In the midst of a fierce thunder and lightning storm in South Dakota, Kenny Rogers sat down to talk about his upcoming performance at Dollywood. The concert will benefit Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. He also talked about his relationship with Dolly throughout the years.
Kenny will perform one show on Sept. 27, 2015, as part of the Showcase of Stars concert series at Dollywood. His personal connection to the park goes back to the beginning. He said,
“I remember the opening when Dolly and I were there and I think she was a little hesitant as to whether or not the park was going to work or not and sure enough it did. And 25 years later I was there and I have to tell you that I have two boys 11-years-old and they much prefer Dollywood over Disney World. They said the people were so much nicer and I think the food's better there too.”
Kenny went on to say,
"I think with me and Dolly, just being together, at least I can only speak for myself, being together has its own rewards and creates its own memories. We've never planned anything, it's always kind of happened and that's what makes our relationship so spontaneous."
Of course, Dolly and Kenny's friendship goes back long before she opened her theme park in the Smoky Mountains. They met for the first time on Dolly's television show, but it wasn't until they recorded their first hit "Islands in the Stream" that they were able to really get to know one another. From then on, the two have had a lasting friendship. Kenny said,
“I did Dolly's TV show, the one that had the big butterfly on the wall. And I did one of my records, it was the first record I think that I had on Warner Brothers and I did that and I met her. She was incredibly sweet to me but it was more like a hostess and I was a guest. And then later on we met again when we were recording ‘Islands in the Stream.’ And I had really never spent any time with Dolly and that was the point when we really realized we had a lot of stuff in common and we truly enjoyed being in each other's company. She makes me laugh and apparently I make her laugh. I've seen some films of us on stage and I've never seen two people relate to each other better than Dolly and I do on stage.”
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Kenny's upcoming concert will benefit Dolly’s Imagination Library, a book gifting program that has, to-date, sent over 72 million free books to children around the world. When we quoted those numbers to Kenny even he was astounded by the effort and said,
"Wow, that's great."
Kenny is generously bringing his Through The Years World Tour to Dollywood’s D.P. Celebrity Theater as the final artist performing for the Showcase of Stars benefit concert series. However, not wanting to miss the opportunity to rib his old friend, Kenny said,
"I had heard [Dolly] did this before... but we have not gotten [the books] so put me on the list. Tell Dolly she owes me that much. (laughing) Tell her she has historically underpaid me, and I'm tired of it."
His joke is yet another testament to the friendship he and Dolly share that is blind to both the passage of time and distance between them. Kenny said,
“When we recorded this last song, ‘You Can't Make Old Friends,’ I hadn't seen her in two or three years. She came walking in the studio and it was like we were together yesterday. That's the beauty of her personality. I've said this before, she has no filter, if it goes in her mind it comes out her mouth. I think that's a great quality because people know where they are at all times with her and their relationship.”
Kenny will continue his tour on Oct. 3 in North Myrtle Beach, SC which is also home to Dolly's Pirates Voyage Dinner Attraction. In addition, Kenny will begin a new tour in November supporting his latest album, "Once Again It's Christmas" featuring several guests including Jennifer Nettles. Nettles, Kenny and Dolly's mutual friend, will star as Dolly's mother in the upcoming NBC television movie, "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors."
No word yet on any plans for another duet project. For now the two old friends are quite satisfied to team up to help put more books in the hands of more children.
Tickets to see Kenny Rogers at Dollywood's D.P. Celebrity Theatre available at Dollywood.com.
Featured image courtesy of Webster PR.
For the first time in a decade, the Showcase of Stars brings some of the biggest names in entertainment to Dollywood. Dolly, whose last benefit concert at the park was in 2005, kicks off the series with four concerts August 8 and 9 at D.P.’s Celebrity Theater, a venue which provides the perfect atmosphere for fans to enjoy this stellar concert schedule. Performers include Parton herself, as well Kenny Rogers and a few other special friends. The concert series takes place in August and September.
At the annual media event, Dolly shared the big announcement of her new website along with more exciting things coming to Dollywood during the park’s 30th season. When the floor was opened up for questions, longtime fan and administrator of Dollymania.net, Duane Gordon asked Dolly about the online countdown that had been counting down for the past several weeks on DollyParton.com. Dolly explained the historical nature of the site and how it brings all her favorite things together. She said,
“It’s kind of like a museum, kind of like a history of my life and music. It’s all about our businesses and my personal stuff.”
In addition to the new DollyParton.com announcement, the event featured new things coming to Dollywood, including the return of a summer concert series to benefit the Imagination Library. The goal is to raise $1 million for the global book gifting organization. Dolly will open the series with four performances on August 8-9. Kenny Rogers will close the series and more artists will be announced at a later date.
Dolly updated fans on her new production company, Dixie Pixie Productions. She said her new NBC movie series will begin with a Christmas movie based on her song, "Coat of Many Colors." The television movie is set to air Christmas of 2015.
The legendary entertainer fielded questions about the opening of Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort set for later this year. The resort will offer more ways for families to enjoy Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Several performers from Dollywood’s Festival of Nations were showcased at the event. The GRAMMY award-winning Mariachi Divas opened, followed by the Invaders Steel Orchestra who wowed the crowd with a version of Dolly’s "9 to 5."
LiveStream recording of Dolly Parton's appearance.
One of the highlights of Dolly’s 42nd album 'Blue Smoke' is the duet 'You Can’t Make Old Friends,' recorded with one of her most beloved singing partners Kenny Rogers. The song is a poignant reflection of enduring friendship.
Rogers said of this, his first duet with Dolly since 1985’s 'Real Love,'
“We really are those kind of friends, where you can't make old friends. Dolly knows me like a book, and I know her like a book. So this is the perfect idea for a song for us."
Dolly calls Rogers her "best friend" and talks about how she is glad she got to "walk that road" with the man she sang one of the most loved duets of all time, "Islands in the Stream."
The song was nominated for a 2014 GRAMMY Award in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category. This was the third GRAMMY-nominated collaboration for Dolly and Kenny! Other nominated collaborations include 'Islands in the Stream' and 'Real Love.'
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Dolly was honored with the Kennedy Center Honors on Dec. 3, 2006, along with classical music conductor Zubin Mehta, musical artist Smokey Robinson, motion picture director Steven Spielberg, and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. The award recognizes a performing artist’s lifetime contribution to American culture.
Steve Buckingham, Dolly’s longtime record producer, was not surprised by the honor at all because he feels Dolly’s impact has been "huge... not just because of her body of work as a singer and songwriter and an actress but her philanthropic work... That impact isn't limited to this country [U.S.]... I've been around different parts of the world with her, the U.K., Switzerland, Amsterdam, Paris... There's no place you go... that people don't know her. I always say, the one thing you never hear when you're anywhere with her is, `I wonder if that's Dolly Parton?' because there's no doubt."
Artists who performed or delivered remarks on Dolly’s behalf at the ceremony were actress Reese Witherspoon and musical performers Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers, Carrie Underwood, Alison Krauss, Suzanne Cox, Cheryl White, Shania Twain, Vince Gill and Jessica Simpson.
President George W. Bush praised the honorees for “enriching the cultural life of our country."
