Memphis Library Gets Large Grant
Volunteer State Health Plan, one of Tennessee's programs that provides state-subsidized insurance for the uninsured, has made one of the largest grants ever for Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program, committing $900,000 over a three-year period for the Memphis-area chapter of the project. Learn more from The Commercial Appeal here.

June 30:
Adventure Mountain Back On Officially
Dollywood's $5 million Adventure Mountain expansion is officially back on, Knoxville TV station WATE reported here Monday. As expected, he new attraction is slated to debut on opening day for the park's 25th anniversary season next year.

Block Chats More
9 to 5: The Musical star Stephanie J. Block tells Theatre Mania in an interview here that she and the show's other performers wore shirts at the Tony Awards protesting their snub for Best Musical by proclaiming "We feel like bastards at the family reunion."

June 29:
DPMusic.net Is Back
After months of delays, the revised DollyPartonMusic.net, the official website for her record label, went "live" on Sunday. The site, which houses the Big Wigs (her official street team) and Dollyites (her official subscription-based online fan community), was first developed in late September 2007 via Ticketmaster subsidiary Echo Music. By early 2009, Dolly Records ended its association with that firm and began a site redesign hosted through Nashville-based Mad Dancer Media. In late January, it was promised that the new and expanded site would be operational in March with limited content posted until then, but when that deadline was missed it was pushed back to April, then May, then just "coming soon." To help make up to fans for most of the site being inaccessible during the down time, memberships were placed on hold until the new site was up and running. Also, since those who purchased the Backwoods Barbie Collector's Edition at Cracker Barrel in March were offered a three-month trial subscription, each existing member was to also have his or her subscription extended an additional three months once the site went live. Her official website, DollyParton.com, which is separate from the record label site, still has yet to fully launch other than a links page although it was originally planned to go live sometime in 2008.

'Very Best' On Aussie Tally
The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1 is hanging on Down Under. The 2007 compilation, which returned to the top 20 country albums in Australia last week, slips this week one spot to No. 20 in its 29th week on the chart.

Block 'Huffs' About Dolly
Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical star Stephanie J. Block provided a great interview with liberal blog The Huffington Post this week available here. In it, she comments on the show, her CD and more, including working with Dolly. "When people see Dolly, they see the sparkles and the glitter and the wig and the nails and the makeup," she noted. "They underestimate this woman as a musician, as a businesswoman, and she's unbelievable."

June 27:
Get The Full Story
Tennessee's Maryville Daily Times on Friday posted the full Associated Press story on Dolly's children's book, I Am A Rainbow, featuring more content (including comments about her father) than the version linked from this page Thursday night. Read it here.

June 26:
'Barbie' Drops A Bit On The Charts
Dolly's Backwoods Barbie takes a little tumble this week on the July 4 country albums chart, it was reported Thursday, as the CD drops 11 spots to No. 57 in its 47th week on the tally. Steve Martin's The Crow - New Songs for the 5-String Banjo, featuring a Dolly collaboration, remains steady at No. 1 bluegrass in its 18th week, inches up one to No. 12 Internet albums in its 10th week there and rises 27 to No. 128 pop and 30 to No. 147 comprehensive in its fourth week on both charts. Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted, with Dolly on "When I Get Where I'm Going," holds steady at No. 4 country catalog and No. 31 Canadian country. Miley Cyrus retains the No. 1 country position in her ninth week on that chart and slides one to No. 8 pop in her 13th week there with 42,000 units moved of the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack, while Taylor Swift's Fearless is steady at No. 2 country and picks up one to No. 10 pop in its 32nd week with 38,000 copies sold.

The 'Rainbow' Spreads
Dolly's children's book, I Am A Rainbow, was the subject of an Associated Press story posted to the wire on Thursday and available here. Also, thanks to Jody for pointing me to the Redbook interview here mentioned in Wednesday night's update. It also focuses on the book.

'Prarie Home' Dolly
Dolly is public radio host Garrison Keeler's most wanted guest for his Prarie Home Companion program, he told Boulder Weekly here this week. His other guest he has never had on and has always wanted is Dolly pal Merle Haggard. The weekly radio show, which has an audience of about 4 million listeners, usually includes a musical guest performing a couple of songs as well as interacting in a sketch or two. Keeler told the paper that some of his favorites over the years have been "k.d. lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Odetta, Elvis Costello, Jearlyn Steele, Jerry Douglas, Emmanuel Ax, Chet Atkins — people who are full of the spirit and bring it to the audience shining new."

Fla. Library Expands
The launch of Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program in Hernando County, Fla., made The Tampa Tribune here and North Escambia.com here Thursday.

