Previous Letters To The Webmaster

May 31, 2005
Hi, I just wanted to write and inform you if you didn't know that there is a travel documentary on Dollywood that will be shown on the Travel Channel tonight and will probably be shown throughout the summer. You just have to keep an eye out for it. And I was wondering if you have any idea if Dolly will do any kind of Christmas show this year. I know she has in the past and I was just wondering if she will this year. Thanks for all of your hard work on this site. Keep up the good work.
Jeremy
Marion, N.C.
Thanks for alerting me to the showing of the special. Actually, it was filmed three years ago at the park and has aired off and on for the past two years, but I was unaware that it had repeated this weekend. It will air again on June 6. As for the Christmas shows, no, there are not any planned this year, as her concerts are being held in the fall instead. For nearly two decades now, Dolly has performed annual charity concerts at Dollywood to benefit the Dollywood Foundation, traditionally at the park's opening in April. However, starting in 2000, the concerts moved to December as part of the park's Smoky Mountain Christmas festival. Last year, the concerts moved again -- to September as part of the park's Harvest Celebration. This year, they have been scheduled to be held again in September instead of December, and a few tickets remain available at 1-800-Dollywood. The park will still have many other holiday-themed shows during the winter, but Dolly's concerts will not be among them.

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May 26, 2005
Hi Duane!! I read with interest, a post from a fan wondering about Dolly's "real" hair. I could almost swear she had her real hair showing in the old Vanity Fair mag with the Persian Gulf soldiers on the cover?? I know that on the cover she was wearing a wig, but there is an inside picture of her "riding" on the men's arms in a white "before show" type of outfit? What do you think? She looked a lot like Stella in that one picture I thought. Also any agreement that Dolly and Susan Lucci have similar facial features? I saw Susan on an infomercial the other night and when she smiles I saw "that" Dolly glow!!! Thanks for all your hard work :-)
Mike Tomek
Rapid City, S.D.
I know the photo to which you're referring, Mike, but that's not her natural hair. Those images were taken by Annie Liebovitz, the same photographer mentioned in my response to the previous letter, and when Dolly allowed her to see her without her wig back in 2002 for the Halos & Horns cover shoot it was the first time she had seen her sans the coif, and that took a lot of pleading but not enough for Dolly to allow her to take a picture. Although I thought she kinda looked more like a glammed up Madonna than Stella in the Vanity Fair shots. Finally, I hadn't noticed the similarity between Dolly and Susan Lucci. Looking at Susan, I do see a resemblance, although I have to admit I think she looks more like Stella than Dolly.

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May 26, 2005
Hi Duane, I just want to thank you for such a fantastic Dolly site. I come here for all the "goss" and latest info on Dolly. I also find it a great site to meet pen pals of my own age etc, as it's not always easy to find teenage Dolly fans here in the UK! So thanks again for a wonderful site and for keeping us all up-to-date!
Suzi
London, England
Thanks, Suzi! I'm glad you're enjoying the site!

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May 26, 2005
Hi Duane, I just read the letter from Manny in California about Dolly's cabin and just wanted to say that I found it many years ago before she bought it back for her retreat. I'll have to say that the replica at Dollywood is a lot nicer than the original cabin when I found it. The surroundings around the farm are absolutely beautiful though and you can tell where she gets her inspiration and love for the place. I always loved that song about it and wanted to find it for myself and didn't go back for years until my husband wanted to see where she grew up, but all he got to see was a big fence! He got to see how far back in the mountains they lived though. The area is so beautiful in fact that we bought some property not far from there to hopefully build our own little retreat for weekend getaways and retirement. The place is very hard to find if you don't know where it is and I don't think I should reveal that here as it may not be appreciated, but I can assure you that it does still exist. The roads are definitely better than they were when I found it . I wouldn't even call them roads then. They were more like ruts! You can even rent a cabin not far from it. Keep up the great work Duane! Thanks,
Diane
Riceville, Tenn.
Thanks, Diane, for sharing your experience.

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May 26, 2005
When is gay day in the park at Dollywood and how many gay folks are expected. What type of security will be at the event.
Britt
Nashville, Tenn.
As was reported on the news page a little over a month ago, the event (called "OUT At The Park 2005" this year) is planned for this weekend, Saturday at Dollywood and Sunday at Dollywood's Splash Country. "Gay Day" events are unofficial gatherings of primarily gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender patrons at amusement parks around the country, usually where all participants are encouraged to wear the same color clothing. These occurrences are neither sanctioned nor organized by the parks themselves, contrary to what many observers believe. The most famous of these is held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., each summer. This will be the third such gathering which includes a visit to Dolly's park. Organizers estimated about 1,300 participants in 2003 with little fanfare and more than 3,000 in 2004. Last year's event brought controversy, first because of press coverage resulting from the park's request that organizers stop using its logo and other registered trademarks without permission in advertising the event and secondly because of a small Ku Klux Klan protest held the morning of the event outside the Dollywood property. I would expect since there was very little publicity in the mainstream media in advance of this year's event that attendance would likely be somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000. As far as I know, security isn't handled any differently on this day than others at the park.

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May 25, 2005
Hi Duane, I just got back from a great weekend at Dollywood. I had a great time. I had a question about Dolly's now famous shack from her childhood which was immortalized on the cover of her My Tennessee Mountain Home album. Whereabouts is the shack located? I know it's not possible to find it exactly but do you happen to know the estimated location? By Pigeon Forge? Sevierville? And did Dolly buy the exact home and renovated it? I was just curious. It seems like the same home but it could also have been a recreation of the house. Thanks so much!
Manny
Burlingame, Calif.
Glad you had such fun, Manny. As for the house, I've never personally felt a desire to try and find it myself, so I've not bothered with trying to learn exactly where it is, but I understand it is somewhat difficult to locate. The Parton family moved several times when Dolly was very small, but her parents bought a farm between Locust Ridge and Webb Mountain, Tenn., by the time she was about 5 years old, and this was her "Tennessee Mountain Home" of lore. The area is apparently located about 25 or 30 miles east of Pigeon Forge in rural Sevier County. Dolly did buy the old homestead and renovated it several years ago into a mountain retreat for herself and her family, and that's where she wrote the songs for her album Hungry Again.

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May 24, 2005
What happened to your message boards? Last time I checked, they were OK, but now I notice that all of the topics that were once there are gone! What happened? Just curious,
Michelle Ivey
Benton, Ark.
I must offer my apologies, Michelle. I don't know how it happened, but I had logged on to remove an offensive post someone made on the Forum, and it ended up somehow deleting all of them instead. My bad!

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May 24, 2005
Hi! I really, really love me ole Dolly! She is one of the best singers I've ever heard. I'm 18 now and I've been singing her songs since I was 4. I love the ones "I Really Got the Feeling" and "Divorce." I hope you bring some more songs out! xxx
Leanne Faulkner
London, England
Thanks for writing, Leanne!

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May 23, 2005
Duane. Thanks so much for keep us so updated on Dolly. I was listening to Trio 2 just the other day. It is truly an amazing album. I find Dolly's harmonies on the songs mesmerizing. I especially enjoyed "Lover's Return" and "When Were Long Gone." Maybe if you could spotlight an older Dolly album each week or month we could really educate new Dolly fans to some great music. Thanks so much,
Billy Christian
Barboursville, W.V.
Thanks, Billy, for your note. It's an interesting suggestion, although I'd suspect most of the site's readers are the "major" fans who already have all of Dolly's old recordings and listen to them frequently. When that is combined with the fact that the vast majority of her career catalogue is out of print and no longer available, I'm not sure it would serve much of a purpose.

