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.
Dolly's Dixie Stampede in Myrtle Beach, SC held its grand opening on June 22, 1992, nearly two weeks ahead of schedule. Dolly was welcomed by a sold-out crowd and cheers on opening night.
Dolly made quite the first impression to the Myrtle Beach crowd, as she was lowered from the ceiling on a lighted gazebo dressed in true Southern Belle attire. She then made her way around the stage in a horse-drawn wagon. She was met by local and state leaders, including Myrtle Beach Mayor Bob Grissom and South Carolina Lt. Gov. Nick Theodore. She was given the keys to the city and presented with a proclamation from the state.
Before leaving the stage, Dolly told the crowd how excited she was about this new venture in Myrtle Beach.
“This seemed like a wonderful place, just like down in Pigeon Forge, because people love to go to the beaches in the daytime just like in the Smokies they like to go to the parks. At night they like to clean up, go out and be entertained.”
Following Dolly’s appearance, her guests enjoyed a show in the Dixie Belle Saloon and then the main show—which includes trick riding, comedy, audience participation and, of course, a four-course feast.
When Dollywood asked Dolly to create her perfect street, it included a glamorous theatre, shopping options, a garden and restaurants. It was only natural that from that dream came a colorful promenade shaping into Showstreet, the new front door to Dollywood. Dolly said,
“As long as I can remember, I wanted to be a big star like all the big names in Hollywood on the big screen. I loved all the glitz and glamour, and that was my inspiration for Showstreet.”
Showstreet is complete with the Showstreet Palace Theatre, where dreams like Dolly’s can be realized by everyone who visits.
Dollywood’s seventh season opened with a seven-acre expansion. The expansion included the 1,000-seat Showstreet Palace Theatre featuring the new show, Fire on the Mountain. It also introduced WDLY, a fully functional radio station. Friendship Gardens and Starwalk, a gardenscape area featuring more than 35,000 flowers and plants was also added. Finally, a full production bakery plus a variety of entertainment, food, attractions and merchandise completed the new addition.
Dolly starred in the 1992 Hollywood Pictures movie "Straight Talk" as Shirlee Kenyon a small town girl who ditches her boyfriend, moves to Chicago, and through wacky hijinks ends up successfully hosting a successful talk radio program. The movie co-starred James Woods and included a cast of other notables such as Spalding Gray, Teri Hatcher, John Sayles and Jerry Orbach.
Dolly contributed 10 original songs to the soundtrack. She wanted to infuse as much of her own personality into the advice given by her character that she went back to her basics,
"We Dollyized it as much as we possibly could... I drug up every old country saying I'd ever heard. I was callin' up relatives sayin', `Gimme some of them good old sayins....'"
The movie opened at number four and earned over $20 million.
In November 1991, Dolly announced official plans to bring her one-of-a-kind show, the Dixie Stampede, to Myrtle Beach, SC. With construction beginning just before Thanksgiving (1991), the $13 million project was slated to open in July of the following year.
Official plans included building the new Dixie Stampede off U.S 17, with the Carolina Opry right beside it. Both buildings were designed by the same architectural firm to have a Charleston Victorian theme.
To ease the concerns of nearby residents, the developers working for Dixie Stampede and the Carolina Opry, designed the property to have a minimal traffic impact. With entrances from both nearby highways and long drives before the parking areas, developers hoped to move guests onto the site quickly and efficiently.
With only eight months before the grand opening, there was a lot of work to be done. Excitement was already building for Dixie Stampede in Myrtle Beach, SC.
The Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction is filled with friendly North and South competition. It includes thrilling horse riding stunts, spectacular special effects, phenomenal musical productions plus a mouth-watering four-course feast. The feast is complete with a delicious dessert!