June 25:
'Very Best' Goes Platinum
2007's The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1 compilation from Sony BMG has become Dolly's first-ever British platinum album, her official record label website, DollyPartonMusic.net, reported Wednesday. The gold and platinum album database for BPI, the firm that certifies album sales in the U.K., was unavailable online this week, so the report could not be independently confirmed, but if correct, that means the collection has sold 200,000 copies in the last 26 months, as it was simultaneously certified silver (60,000 copies) and gold (100,000) in April 2007 prior to this month's platinum (300,000) level. Dolly's previous British certifications are silver for Little Sparrow in 2001, silver and gold for Both Sides Of Dolly Parton in 1978 and a silver single (200,000 copies) for "Islands In The Stream" in 1984.

'9 To 5' Delay Confirmed
The release date for the official cast recording album of Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical, available from Amazon.com here, has changed to July 28, it has been confirmed. The "sell sheet" (the promotional material sent to retailers to encourage them to order the CD for their stores) prepared by music label services company Rocket Science on behalf of Dolly Records uses the July 28 date. The sheet also reveals that the album will be distributed by A2M, the company that also handled distribution for Backwoods Barbie, and that the CD will feature a 24-page booklet. Thanks, Tony! However, Playbill reported here Wednesday that the show's cast will stop by New York's Lincoln Triangle Barnes & Noble on July 14, which had previously been announced as the album's original release date, for a CD signing and performance.

Red Dolly
I haven't seen a copy yet to confirm, but I'm told that there's a Dolly interview and great photo in the new issue of Redbook magazine. Thanks, Shawn!

June 24:
Order Show Soundtrack
Amazon.com on Tuesday added an advance order page for the cast recording CD of Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical. Their purchase price with shipping is $12 cheaper than the show's official website order page ($21 versus $33), but it shows a July 28 release date instead of July 14. No word yet on whether that date is in error or if those who order theirs through the show's site for the higher price will get it two weeks before those who purchase from other retailers. Reserve your Amazon copy here!

June 23:
'9 To 5' Is Down Again
News wasn't very good for Dolly's 9 to 5: The Musical in the grosses for the week of June 16-21 that came out on Monday. Attendance, 9,895 audience members, was down more than 7 percent compared to the previous week, with the percentage of seats filled falling from 83 percent to 77 percent. The overall gross, $800,067, was nearly 3 percent lower than the week before, but the per-ticket average price did rise 5 percent to $80.86. The show lost two more spots for the week to No. 15 for biggest Broadway gross and also fell two to No. 12 for audience size. Since opening for previews, the show has grossed $7.8 million and been seen by 118,672 people.

'Time' For Dolly
In lighter news, Time magazine on Monday posted a delightful Dolly interview available here where she discusses the book I Am A Rainbow, Broadway, the upcoming movie about her life, speaking at the University of Tennessee commencement and more, although the writer did err in saying her Imagination Library distributes 20 million books a year – it's more than 6 million books a year and over 20 million since inception.

First Reader Shots Are Up
Thanks to Aaron and Jerail for sending in some photos of Dolly at Dollywood, which have been added to that section of the website here.

Latest Library Developments
The kick-off of Dolly's Imagination Library project in Reading, England, made The Reading Evening Post here Monday. And speaking of the reading program, it garners Dolly a photo autographing a book for a child in Atlanta in the new issue of The Rotarian magazine out this week.

Dolly Helps A Friend
The Memphis Flyer pulled a quote from Dolly about her former agent Sam Haskell to summarize his new autobiography, Promises I Made My Mother. Read the story about the book here and order a copy here.

June 22:
More Dollywood, Nashville Shots Posted
The final galleries of Dollymania images from Dolly's KidsFest opening at Dollywood are now in that section of the site here. These focus on her visit to celebrate the new Imagination Playhouse musical of Llama Llama Red Pajama and her release event for her children's book, I Am A Rainbow. In related news, The Bristol Herald Courier over the weekend posted a story here about the event, including Dolly's answer to your webmaster's question about the absence of some colors from the book. (Next, look for reader-submitted galleries. E-mail your shots here!) And thanks to Jerail and Timothy for sending in some shots from Dolly's Nashville CD signings that have been added to that section of the site here! Image is copyright © 2009 T. Duane Gordon/Dollymania.net. May not be reproduced without prior written consent.

When Irish Charts Are Falling
The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1 is once again gone from the Irish pop album charts, dropping from No. 79 last week, its 83rd on the top 100 tally there.

For the archive of monthly news stories, click here.