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May 21, 2005
Hi. Just wanted to thank you for this web site. It has such great information. I just wish I found it a few years back when Dolly had the CD signing and concerts. I am hoping she will be touring again sometime soon. If not, I will have to head back to Dollywood. Thanks again,
Karen Cooper
Manassas, Va.
Why, thank you, Karen! I appreciate it. I wish you had found us a while back, too :) But please visit the news page frequently to keep up with the latest Dolly information, and if she schedules any concerts or CD signings whenever her next album comes out, you'll be sure to know about them. While there currently are no plans for another tour yet, she will be making several appearances in coming months which you might wish to attend, including performing at the CMT "100 Greatest Duets" top 12 countdown concert in Nashville on June 8, a CMA Music Festival concert in Nashville on June 9 (tickets for both of which are available via Ticketmaster) and four benefit concerts at Dollywood Sept. 24 and 25 for her foundation (tickets for which are available at 1-800-Dollywood).

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May 21, 2005
Hi Duane, my friend Tammie and I have read with envy all about Dolly on tour, the opening of Dollywood and all the other things she does in the U.S. that we can not get to. So we are really glad we have your site to look at as it is so informative. We have decided to try and see if we can get to an opening of Dollywood as this seems like good fun. Can you help with some advice, i.e. when is the best time purchase the tickets for the opening, hotels, etc. and any other tips on the subject. Thank you,
Sylvia Smith
England
Thanks, Sylvia. It's unfortunate Dolly doesn't get to your side of "the pond" more often, as I know she has many, many fans in the British Isles who adore her. And I've met several of them who make the trip overseas to visit Dollywood each year at its season opening. It's a great experience, so I encourage you to come if you can afford it. You don't have to worry about buying tickets in advance, as they sell them at the park entrance all day, but if you want to cut a few minutes off of that wait, admissions are sold in advance on the Dollywood Web site. The opening festivities -- which usually feature a Dolly parade through town, a parade through the park grounds and several appearances in the park by Dolly for one or two days throughout the opening day celebration -- result in tens of thousands of people converging on Pigeon Forge, Tenn., each year for the first weekend in April, but the city has plenty of hotels, so there are usually at least a few rooms available even for those who didn't make reservations. But to get the best rooms, I'd recommend making reservations at least a month in advance. I typically use a travel Web site such as Expedia or Hotwire for the best rates, but you can also contact the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism for assistance. I'm not sure what airfare will run you, but you would be flying into Knoxville, Tenn., (McGhee Tyson Airport) and then you would need to rent a car and drive the 30 miles to Pigeon Forge. You'll want to arrive at least the day before the opening festivities to be sure you don't miss anything (possibly a couple of days in advance if you want to rest up due to the time difference).

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May 20, 2005
Hello! I was wondering if you knew which of Dolly's albums (CDs) are still in print? I was maybe planning on trying to find any that ARE in print (NOT including Greatest hits types though) at various music stores, but I'm not sure which ones still are. (except the obvious ones such as "Live and Well" and other very recent releases of course.) Thank you!! As always, your website is amazing!!
Jamie
Anaheim, Calif.
Thanks, Jamie. The only ones that are technically "in print" (meaning they are still in active production and being shipped to record stores) are the most recent ones. However, there are several that were released or re-issued over the past five or six years that haven't sold most of the copies that were shipped to music stores. Consequently, while they are technically "out of print" since they're not being made any longer, you can usually find new copies in many larger music stores or online stores. These include recent "budget" re-issues of many of her Columbia Records albums (Heartsongs, Slow Dancing With The Moon, Eagle When She Flies, and White Limozeen) a re-issue of the Trio album prior to the release of Trio II in 1999, annual holiday re-issues of her solo and duet Christmas albums, 2003's re-issue of Just Because I'm A Woman and late '90s re-issues including Heartbreaker, 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs, Coat Of Many Colors and Jolene. So out of the more than 70 albums she's recorded in her career and hundreds of compilations that have been released over the years, that's a very, very small percentage which is still available, unfortunately.

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May 20, 2005
Hi Duane!! I have a question for you yet again...LOL...I just recently saw Dolly's video "Silver and Gold" on GAC and I was wondering if that was her real hair in the video? If not, is there a picture or video that you know of that shows her real hair? Thanks!
Casey Robinson
Brandon, Miss.
No, Casey, that's not her "real" hair. She's worn wigs since her late teens, and she never allows herself to be photographed or filmed without her trademark head accessories (which are reported to cost upwards of $3,000 or more each and are made of the highest-quality natural human hair). Even famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, who shot her Halos & Horns cover a couple of years ago, tells that she prodded and nudged Dolly to try and get her to allow her to take the pictures without a wig, and while she convinced her to at least meet with her in her "real" hair (which is very fine, albeit bleached blonde, and she wore a baseball cap over it), she refused to be photographed "au natural."

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Ed. Note: Quite a few fans wrote in Sunday night and Monday morning with reactions to the E! True Hollywood Story episode on Dolly. Below are two letters representative of those who enjoyed the program and those who didn't.

May 17, 2005
Hey there, I just wanted to say I loved the E True Hollywood Story last night. A lot of it I had known about from being a fan for over 20 years but there were a few things that I learned last night. I have ALWAYS known what a class act Dolly was and last night it just proved it to me again. I knew somewhat about Dolly buying Porter's songs to get him out of trouble, but what I didn't know was that years later, Dolly heard that he wanted to buy them back for the same amount that she bought them for, so she wrote him a letter and said "how about I just give them back to you?" WOW!!
Brian
Riverside, Calif.

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May 17, 2005
Hi Duane - just a quick note to ask what other Dolly fans thought of the E! True Hollywood Story of Dolly. Honestly, I was a little disappointed. A documentary of Dolly could have EASILY been two hours. It covered her childhood and early Nashville years OK, and a good chunk of time was spent on 9 to 5, but then it totally skimmed through Best Little Whorehouse, Rhinestone, and Steel Magnolias. Completely skipped were: (this is a long list!) her 80's variety show, Straight Talk, Wild Texas Wind, Smoky Mountain Christmas, Unlikely Angel, appearances in Beverly Hillbillies, Miss Congeniality 2, Frank McKlusky and virtually no mention of Dolly's albums through the years. I wonder if E! is too cheap to buy clips from a variety of sources. The documentary spent about 15 seconds on Dollywood and did not mention the Library program. The ONLY surprise: Porter Wagoner owing the IRS a million bucks and how Dolly bought a large portion of his song catalog to help him out. THEN out of Dolly's genuine kindness, she gave the songs back to him last year. What are your thoughts??
Clint
Des Moines, Iowa

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Ed. Commentary: Well, I liked the show myself. It certainly was the least sensationalized edition in the series I think I've ever seen. Yes, there was a bit of candid talk about Dolly's life, such as her mother's depression, her decision to have tubal ligation and her gifting Porter back his song catalogue. And, yes, they did seem to skim over quite a few periods, dwelling mostly on her upbringing, early career in TV and early years in movies. Also, it appeared the program didn't want to pay for the rights to air many song samples, instead showing the visuals of her performing while playing stock music in the background with no connection to Dolly and only offering snippets of three of four of her songs during the hour. However, given the length and diversity of her career, it would be very difficult to fully cover it even if they had devoted two hours to her life, and I'm sure many fans would have still wanted more even if they extended that to three or four hours. As rarely as she allows such in-depth profiles of herself, the show was a treat. In my opinion it ranked about average for its effort and could have been better, but it was still enjoyable.

