globe thanks to our partners at Prime Video, so there is no host pairing more appropriate than music’s most iconic global superstars, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks,” said Academy of Country Music CEO and ACM Awards Executive Producer, Damon Whiteside. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring this legendary pair together for the first time ever as Country Music’s Party of the Year heads to the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters. From exclusive superstar performances to unexpected collaborations to the industry’s most exciting emerging talent, fans are in for an unforgettable night that can only be seen on the ACM Awards stage!”
“We are elated to have beloved icon Dolly Parton return to co-host the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards alongside the legendary Garth Brooks,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon and MGM Studios. “As we bring back the Emmy-nominated Academy of Country Music Awards to our global audience, we are thrilled to continue to showcase the power of Amazon to create what will be an unforgettable night of live entertainment experiences with Dolly and Garth at the helm of ‘Country Music’s Party of the Year.’”
A limited number of tickets are still available for purchase on SeatGeek, offering fans exclusive entry into a non-stop party packed with their favorite Country stars performing the biggest hits from the last year and seats closer to the action than ever before. The Academy of Country Music recently announced the return of the industry and fan-favorite Topgolf fundraiser for ACM Lifting Lives, set to take place on Wednesday, May 10 in The Colony, TX. The event will be followed by a live concert on the golf green featuring ACM Award-winner Morgan Wallen & Friends HARDY, Lainey Wilson, ERNEST, Bailey Zimmerman, and DJ 13lackbeard, which sold out almost immediately last week. This marks the first announced event as part of ACM Awards week taking over north Texas, with additional programs still to be revealed.
The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions, with Raj Kapoor, Barry Adelman and Fonda Anita serving as executive producers and Damon Whiteside serving as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music. Nominees, performers and presenters for this year’s show will be announced in the coming weeks.
Established in 1966, the Academy of Country Music Awards is the longest-running country music awards show and made history in 2022 as the first major awards ceremony to exclusively livestream, in partnership with Prime Video. This year’s show marks its return to Texas since the landmark 50th ACM Awards, which broke a Guinness World Record in 2015 for being the most-attended awards show with more than 70,000 attendees at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.
Tune in on May 11, 2023 to watch Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks host The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards, streaming live at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT/5 p.m. PT exclusively on Prime Video.
Dolly Parton and Olivia Newton-John came together for the first time to reimagine Dolly’s timeless hit “Jolene." The original version of the song was ranked No. 63 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2021. This new version is the last song and music video Olivia recorded before her passing in 2022 and is included on her upcoming album Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection.
"My first memory of Olivia was when her song ‘Let Me Be There’ was a hit. I have loved her ever since,” Dolly shared. "We had many occasions that we got to share together, either backstage or performing on the same shows, and I loved every moment that I ever got to spend with her. I've always been inspired by her grit, tenderness, willingness, and determination.”
“I have always wanted to record with Dolly,” said the late Olivia Newton-John during an interview in 2021. “She was always there for me and what she did for me early on in my career in Nashville is something I will never forget.”
Dolly and Olivia became friends after Olivia won 1974’s Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year award. To this day, Olivia is the only non-American born artist to win the award. As a nod to their friendship, Olivia recorded an acclaimed version of Dolly’s “Jolene” for her 1976 seventh studio album Come On Over which received critical praise from fans and industry alike.
"My last memory of Olivia was when I sang with her on my song ‘Jolene’ which she recorded for an album not so very long ago," Dolly continued. "I cannot wait to hear that album and Olivia may you rest in peace. You left a spot that no one else will ever fill."
“This duet seems like the perfect bookend to their decades-long friendship,” said Michael Caprio, Olivia's longtime publicist and friend of nearly 25 years. “Knowing that Dolly was there at the start of Olivia’s US Country music career and here she is, one half of a duet of Olivia’s final recording, is pretty special.”
“Jolene” introduces Just The Two of Us, a 17-track duets album releasing May 5, 2023 (on both vinyl and CD) featuring Olivia with artists including Mariah Carey, Michael McDonald, John Travolta, Barry Gibb, Vanessa Amorossi, Jon Secada, her daughter Chloe Lattanzi, and more, with some never-before-released on CD and vinyl recordings.
Dolly's newly recorded rendition of "Jolene" with Olivia Newton-John is now available on all streaming platforms. Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection will be released on May 5, 2023 and is now available to pre-save.
Dolly Parton joins a dazzling array of musicians, across generations and genres, who have contributed to a new album that celebrates the deep influence and legacy of Doc Watson, the North Carolina guitarist, singer and songwriter who would have turned 100 on March 3 of this year. Releasing April 28 on FLi Records / Budde Music, I Am A Pilgrim: Doc Watson at 100 features new renditions of some of Doc’s most beloved recordings from his expansive catalog, and, along with Dolly, features Nora Brown, Rosanne Cash, Jerry Douglas, Chris Eldridge, Steve Earle, Bill Frisell, Corey Harris, Valerie June, Jack Lawrence, Lionel Loueke, Jeff Parker, Ariel Posen, Marc Ribot, Matthew Stevens and Yasmin Williams.
