Dolly stars as Lorna Davis in the made-for-television movie "A Smoky Mountain Christmas" that aired on Dec. 14, 1986. In the fantasy film directed by Henry Winkler and co-starring Lee Majors, Dolly plays a famous country singer on a trip through the Tennessee mountains where she encounters a reclusive backwoodsman and a witch.
In 1986, Dolly was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, an organization that serves to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy associated specifically with the Nashville music community.
One of the world’s most prolific songwriters, Dolly once said,
"Anybody can sing, but not everybody can write.”
For Dolly, writing is more of a self-expression, as evidenced by the powerful storytelling exhibited in some of her greatest hits. On several occasions, when asked what she is proudest of in her career achievements, Dolly places her songwriting at the top of the list.
Dolly officially opened Dollywood to the public, realizing her dream of bringing family entertainment to her home in the mountains. She told People magazine how she named the park,
"A few years back, when I first started seeing the Hollywood sign, I kept thinking how cute it would be if I could change the H to a D—and see how long it would take anybody to notice. It just popped into my mind that it would be a good name for a park."
The Dollywood opening featured many family attractions including the Flooded Mine, Blazing Fury, the Dollywood Express, Smoky Mountain River Rampage and Fun Country, featuring a family favorite, the Big Log Flume.
Dollywood was known as “the friendliest town in the Smokies.” It was built to honor two of the things Dolly holds near to her heart, family and The Great Smoky Mountains.
In 1984, Dolly Parton starred alongside of Kenny Rogers in "Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas To Remember," a network television special inspired by "Once Upon A Christmas," a popular Christmas album recorded by Dolly and Kenny Rogers.
The film stars Dolly and Sylvester Stallone and takes place in both New York City and Tennessee. Dolly played a country music star who, on a bet, must transform an obnoxious New York City cab driver, played by Stallone, into a singer. Though Dolly has stated her work on the soundtrack is some of her best, the film wasn't as successful critically or commercially as her previous films.