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May 16, 2005
Duane, I didn't get to see Dolly on GAC, so I'm not following. Some people thought DOLLY was distasteful in her introduction of Rumsfeld? What did she say or do that is meeting with criticism? Thanks.
Lory
Austin, Texas
No, Lory, I don't think anyone thought Dolly's introduction of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on The Grand Ole Opry was distasteful. However, she has a very diverse fan base, some members of which strongly support the war in Iraq led by Rumsfeld and some members of which strongly oppose the war, just as the general population of the country is greatly divided on this subject. Consequently, a handful of those opposed to the war who have ill feelings about Rumsfeld had expressed their displeasure at Dolly introducing and standing next to a man they strongly dislike. But, as I said, I think most fans saw it not as Dolly taking a stand on the war itself or Secretary Rumsfeld but her simply taking the opportunity to support the troops themselves -- nothing more and nothing less.

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May 14, 2005
I watched the Dolly Parton hosting appearance on the Grand Ole Opry on GAC with Donald Rumsfeld. Did you notice on the show when Dolly took his hand he pulled away and placed his hands behind his back???? What does that say about him??? What do you think about his body language? Dolly is great. Just pissed me off to see that!!!
Ashley
Rome, N.Y.
From what I've seen of the Secretary of Defense on television, I think that was more just his personal, natural body language than anything directed at Dolly herself. In fact, CMT.com columnist Hazel Smith reported that he agreed to visit the Opry only after learning that Dolly would be performing, so he is apparently a big fan. As for your opinion of his appearance, of course given the current culture in our country, he, like the president, is one of the most divisive figures in America today, and yours is not the only note I received from fans expressing distaste at Dolly's introduction of him. However, Dolly has always remained a very big supporter of the men and women in uniform, as are almost all Americans regardless of whether we support the war or oppose it, so of course she would take the opportunity which this show provided to thank them for their service, and I think most of her fans saw it that way.
NOTE: The author of this letter wrote back a week later to express her displeasure at the response I had published. My sincere apologies if the meaning of my words was unclear, because she thought I was saying she disliked Dolly and the way she introduced Secretary Rumsfeld. Instead, I was attempting in the most polite manner possible to say that I understood why she apparently did not like Rumsfeld and that a few other readers had written me to say they didn't like him and had wished Dolly didn't have to be seen next to someone they despise without making any judgment call on her type of introduction or on her for introducing him. As was pointed out in the very next letter published two days later, it was explained that I did not believe anyone thought that her introduction was in poor taste, only that some people didn't like to see their favorite star associated with someone they don't like. Again, my apologies if the comments were unclear and easily misconstrued.

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May 13, 2005
Hi, as always you have a great website. I have checked it out for a few years now. Ok I have a serious question. Do you think Dolly is healthy, or she may be hiding something? I know she announced she was getting reduction surgery, and it looks as she may have recently. But when I look at recent photos of her, she is so thin. She is almost as thin as she was in the 1987 Dolly show scenes they cut out, because she was too thin. (One with Dolph Lundgren comes to mind, I have the tabloid somewhere.) I think she is still beautiful as always, but in close ups, her skin looks rough around her jawline, almost pocky. I have seen her up close in person and she has flawless skin. Please don't take this the wrong way, because I love her as much as you all do, but I am just concerned. I know she is almost 60, but I think she doesn't look healthy. I have been a fan since the Porter Wagner and boxes of BREEZE soap days. (They should have put that ? in the E On Line quiz. What came free in a box of Breeze that Dolly used to advertise?) Maybe I am crazy. Have you heard anything? Concerned in Iowa
Doug Davidson
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
I'm sure Dolly appreciates your concern, Doug, but as far as I know, she is absolutely fine health-wise. It seems there are always rumors or tabloid reports saying she's ill, but they've almost always been completely false. For instance, the tabloids put out the story that she was having breast reduction surgery, and she said that wasn't true at all. If you've seen her at her most recent appearances, she hasn't looked THAT skinny. She did look very skinny on her appearance on Reba McEntire's sitcom which recently aired, but you must remember that she was just getting over a serious bout with the flu at that time -- and that usually means one cannot eat much food at all for several days, which results in weight loss.

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May 12, 2005
Duane, this was a question and answer from the E! quiz: 9. After spending years climbing through the ranks as a country musician, Parton gave up for a while. Why? Answer: She wasn't making enough money. She has since returned to the music that made her a legend. What period are they talking about? Or are they talking about her whole pop-crossover?
Franky
Ottawa, Canada
Yes, Franky, the question was referring to her transition to pop superstar in the late 1970s. She has always said that a big part of the reason for her crossover attempt was the fact that she was barely making enough money singing traditional country music to live on and pay her band and crew for concerts. When she returned to traditional country music and bluegrass in the late 1990s, she explained that she had to get rich to sing like she was poor now that she doesn't need the money. Read about Dolly's E! True Hollywood Story episode here and take the quiz!

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May 10, 2005
Hello there, Ok I have two questions for you. I'm really into candles and I have a "Dolly" room with all my Dolly stuff and I would like to know if you know if she has a favorite candle. There are so many out there and so many that I like but I would like to get one she likes for the Dolly room. Second I would like to know if you know where I can get my hands on the Dolly Parton rose bush? I have been looking at Home Depot, Lowe's, Armstrong, Ace, Wal-Mart, Target, and I can keep going -- LOL. Most people just look at me like I'm dumb. I was in Arkansas visiting family and bought a house for my mom and I wanted to get her a yellow rose bush for the yard and I noticed it was a Henry Fonda rose so I went crazy looking for the red rose that has Dolly's name and still no luck, PLEASE help me :) I love your site keep up the good work.
Brian Wolf
Riverside, Calif.
Thanks, Brian. I don't recall Dolly ever having said she has a favorite candle, so I'm afraid I can't help there. As for the rose bush, it's more of a specialty species, so you're not likely to find it at a local mass market store. You might get lucky and find it at a large "warehouse" greenhouse if there's one in your area, but your best bet is to order the plant online. There are several retailers with online outlets that stock the rose. Just go to Google or Alta Vista and enter "Dolly Parton Rose" as your search term and the results should bring up several dozen from which you may choose.

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May 9, 2005
Hey I wanted to let you and everyone else know that I have a Website here dedicated to Dolly. It has a biography, a chat room, and a place where I have set up a script that I am writing especially for Dolly, where she is a superhero. I would really appreciate it if anybody could check it out, and they could see what everything is like and give me a few pointers on what I could do to make the site even better! Thanks!
Michelle Ivey
Benton, Ark.
Thanks, Michelle. Glad to pass it along!