"Doc Watson is everyone's hero and a great guitar player," says Dolly. "Some say he is the absolute best, and I was honored to get to work with him a few times in my career.”
“The Last Thing On My Mind,” written by Tom Paxton in the early 60s, was a staple of Doc Watson’s catalog and recorded/performed by Dolly throughout her career. She released a recording of it in 1967 with Porter Wagoner, and Doc and Dolly performed it together in 2001 at MerleFest.
Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson earned 7 GRAMMY Awards and 23 nominations including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. He received the National Medal of Arts in 1997 from President Clinton and has been the subject of multiple books, boxed sets and compilation albums. Born in Deep Gap, North Carolina on March 3, 1923, Doc grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry, Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family and learned guitar at a young age. In the 1950s he played electric guitar in regional dance bands and was encouraged to play acoustic music by folklorist and Smithsonian curator Ralph Rinzler, who met Doc on a trip to North Carolina. Doc was an integral part of the early 1960s folk revival and became known as one of the greatest flatpicking guitarists of all time, a style that influenced the playing of countless guitarists.
Doc, who lost his eyesight at a young age, was also considered a master of the banjo. He released nearly 30 albums spanning 50 years and collaborated with Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Del McCoury, Taj Mahal, Mississippi John Hurt, David Grisman and many others. His work embraced the regional music of North Carolina and he helped to change what people thought about mountain music through his repertoire of traditional and folk recordings. Doc also presided over MerleFest from its inception in 1988, founded to honor the memory of his son, Merle, as a fundraiser for Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Taking place each spring since 1988, MerleFest has become one of the premiere music festivals in the country and I Am A Pilgrim will be released timed to this year’s festival. Doc continued performing until he passed away in May of 2012.
I Am A Pilgrim is bursting with influence of Doc Watson’s talent and charisma. A mix of vocal and instrumental tracks, it finds a host of musicians - including Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, numerous GRAMMY Award winners, countless NPR Tiny Desk alumni and recipients of countless other awards and accolades - interpreting his work through a prismatic lens of not only folk and bluegrass but blues, jazz, and influences of experimental and rock music as well. Given Doc’s seismic impact on guitar playing, it’s no surprise that so many guitar playing styles are represented here, from the finger tapping style of Yasmin Williams (“Doc’s Guitar,” a Doc Watson original) to the slide guitar of Ariel Posen (“Will The Circle Be Unbroken”) and the harmonics featured on Lionel Loueke’s version of “Reuben’s Train.” Valerie June and Bill Frisell join forces for a haunting version of “Handsome Molly,” a traditional song that Doc released in 1961. Nora Brown, a teenager turning heads with her take on old time music, contributes a moving rendition of the hymn “Am I Born To Die.” Rosanne Cash and Steve Earle each reimagine classic traditionals embraced by Doc with moving renditions of “I Am A Pilgrim” and “Make Me A Pallet,” respectively. The album concludes with “Your Lone Journey,” a song that Doc penned while mourning his son. It was recorded by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss for their Raising Sand album and lovingly interpreted here by Bill Frisell.
I Am A Pilgrim: Doc Watson at 100, featuring Dolly's newly recorded rendition of "The Last Thing on My Mind," will be released on April 28, 2023, and is now available for pre-order.
Vinyl Me, Please and Dolly Parton are excited to announce a first-of-its-kind monthly record club devoted to the legendary career and peerless catalog of Dolly Parton. Starting in April 2023, Vinyl Me, Parton will give Dolly fans a monthly connection with her catalog on vinyl, with twelve Records of the Month spanning the entirety of Dolly’s recording career. Subscriptions will be available in exclusive limited-term engagements of 3, 6 and 12 months, and space will be limited. Pre-orders are available now.
“I love listening to records, and to know that fans around the world are discovering music on vinyl is wonderful,” says Dolly. “I am really happy to see some of my favorite albums that have been out of print on vinyl or were never pressed on vinyl be made available. What’s old is new again!”
Ranging from her debut to some of her recent self-released albums, the twelve albums included in the Vinyl Me, Parton campaign will come on exclusive color vinyl, remastered from the highest quality audio sources, and on 180g vinyl. Each quarter will feature a free and exclusive Vinyl Me, Parton merch item as well. Each release was remastered in Nashville by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound in Nashville, and comes with a Vinyl Me, Parton obi-strip to make the albums stand out on Dolly fans’ shelves.
Curated by Vinyl Me, Please and Dolly, many of the albums featured in Vinyl Me, Parton have not been reissued since their release dates, and some of them are appearing on vinyl for the first time as part of Vinyl Me, Parton. Included in Vinyl Me, Parton are Dolly’s landmark ‘70s albums Jolene, My Tennessee Mountain Home, and New Harvest...First Gathering. Early classics like Hello, I’m Dolly and Just Because I’m a Woman are alongside recent favorites like Better Day and Blue Smoke. Fan favorite mega smash 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs is getting its first vinyl reissue in almost 40 years, and bluegrass albums Little Sparrow and Halos & Horns, the chart-topping Backwoods Barbie, and Those Were the Days all make their vinyl debut as part of Vinyl Me, Parton.
