New entertainment offerings marked Dollywood's season 12 with the addition of three new shows. American Dream was a country music show starring Randy Parton. Country Treasures was a dynamic production show highlighted by comedy performances by Grand Ole Opry legends, Shenani-Guns. U Pick Nick was a Nickelodeon®-themed high-energy kids show.
Imagination Station introduced one of the world’s largest LEGO® play areas. By broadening the scope of entertainment selection at the theme park, Dollywood provided quality entertainment options for everyone in the family! In the fall, an expanded Harvest Celebration and Southern Gospel Jubilee opened. It allowed families to hear the soulful sounds of some of Dolly’s favorite Southern gospel music and enjoy the splendor of fall in the Smokies.
Dolly was recognized as being part of the 'Vocal Event of the Year' (the category name was changed to 'Musical Event of the Year' in 2005) at the Country Music Association's (CMA) annual awards show for her song "I will Always Love You," released as a duet with Vince Gill on her album "Something Special."
The song, "I Will Always Love You," has had a long history of success for Dolly and for the artists who have covered it (most famously Whitney Houston). It was originally written by Dolly as a thank you to Porter Wagoner, her long time singing and television partner because she had decided to leave the partnership. Dolly said,
"It's saying, 'Just because I'm going don't mean I won't love you. I appreciate you and I hope you do great and I appreciate everything you've done, but I'm out of here…’ And I took it in the next morning. I said, 'Sit down, Porter. I've written this song, and I want you to hear it.' So I did sing it. And he was crying. He said, 'That's the prettiest song I ever heard. And you can go, providing I get to produce that record.' And he did, and the rest is history."
The Dolly and Vince collaboration of "I Will Always Love You" was also honored with a GRAMMY nomination and a TNN/Music City News nomination for Vocal Performance of the Year and ultimately reached number 15 on the country charts.
Dolly topped the country charts twice with "I Will Always Love You," in 1974 and 1982. When it was picked as a last-minute replacement for "The Bodyguard" soundtrack it became one of the best love songs ever recorded. David Foster produced Whitney’s signature version and called it, "The love song of the century."
Houston’s version of "I Will Always Love" went on to be one of the most successful singles in music history. It spent 14 weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts; it reached No. 9 on the New Musical Express list of the Greatest Number One Hits in History and No. 49 on Billboard’s Greatest Songs of All Time.
"Kenny, Dolly and Willie: Something Inside So Strong" was taped as part of a live concert for NASA employees and their families. During the show, the three friends took turns singing each other’s hits in a medley of songs which included "Two Doors Down" and "Real Love."
The special’s finale featured Kenny, Dolly and Willie singing "Something Inside So Strong." It became NBC's highest rated variety show and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety or Music Series.
Dolly opened her theme park’s front gates to welcome some of country music’s best at her new Dolly Parton’s Celebrity Theater. The theater hosted the new ‘Showcase of Stars’ concert series.
This state-of-the-art, 1,739-seat theater debuted with a display featuring Dolly’s friends and fellow musicians. The concert series delighted guests of Dollywood. 'Showcase of Stars' featuring performances by the biggest names in country music, all from Dolly’s home in East Tennessee!