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May 9, 2005
Hi Duane : ) As usual, the site is fantastic. My question is if the Dolly "Coat of Many Colors" featured at Dollywood is the actual coat her momma made for her, or a replica? I like to study ALL of her clothes and shoes when I get to get back to Dollywood. I know many of the "artifacts" (no disrespect to Dolly lol) on display at the "home" she grew up in that are on display at Dollywood, are actual Parton family items -- but I would like to see an entire large, fixed structure with a walk thru at Dollywood. It would be really special if she narrated different areas and memories of that home -- maybe even an outside type landscape similar dedicated to her "memories." I think a lot of fans want to get as "close" to Dolly and her childhood as possible. Well enough rambling on --- any fellow fans agree? Thanks Duane!!
Mike Tomek
Rapid City, S.D.
Thanks, Mike, for your compliment. As I understand it, the coat in the museum is a replica. As for your idea on a larger Dolly childhood museum at the park, it is intriguing.

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May 9, 2005
Have you heard any news of a release date for Dolly's "Blue Smoke" Cd?
R. McGuire
Las Vegas, Nev.
No, there have been no indications yet of when Dolly intends to complete recording the album and prepare its release other than to say "soon," which could mean in a few months or could mean sometime next year. No one knows yet.

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May 6, 2005
Hi, I was wondering on what album or albums of Dolly's can I find her cover of Emmylou Harris' "Boulder to Birmingham?"
Candice
Temecula, Calif.
Dolly's gorgeous rendition of the song appeared on her 1976 album All I Can Do. Unfortunately, that release has been out of print for many, many years, and I don't believe that Dolly's recording of the song has ever been included on a compilation. So your best bet is to find the original vinyl LP at your local collectors' record store, on eBay or at one of the music sale listing services such as www.gemm.com or www.promusicfind.com. And for others wondering about a particular Dolly song, every one she has ever released is listed here alphabetically and here chronologically.

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May 5, 2005
Hello. Is there any news on a British tour for Dolly yet? I would love to see her live. It would make me the happiest person in the world.
Debbie
Edinburgh, Scotland
Unfortunately, Debbie, there have been no plans announced for a new Dolly tour anywhere, in the U.S. or overseas, so you'll have to wait a while longer.

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May 2, 2005
Hello Duane. Thanks again for your site. I was at the Opry for the first time & it was awesome. And not only that, it also had my favorite singer there, too ~Dolly~. I was able to see both shows (which was great) & I was wondering if you or anyone could tell me what was on the back of Dolly's outfit? It looked really nice what little I saw it. Thanks again....A dolly fan for life…
Susan Blatzer
Martinsburg, W.V.
Thanks, Susan. I took a look through my photos, although I didn't really have any clear ones of the back of her outfit -- I doubt many folks take pictures of her backside! But from what I could see it appeared the design on the rear was a mountain landscape with green trees at the bottom, mountains at the middle and a setting or rising sun with clouds on the top. But, as I said, there weren't any clear ones, so I may be mistaken :)
NOTE: In response, reader Greg wrote in to say: Hi Susan, I saw your letter posted on Dollymania regarding the back of Dolly's jacket. In 2002 I had the wonderful fortune of meeting Dolly in NYC for her Halos and Horns CD signing. She wore the same jacket that she wore on the Opry last weekend. I was able to take a photograph of the back of it at the time :) I don't have a scanner or digital camera, but here is a photo I took of the original photo with my camera phone. You'll notice white puffy clouds at the top, purple mountains with orange sunlight on the ridges, purply/white fog at the bottom of the mountains and green pine trees on the back. (the green pine trees were several different shades of green with some green sparkles in them). When I saw her in concert in Atlanta that summer she wore the same jacket and said she loved her "coat" (like coat of many colors, rather than jacket) bearing the smoky mountains on them; saying she takes the smoky mountains with her wherever she goes. ;) Hope this helps, Greg (Thanks, Greg!)

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April 29, 2005
Hi Duane. Just wanted to ask a quick question, I was wondering if Dolly wrote the song "He's Alive" or did somebody else write it and she just sang it? Thanks,
Oscar
Auburn, Calif.
Dolly did not write the song telling the story of the Resurrection through the eyes of the Apostle Peter. It was written, and originally recorded in 1977, by Don Francisco. Although it's been recorded by several singers since then, Dolly's version gained the greatest degree of popularity.

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April 29, 2005
Hey Duane. It hasn't been really long since my last message, but I wanted to tell you thanks for all of your work on the Opry galleries. They are really great. I watched the show on television; it was really a great show. I was wondering if you know if she is going to be in any more Opry shows this year? I also want to say thanks again for such great work on the website.
Jeremy
Marion, N.C.
Thanks, Jeremy. I'm glad you're enjoying the galleries. As for future Opry performances, I doubt there will be any for a while. Although Opry members are supposed to make multiple appearances during the year, most big-name stars such as Dolly usually go two or three years between booking time on the Opry stage. Dolly's most recent appearance before last weekend was three years ago, and I doubt she'd be able to do another for at least a year or two.

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April 26, 2005
Duane. Thanks so much for sharing your Opry journal and pics. You made me feel like I was right there. I applaud you for the great work you do in support of Dolly. I look forward to logging on everyday just to see your site. I am so hoping that you have a release date soon for Blue Smoke. I can not wait for that CD. Thanks so much. I appreciate your true dedication and efforts.
Billy Christian
Barboursville, W.V.
Thank you, Billy. I'm glad you're enjoying the site. I'm posting some more shots from the Opry show here tonight, and additional ones will be coming throughout the week. As for "Blue Smoke," I also hope she completes the album soon and gets it out because the songs I've heard her perform live from it so far are amazing!

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April 26, 2005
I did watch Dolly on Saturday. Awesome, of course!!!! I watched and taped from 8 to 10. But did not see the Porter section. Was that part televised or was it only a treat for those in attendance? Thank you for all you do!!
Kim Boyle
Elkridge, Md.
Thanks, Kim. No, that part was not televised. The Opry is a five-hour show (plus a 30-minute break between the two two-and-a-half-hour segments), but only one hour is broadcast on television. Dolly's second appearance (which included the duet with Porter) was in the 11 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Eastern time period, which does not air on television but was broadcast on WSM radio.

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April 26, 2005
Hello. I just wanted to say Happy Birthday to a Dolly-fan: Cowboy Larry! (I don't know how to reach him.. so I figured he might see it here. And Duane.. keep up the great work!! I LOVE this site :)
Arelis Dania
Aruba
Thanks, Arelis. Hope Larry sees his birthday greetings here!

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April 25, 2005
Hi. Just got back to the hotel from the televised show at the Opry. As you know, Secretary Of Defense Donald Rumsfield was the unexpected guest of honor. Dolly seemed to make a last minute song change on stage during the break and performed "Coat Of Many Colors", but she chatted with The Grascals for a moment and it seemed that she may not have planned to originally perform that. Her show was awesome. After the live portion, in the last hour, there was a new artist...a young girl from Australia, who performed "Little Sparrow" in honor of Dolly. I don't have her name handy but she was excellent. In the last half hour, Dr. Ralph Stanley's grandson dedicated an instrumental tune to Dolly. Just listening to WSM and the late show now...she did a duet with Porter Wagoner, "Coat Of Many Colors", and is performing "Viva Las Vegas" with The Grascals as I type this. 2 awesome shows at the Opry. Look for pics from the early show coming your way by Monday.
David and Larry
Springfield, Ill.
Thanks for your observations, guys, and I can't wait to see your photos!. I had a great time at the show myself, and the site's coverage of it begins here.

