The song was one of three songs nominated for an Oscar the same year. The song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from the movie "Hustle & Flow" won the Academy Award.
Dolly spoke to legendary interviewer Larry King about the process that created the song.
“Well Duncan Tucker, who is the writer/director of the film, I understood he was a fan of mine and he called me and asked if I would write this song. And so I said, I'll give it a try. I was actually on tour, and I was out promoting a new CD of my own, the CD that you know about, 'Those Were The Days.' And so I said, I don't know if I'm going to have time to work on it, but I'll see. He said, ‘Oh please, give it a try.’ So he sent me a rough cut of the film, and he gave me some great direction, gave me some great input and I kicked around with it for a little while and one morning I woke up and it just all come together and now here I am, nominated and I was really shocked and surprised it all happened so quick.”
The Oscars, "reward the previous year’s greatest cinema achievements as determined by some of the world’s most accomplished motion picture artists and professionals. The Academy’s roughly 6,000 members vote for the Oscars using secret ballots, which are tabulated by the international auditing firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers. The auditors maintain absolute secrecy until the moment the show’s presenters open the envelopes and reveal the winners on live television."
Dolly embarked on her first major tour in a decade when she started her "Hello, I’m Dolly" tour on Oct. 14, 2004, in Greenville North Carolina. "Hello, I’m Dolly" was a return to performing at larger venues following 2002’s "Halos and Horns" tour, a more intimate tour based around smaller venues. The tour featured 39 shows across the U.S. and Canada, ending at the Everett Events Center in Everett, Washington on Dec. 19, 2004. The shows featured new lighting, costumes, and video boards.
Dolly talked about what inspired her return to big arena touring and larger production values,
“In 2002, I went on a tour for three months to promote [the Sugar Hill Records bluegrass set 'Halos & Horns']... I realized how much I missed the road and how much the fans seemed to have missed me. It was just magical. I saw that I had some fans about all areas of my career... So I decided to combine all the things that I've done through the years."
For more tour photos click here.
When Dolly is involved, putting on a bluegrass concert series is more like a Bluegrass Blast. For three days, Dollywood visitors enjoyed music by award-winning artists across the theme park. Dolly said,
“I love listening to bluegrass music just about as much as I love singing it. That makes me especially proud to present bluegrass music’s finest at Dollywood during my Bluegrass Blast.”
Nine-time GRAMMY Award winner Ricky Skaggs, Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys and the Del McCoury Band headlined the event. All concerts were free with admission to Dollywood.
On April 14, 2004, Dolly received the Living Legend Medal from the Library of Congress, its most prestigious award given to people who have made significant contributions to America’s cultural, scientific and social heritage.
Librarian of Congress James H. Billington presented the award to Dolly at a special ceremony in Washington D.C. Billington said of Dolly at the ceremony,
"Dolly Parton has made an indelible mark on pop culture. Her contributions to crossover music, her ability to give voice to women's issues and the retention of her early Appalachian roots all stand as tribute to the artistry, heart and soul that Dolly brings to all she does."
After a decade-long hiatus from touring, Dolly hit the road on May 17, 2002, in support of her album "Halos & Horns." The tour included 25 shows which played across North America and Europe. The music played well to intimate 1,000--2,500-seat venues as Dolly kicked off the tour in New York City and ended it at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