Vinyl Me, Parton isn’t the first time Vinyl Me, Please and Dolly Parton worked together—her landmark Coat of Many Colors was featured as a VMP Country Record of the Month in 2021—and it won’t be the last. There will be additional releases of key titles not featured in Vinyl Me, Parton available first to VMP Members in VMP’s store.
“It’s a true honor for us to launch this Dolly-centric subscription,” said Vinyl Me, Please Director of Music Andrew Winistorfer. “We’ve never focused a subscription on a single artist, and it made too much sense for us to do it with Dolly: So much of her catalog has been untouched and under-reissued on vinyl, and some of her biggest albums from the ‘00s never came out on vinyl at all thanks to the era. Dolly is one of America’s National Treasures, and we hope Vinyl Me, Parton can serve as something that reminds both Dolly fans, and those unfamiliar with her LPs, that she’s one of the best songwriters we’ve ever had, and one of the best performers. These albums deserve to be heard on vinyl, and deserve to be celebrated anew.”
My Tennessee Mountain Home is a concept album about her upbringing in smalltown Tennessee, this album begins with the first letter Dolly wrote home after moving to Nashville to pursue her dreams as a country singer. It’s appearing on vinyl here for the first time since its release in 1973, for its 50th Anniversary.
Little Sparrow is the middle album in a trilogy of bluegrass-focused albums Dolly made in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s that capture the roots of her musical education, and her cover of Collective Soul’s “Shine” won her a Grammy. It is appearing on vinyl for the first time as part of Vinyl Me, Parton.
Blue Smoke is a 2014 album dedicated to Dolly’s upbringing in the Smoky Mountains, and was her highest charting solo album ever, as it hit number six. It features reimaginings of previous Dolly cuts and many brand-new songs.
Just Because I’m a Woman is Dolly’s sophomore album, and featured the charting title track, which established Dolly’s songwriting career as one to watch. It turns 55 this year and hasn’t been reissued in the U.S. since its original release in 1968.
9 to 5 and Odd Jobs, Dolly’s megasmash album accompaniment to the movie, 9 to 5, is a concept album about the indignity and dignity that comes with work. It’s appearing on vinyl here for the first time since 1984.
This 15th-anniversary edition of Backwoods Barbie marks the first time the album has ever been on vinyl. It was a smash when it was released in 2008, and is an album largely about trying to stay happy through adversity.
Dolly’s debut LP, Hello, I’m Dolly, is being reissued as part of Vinyl Me, Parton for the first time since 1971. It features one of Dolly’s signature songs, “Dumb Blonde.”
Jolene is the Dolly Parton album with her biggest songs: Both “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene” are here, both so huge they get mentioned on the cover.
Halos & Horns is the third album in Dolly’s bluegrass trilogy and is appearing on vinyl here for the first time.
Better Day was the first Dolly Parton album in years to be comprised of only her original, new songs when it was released in 2011. It is out of print on vinyl and is getting just its second vinyl pressing as part of Vinyl Me, Parton.
Those Were the Days is appearing on vinyl for the first time here and is composed of bluegrass-tinged covers of John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Cat Stevens, and others.
New Harvest…First Gathering is a fan-favorite in Dolly’s catalog and has not been reissued on vinyl since its release in 1977. It features covers of the Temptations and Jackie Wilson, and many of her own songs.
Vinyl Me, Parton Record of the Month subscriptions will begin shipping in April, 2023, with limited quantities available. Pre-orders are available now at http://dolly.lnk.to/VMP.
Dolly Parton and Dionne Warwick have recorded their first ever collaboration with a gospel duet titled ‘Peace Like A River,” which Dolly wrote and Damon Elliott, Dionne’s son/manager produced for AND CUT… Productions. They filmed a video on February 7 in Nashville to accompany the musical release on February 24.
“I was honored to get to sing with one of my idols, Dionne Warwick," Dolly shared. "I have loved her for years and getting to sing with her was one of the highlights of my career. I loved that she loved my song, and I loved singing it with her."
“I so admire Dolly Parton’s talent and work ethic,” Dionne said. “I am thrilled to have this opportunity for us to work together.”
“I knew from the moment that Dolly sent me (Peace Like A River) that mom not only must sing it, but Dolly must sing it with her! The magic is in the dynamic of the duo, and let me say with all the chaos in this world we all need peace and cleansing…” commented Damon Elliott, producer.
“It is such an honor to be able to work with these legends. Everything from the colors to the placements and detail of this work came into consideration to bring forth this peaceful clean visual,” says Bart Cooper, single cover artist.
Dolly's duet with Dionne Warwick, "Peace Like a River," will be released on February 24, 2023 on Dionne and Damon’s Kind Music Group label, along with the video, directed by Nick Pres and Damon Elliott.