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April 23, 2005
I am looking for the CD album Precious Memories released in April 1999. I heard that we can not buy it anywhere else than through the Dolly foundation but, the phone number that I have is not good anymore. My husband is a huge fan of Dolly's music. He has all of her CDs except that one. Please let me know how I can get this album for him.
Thank you,
Francine Lyrette
Ottawa, Ont., Canada
Sure, Francine. The CD is still for sale exclusively at Dollywood as a fund-raiser for her Dollywood Foundation. I'd suggest calling Dollywood's general information number at 1-865-428-9488 and asking if they would take an order and mail the CD to you.

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April 23, 2005
Hi Duane. I wanted to report to report that Jane Fonda spoke before a book signing in Minneapolis this past Wednesday evening. I was lucky enough to be able to attend and have a book signed by Ms. Fonda. While signing her book for me, I asked her if she was planning to reunite with Dolly and Lily for a "9 To 5" sequel. In response she said, "We still haven't found the right script." I told her that I sure hope they find a script as many fans of the movie would be thrilled for a sequel. I wanted to share this as you had recently shared in the news that Lily Tomlin had stated in a recent interview that a sequel to the hit moved was not out of the question. Ms. Fonda was warm and personal at her signing--I really enjoyed being able to hear her speak and to ask her this question personally. And, I can't wait to see her upcoming movie with Jennifer Lopez, "Monster In-Law."
Kevin
Minneapolis, Minn.
Thanks for sharing your story, Kevin. Maybe we'll be lucky in coming years! Dolly has joked a few times since they reunited for a fund-raiser a few years back that she hopes they can get together and do a sequel before they get so old that it's "the good, the bad, and the ugly." And, of course, Lily said in that recent interview she wouldn't rule out a sequel. So perhaps they'll get together with a good script and do one. We can hope!

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April 23, 2005
Hi Duane, I just wanted to know if you know when Dolly will be interviewed by Larry King since the last date was cancelled?
Oscar
Auburn, Calif.
The interview has yet to be rescheduled. If it is, the new date and time will be noted on the site's news page as soon as it is known.

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April 21, 2005
Hey Duane. What's up? Kind of boring here. I was just wondering if you know if that was Dolly running in the Miss Congeniality 2 movie? To me it didn't look like she was running and not to be disrespectful to her or any one else but it looked like the Chucky doll from the movie, who ever was running. But her cameo was really cute. I was worried and laughing at the same time cause it was funny but I thought she was gonna get messed up laying on the floor. I also loved the Reba and Dolly show. I taped it..LOL. It was so funny and I loved what Van and Barbara Jean did when they got that card from her;) I was also curious to know how many times you've met Dolly, how close are you to her, and how many of her relatives you've met (like nieces, nephews, Carl, ect.) Well, bye, for now. Love,
Haley
Newville, Ala.
No, I don't think that was Dolly running through the hotel in the film. It appeared to be Dolly at the very beginning and it was Dolly on the ground at the end, but in the middle it looked to be a body double because the body looked just a little different from hers. Her shape is so unique that whenever she uses a body double you can usually tell. As for how many times I've met Dolly, I've had personal interaction with her (a brief meeting or the chance to ask her a question or two at a press conference, things like that) probably eight or nine times over the years. We're certainly not close friends or anything like that, but she is certainly aware of the site, who I am, what I do, and I think appreciates it. I've not met many of her relatives because that's not something that I actively try to do. I know many, many fans attempt to befriend her family, most likely in an effort to get close to Dolly, but I have no desire to bother them. I am friends with one of her cousins (of which I'm sure she has hundreds), but that's because we had a couple of mutual friends to begin with and became friends from both of us being around our existing friends at the same time. A couple of her other relatives have contacted me in the past to discuss things that are on the site, but they got in touch with me; I didn't seek them out.

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April 20, 2005
Hi Duane, I have a question for you. On the show Dolly did "Live In London," she sings a song about the church revivals and that that she went to as a child. I think it may be called something like "Brotherly Love" or something like that I'm not certain. I was just wondering if she put that out on any CDs because I like that song a lot! Thank you for your help. Take care!
Amanda Amon
Kent, Ohio
The song she performed was Neil Diamond's "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" along with a brief medley of several other religious tunes, including "When The Saints Go Marching In" and "I'll Fly Away." While Dolly had previously performed the song on her mid-70s television show, she never recorded it on an album, so her version is not available anywhere on CD. Diamond's original recording, however, appears on several CDs, if you'd like to hear his version.

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April 20, 2005
Hi Duane. I thought I would drop in and let you know what I think of Ms. Dolly's "Reba" act. It was truly hilarious and down right interesting. I wish Dolly would start her own show again. I was wondering do you know where I can get the old Dolly shows. Thanks.
Scott Davis
Newport, N.C.
I just loved the show myself, even if it didn't give Reba a big ratings boost (I think most Dolly fans are Reba fans and vice-versa, so it didn't surprise me that much that it didn't attract a larger audience than a usual episode of the show). As for her old programs, neither her 1970s nor 1980s variety shows have been released on videotape or DVD, so they are not commercially available anywhere. This, however, leads to a thriving fan trade of illegally pirated copies of the shows, which, sadly, is the only way to obtain them.

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April 19, 2005
I watched the episode with Dolly on Reba the other night, which was the first time watching the show for me. I found it so funny that I'll probably see her show again. I was gonna comment on Dolly's character. I just think they did a great job. I mean, she plays this well known, successful woman, that started her own business from nothing, in her garage, and turned it into this huge empire. Sound familiar? I think no matter what Dolly had done in life (even if she wasn't a singer) she'd still be the very best of the best at whatever it is she's doing. And like a fan I met once said, "everything the woman touches turns to gold". -
Robin
St. Louis, Mo.
Thanks, Robin, for your comments. I saw the episode and thought it was hilarious myself! Plus, it was a welcome change to see Dolly play a character who has a bit of an underhanded side, since she always plays such good, kind characters.

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April 16,2005
Dear Duane, We love your site! It is great that you update it every day and please know how much we appreciate your hard work. The other night, we wore our Dolly t-shirts and sat down to watch Rhinestone for the first time - wow what a movie. Anyway, we had a few questions for you - did Dolly release the songs from Rhinestone on any albums - we know in her biography she mentions that those were some of the best country songs that nobody ever heard - and she's right - we never heard any of them! (Especially the duets!) Also, did Dolly choose the name of the Tennessee town to be Leibicks Fork because it sounded like Pigeon Forge? And finally, could you believe how many references there were to balls? (HOG BALLS!) We recommend that every Dolly fan see Rhinestone and request that their local video store order the DVD. And here's to watching Reba tonight!!!!! Thanks again, Yale Dolly Parton Fan Club
Sandra
New Haven, Conn.
Thanks, Sandra! I hope your "fan club" has lots of members :) I don't know if Dolly came up with the town's name or not, but I can tell you that, yes, a soundtrack to the film was released. However, unfortunately, it has been out of print for quite some time now. Every once in a while, a CD or LP of it shows up on eBay (and you might be able to find the original vinyl in your local collectors' record store), but it's otherwise no longer commercially available. The album's two singles were hits, with "Tennessee Homesick Blues" going to No. 1 and "God Won't Get You" to No. 10, so they show up on a few of the hundreds of Dolly compilation CDs from her years at RCA Records, and she has recorded two later versions of the song "What A Heartache" from the film (in 1991 on Eagle When She Flies and in 2002 on Halos & Horns, both of which are still available at most stores).

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April 16, 2005
Hi Duane! I just have a quick question for you. I am going to see Dolly next week on April 23rd at the Grand Ole Opry but I was wondering if you knew exactly what all was going to take place? I have read that she is going to perfrom some and then I read somewhere that she is just going to host. I am assuming that she will do both, but I knew that if anyone knew it would be you! Once again, thanks for all you do and hope to see you there!!
Casey Robinson
Brandon, Miss.
As I understand it, yes, Dolly is to host the show. Traditionally, the host performs one or two songs on his or her own, and I've heard Dolly is supposed to do two. And, yes, I will be there -- on the second row in the section just to the right of the center section -- so keep an eye out for me :)

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April 15, 2005
Hey Duane! It's me again. Just going to tell you I got my tickets to the benefit concerts, so I can quit worrying about my mail now! I sure wish we could have been there opening weekend, but my husband and I always have to work that weekend. We're up there at least ten times a year though. I was reading the transcript from the opening about her saying she wasn't Oprah, and speaking of Oprah, I think it would be great if she did a show from Dollywood! I know she's done shows from "on location" before, and as well as they seem to like each other, I think it would be special for her twenty year anniversary. I've e-mailed Oprah's show before about it, but who knows if they'll get it? Just a thought anyway. I know they would have a great time though! Anyway, thanks again for such a great site and keeping us all informed of everything.
Diane Blount
Riceville, Tenn.
Thanks, Diane. Mine arrived yesterday as well, so they're on their way for everyone who ordered them! The Oprah idea is good. You know, Dolly is one of her all-time favorite guests. Perhaps she'll take you up on the suggestion :)

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April 8, 2005
Hi Duane, Love your pictures of opening weekend! We went on Monday and the Moscow Circus was great! I'm glad you had a picture of the little dog. He stole the show!! I have a question about the tickets to her benefit concerts this fall. I ordered mine some time ago and haven't received them yet. Do you know if they have sent any out yet? We have been going to them for several years now and it seems like it's taken longer this year. We have had trouble with some of our mail recently, so I was just wondering. Thanks,
Diane Blount
Riceville, Tenn.
Thanks so much, Diane. Wasn't that dog just the cutest little thing. I had some additional photos of his trainer rolling around on the ground and the dog running over his body, but I didn't post them because you couldn't really tell what was going on :) Guess you had to be there to get the full effect! As for the tickets, no one to my knowledge has received them yet, meaning that they have not been mailed at this time, so there's no need to worry about them having gotten lost in the mail or anything.

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April 8, 2005
Hello, I see you also made your trip this past week to Tennessee (Dollywood). We got there Tuesday. On Wednesday, we went to Dollywood so my daughter could see the new rides, and guess who was there: Mrs. Dolly herself. She was there also on Thursday shooting more commercials, that I guess she hadn't finished on Wednesday. Then on Friday we were a few of the lucky ones who got to see her and get that great 20-year present. Now we don't have to buy season passes. What a great gift. We heard you were there on Friday, but I wasn't sure which press person you were. We also got to see her leave Saturday. We were just checking out the new highway (in the back of the park). There she was in a Jeep with her tour bus behind her. She was very nice and gave us a big hello as they were waiting for the light to turn green. What a great weekend. I hope you guys had a great one also. I heard from a park employee she was going to be at the park a lot this season. Not for sure if its true or not. We are there a week every month so we hope to see her a lot more.
Harold G.
Hillsboro, Ohio
Thanks, Harold, for sharing your story. Yes, it was a fabulous weekend and I had a blast. Wasn't the gift of 20-year platinum season passes such a wonderful, unexpected, generous treat! Everyone I spoke to was just shocked and at a loss for words after receiving theirs. I know many were expecting her to say "April Fools!" or something, since it was on April 1, but the gift was for real and shows how appreciative Dolly and other park officials are for the patrons who keep it growing and thriving.

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April 7, 2005
Hi Duane, love your site and Miss Dolly. Question--I read two different dates for Dolly's birthday, Jan. 19, 1946 and Jan. 19, 1947. I always thought Dolly was born in 1946, and that date is what is listed in "My Live and Other Unfinished Business" by Dolly. But like I said above, I also see 1947 listed in other sites, and also sometimes in the news they will refer to Dolly being 58. That would put the date as 1947. Do you know what the real date is ?
Mike Wargo
Lehighton, Pa.
I don't know where anyone got 1947, as Dolly was born in 1946 and turned 59 in January. According to Porter Wagoner's biography A Satisfied Mind, there was some discrepancy in state records as to whether the date was actually Jan. 9 or Jan. 19 and whether her name at birth was spelled "Dollie" or "Dolly," but it was definitely 1946.

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April 7, 2005
Hello there! This Dollymania is the BEST Dolly Parton site I have ever seen. It's up-to-date, quicker then any other Dolly fan site that I have seen. Also this site seems the most original and outstanding with the simple fact it helps and will allow people to get in touch with other Dolly Parton fans, so they can share and talk about the greatest person to ever be. This site is defiantly a must for every single Dolly Parton fan on the globe to look at, and read often, because new info comes on every day. This is truly and honestly the best site there is and so befitting for the person I LOVE MOST, Dolly Parton! And I truly cant wait to meet and talk and email some of these wonderful fans on here that love her as much as I do.
Andy Farley
Princeton, W.V.
Well, thank you, Andy, for your glowing praise. I do appreciate it. I always say that I really love hearing from other Dolly fans who like the site because it is done for you, and your enjoyment of it makes the work that goes into it worthwhile.

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April 7, 2005
Hey, I really like your website. I am only 15 years old but I am one of the biggest Dolly fans. Between the music, the movies, and well just Dolly, I wouldn't be able to choose which is my favorite. I just want to say thanks for keeping this website up to date and factual.
Jeremy
Marion, N.C.
Why, thank you, Jeremy, for such kind words!

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April 6, 2005
Duane, I was wondering if you know or have heard Dolly mention why she doesn't wear her wedding ring. She used to years ago, but I never see it on her hand anymore. I know she's still happily married, but I was wondering if you've heard her say a reason. I was just curious.
Lory
Austin, Texas
No, I don't believe she has addressed any specific reason behind her habit of lately not wearing her ring, although she and the elusive Carl Dean are still happily married (and will celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary next month). However, if you look closely at her photographs over the past few years, it appears she has been selecting only rings that are coordinated with the outfit she has on at the time, so I suspect that is the likely reason.

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April 5, 2005
Hey Duane. It's me again. I just wanted to know what you meant by Dolly signing her name three or four different ways depending on how much time she has? I thought she signed it the same way every time. I don't really know though because I have never met her and have never gotten an autograph before. Thanks for all the help you give to us fans. Your site is so cool I love it! Thanks again
Love,
Haley( hopefully a future famous person:)
Newville, Ala.
Thanks, Haley, and I hope you do get famous someday :) To answer your question, I'd like to suggest that you do a little test on yourself. Get a pen and paper and first sign your name slowly and neatly, say in 10 seconds. Then time yourself to do it in five seconds, then in three seconds, then try to scribble it out in one second. Look at the four signatures, and you'll see they all differ in appearance depending on how long you had available to sign them.

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April 5, 2005
Hi Duane. I just wanted to ask a quick question, with all the news of the pope dying it got me to wondering if Dolly had ever met the pope? Do you know if she has? I know of other stars that have. I guess it's probably a dumb question but I just wanna know. And also I wanted to let you know that your doing great with the site, one of the first things I do in the morning is click onto Dollymania to see what's new keep up the great work.
Oscar
Auburn, Calif.
Thanks, Oscar. Glad to be part of your morning routine. I don't recall having seen any photos or coverage of Dolly having met the Pope, but it wouldn't surprise me if she had!

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March 31, 2005
Just wanted to say what is up out there and also post that my boyfriend and I went and saw Miss Congeniality 2. It was so hard for me to wait until Saturday night to see it but since he is working a late night shift now and I attend JWU in the am its hard to see a movie during the week. We both enjoyed it and were like cracking up as Dolly (the stunt double) was running and then Sandra knocking her to the floor. We enjoyed it and in my opinion it was the best movie I had seen in a while that I didn't feel cheated as I left the theater. Anyways just wanted to give my opinion on MC2. Also, one other thing that may not be relevant but I was reading through Johnson and Wales Magazine and they interviewed a guy who was a graduate and he owns a restaurant in Nashville and they listed that he has done private things for different country singers and DP was listed. Good job on keeping the site up. We check it all the time just to read anything new or old.
Jonathan
Norfolk, Va.
Thanks, Jonathan. I loved the film myself.

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March 31, 2005
I was just thinking of Dolly. Nothing in particular, but thought I would send this email anyways. I truly do love Dolly. She is just so sweet and wonderful in every way. I am really looking forward to her new CD "Blue Smoke". She sang some of the songs from that CD at the concert I'd seen her at. Dolly was absolutely awesome at that concert. I have seen Dolly 3 times in concert, and one thing I can say with all honesty is that I never left any of her concerts with disappointment. Our Miss Dolly is simply the very best there is. People who don't know Dolly can say all they want to, but us fans do know her better. I thought I would mention too, that I have on several occasions worn some of my Dolly T-shirts to church and other places, and people have said some really nice things about her. Most of them have told me that they LOVE Dolly! My question is, how could we NOT love Dolly Parton? She is just a truly wonderful, loving person. Dolly may even say things about herself that we would never even dream of saying, but we still love her anyways. God bless Dolly always and forever!!
Scott Nasssans
San Francisco, Calif.
Thanks, Scott. I always find people of all makes and models just love Dolly!

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March 31, 2005
Hello Webmaster, I LOVE your site and check it daily for my dose of Dolly. I was wondering if you can put up a section on the site of what actual, authentic Dolly Parton autographs look like. Now I know that the ones that are sent from her in the mail are very different from the ones I have gotten in person, (I am not going to dwell on that, I think we know what's going on there) but it makes me sick when I go on eBay and see soooooo many forgeries, with bids on them. What are your thoughts? All the best,
John
Beverly Hills, Calif
John, thanks for your suggestion. It might be a good idea, as I know Dolly signs her name three or four different ways, depending on how much time she has to do it :) I'll have to put it in my "get to it when I can get to it" file, unfortunately.

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March 31, 2005
Hey Duane, I was just wondering if you could answer a question of mine. Well on the site Voice of an Angel, there is a clip of Dolly singing "Cowgirl and the Dandy," and I have just about fell in love with that song, lol. I was wondering if you know, what concert that was or whatever, because I would love to be able to track down a copy of it. I know that it wasn't made into a video or anything, but if you know someone who as a copy of it or anything. And your sites great, I look up the news every day! If it weren't for your site I wouldn't be able to know half the stuff that I do, lol. Well thanks and write back soon,
Rachel
Strabane, County Tyrone, N. Ireland
Thanks, Rachel. Unfortunately, that concert is not available commercially, but the original studio recording of the song by Dolly appears on her 1977 album Here You Come Again, so if you don't have that CD, you might want to see if it's for sale there.

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March 29, 2005
In answer to the Lucy photo, yes, Dolly and her sister Rachel and Lucy had their picture taken, all three together, years ago. It was in a old Dolly Fan Club Journal that I have since sold on eBay. It was taken at the Carousel Ball.
Doug Coleman
Findlay, Ohio
Thanks, Doug, for shining some light on that question asked by another reader. In the back of my mind, I thought Dolly and Lucy had met at some point, but I didn't recall whether there was a photo of it that had been released or not.

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March 28, 2005
Hi I love Dollymania I check it everyday!! I have been a fan of Dolly's since I was about 10 years old and have collected every album I have seen her only twice live and would love to see her many more times! I saw the Hello I'm Dolly tour in Atlanta, Ga., back in Oct 2004. I have heard the tour is going to continue in 2005. Do you know when and where???? Thanks for any info!!!
Brian K. Matthews
Endicott, N.Y.
Thanks, Brian. Yes, before the tour began last year, Dolly said she expected to extend it into 2005 and perform even more dates this year. However, no announcement of the tour picking back up has come yet. She is not touring this spring, although that doesn't rule out a tour later in the year if she decides to do it. As I understand it, she has put everything on hold until she finishes composing the music for the Broadway adaptation of 9 To 5, so I would not really expect to hear anything on it until then.

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March 28, 2005
Hey there, I just got back from seeing "Miss Congeniality 2" and I thought it was great. I am a big Sandra Bullock fan and just seeing Sandra on the screen again was worth $7.50 to me. Dolly being in the movie was just icing on the cake. I can't wait for Sandra's next movie, "Crash." Saw the previews to it before the movie. There are 4 people that if they have ANYTHING to do with something I see it, buy it, and love it. That would be Dolly, Julia Roberts, Sally Fields and Sandra Bullock. I love them all.
Brian Wolf
Riverside, Calif.
I went to see the film last week myself and thoroughly enjoyed it.

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March 28, 2005
Hello Duane! As a huge Dolly Parton fan for nearly four decades (possibly likely yourself and your other readers), perhaps you can answer a couple of odd questions that I have: 1) To your knowledge, did Dolly ever meet and pose for a photograph with Lucille Ball? and 2) What has ever become of Sandy Gallin, who, arguably was quite instrumental in Dolly's rise to super-stardom, some twenty-five years ago? I enjoy and appreciate your site, and look forward to checking it out early EVERY morning! You have been able to keep the die-hard Dolly FANatics like me, connected, informed, entertained, and educated. Best of luck for continued success. (In my heart of hearts, I believe that Dolly would NOT enjoy the levels of popularity and consistent success that she does today, were it not for your talents and devotion to her, with your website, as well as with the 'mighty fine' successful efforts of a couple other Dolly Parton Fan websites.) Thank you, very, VERY much!
Dennis
Atlanta, Ga.
Thanks, Dennis, for your kind words, although I doubt my little site has THAT much of an impact on Dolly's popularity :) As for your questions, I don't recall offhand having ever seen a photograph of Dolly and Lucy together, although I would suspect they may have met at least briefly at some point in the past. As for Sandy, he had retired from star management back in 1998 to take over as entertainment director at the Mirage casino properties in Las Vegas. He left that post after about a year and since then has continued his hobby of buying multi-million dollar estates, renovating them, and selling them for an even higher price in addition to his role as producer of television shows (he was one of the guys behind the series Firefly) and Broadway shows (including a 2002 revival of Man of La Mancha and The Shape Of Things, both of which were nominated for Tony Awards).

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Ed. Note: The site received many, many messages (all very supportive) from readers on Wednesday in response to Gloria Peterson's letter which was posted Tuesday night (scroll down to letter dated March 23). In accordance with the site's policy on Letters To The Webmaster that went into effect a week and a half ago, only a handful of these are published here tonight because more would be repetitive (and a bit egotistical). If your letter isn't published here, that doesn't say it wasn't good or I didn't like it. I just had too many to try and put them all on here. Even so, I wanted to express my sincere appreciation to the many who took the time to write in to say how much they enjoy the site!

March 24, 2005
RE: Gloria Peterson
After reading her letter, I was so angry that I wanted to write another letter telling HER to get a life! You said it better than anyone else could and you were tactful to boot. I just wanted to let you know, and I'm sure I speak for many other fans out there, we care about EVERYTHING Dolly. Small tidbits and major news items. The real fans will want it all. And Gloria, this IS NOT A STUPID FAN SITE! It is the "Best Darn Dolly Site on the Web"!!! It's people like Gloria who ruin these fan sites for others. Again, Duane, keep up the EXCELLENT work. I don't know what I would do without Dollymania.net to start my day!
James
Edmonton, Alb., Canada

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March 24, 2005
I don't know what right Gloria has to criticize ME, you or anyone else who likes this site. In my opinion, she can go to another site. No one is begging her to come here. This is our site: the fans (THE REAL FANS), and it's all about Dolly not some "stupid" people. I love the site and I love what has been done with it. Keep up the good work.
Scott Davis
Newport, N.C.

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March 24, 2005
Hi Duane! I'm sorry, but I just read a letter from Gloria, and I usually just try to butt out, but I can't this time. Oh, so Gloria, his news is news, thank you very much, and many fans do read it everyday and actually appreciate what he does for all of us. How is Duane supposed to know when her new album is coming out when Dolly doesn't even know; yeah that makes sense. And you mean why does Duane publish letters from rude people like you? Yeah, I don't know that either. But he publishes those letters because those people like what he does, and it's ok; the truth does hurt because he does have an AMAZING site; the best Dolly site out there. So if you only want "real news" about her album or whatever, why don't you go to some other site where they very rarely update their info, and you will be waiting a long time. And I'm sure he really has to worry about losing his fans, maybe someone like you, and let me tell ya that would probably not be a worry to him! Keep up the great work, Duane!
Jen
Baltimore, Md.

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March 23, 2005
You need to get a life. Why do you bother putting so much work into this stupid website? First of all, your "news" is not news. It's stupid little tidbits that nobody in their right mind would care about! Who gives a flying turd about Dolly's Imagination Library expansions?? I want real news, like when her new album is coming out. If you're such an "in-the-know" Dolly fan with some kind of inside connection, as you claim to be, why don't you know when her album is being released? And why do you always publish stupid letters from stupid people telling you what an amazing job you're doing? It's not that hard when you have no life and can devote every waking moment to a stupid fan site. Give us some real news, Duane, or you'll lose all your fans.
Gloria Peterson
West Grove, Pa.
Well, Gloria, first I must say that I take it as a high compliment when I do such a good job on the site that people think it must take up my entire life :) In truth, it only requires about two hours of my day. It's simply my way of winding down after a hard day at work. Some people might have a couple of drinks, some might work in their garden until sunset, and some may read a chapter in a book, but I update the site. And I do, in fact, have very much of a life away from the Web, thank you very much. You really shouldn't spout off about something until you know the facts, ma'am. As for your criticism of the news items on the site, most Dolly fans don't care only about Dolly the singer; they're more well-rounded individuals than that. They also care about Dolly the philanthropist and want to know about and celebrate the amazing successes of her Imagination Library. Most also care about Dolly the businesswoman and want to know what is going on at Dollywood and her other business interests. If they didn't like what was posted here, I doubt the site would record the nearly half a million visitors it currently sees each year. As for the new album, if you had taken the time to read what has been posted on the news page and on this letters page, you would know that no one knows when it will be out, not even the president of her record label or Dolly herself. As has been reported only on this site, Dolly has yet to turn in the final project to the record label, and until it's turned in, the label cannot even begin to set a release date. As soon as one has been set, you will read about it on the news page. And, finally, I don't write the letters published on this page, so I have no control over what readers write. True, many do pay compliments to the site, but they generally do so only to preface a question, which I then do my best to answer. And then, very rarely, a letter will come from someone like you criticizing the site, which is also published. But, truthfully, you're the first person to ever call those who like the site "stupid," which likely says more about your own intelligence level than theirs.

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March 23, 2005
Dear Duane. Hello. Thank you so much for having the best Dolly Parton Web site in the world. You keep us fans so well up to date and I wanted to say thank you. I have one question: Can you tell me is Dolly's hair all just one big wig or is it her real hair plus hair pieces? When I went to Evansville to her CD signing, her hair looked like she had more than just a wig on. Please let me know. I think her hair is the Bomb! Keep up the great job on this Web site. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for keeping this 26-year-old Dolly fan up-to-date. Thanks again.
Joey Wiles
Bloomington, Ind.
If I recall correctly, Dolly has said that sometimes (if the wig is the same shade as her hair is dyed at the time) she will have a little of her own hair styled into the wig's appearance, but usually it's all wig -- very, very good and very, very expensive wig!

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March 21, 2005
Hello! Been a while since I have had anything to say. Here is my question. If someone had written the perfect script for Dolly to guest star on a TV show, where she was playing herself, and her husband had to be in there, would Carl do it, or do you think they would have to choose someone else to play Carl's part? I would hope that Carl would take the part, even if it is for longer than a few minutes!
Michelle Ivey
Benton, Ark.
No, I'm afraid you'll probably never see Carl with Dolly on TV. Really, his last public appearance with her was back in 1966. After that night at an awards show, he vowed to stay out of show business, and he's remained a very private individual since then, never entering the public eye, so I seriously doubt any such project will ever come along that would get them on television together.

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March 19, 2005
Hello Duane, First of all you have a great website and it makes being a Dolly fan a lot of fun. Second, I'm looking for a Dolly T-shirt. I saw one in a magazine, Genre to be exact, sometime last year in 2004. It was a a head shot of Dolly in her early years in the late 70's. A model in the magazine was wearing it. Do you have a website where Dolly t-shirts are sold? Or know where I can purchase something like that. Thanks for you help.
David
San Antonio, Texas
Thanks, David. Most of those shirts that you see with images from that era either come from thrift shops, are made using iron-on patterns which have been salvaged from 1970s overstocks or are newly made by individuals for their personal wearing rather than commercial selling. However, I have seen a few shirts that are being sold commercially via eBay (one new type with a mid-70s image, one new type with a 1980 image, and shirts using original 1978 iron-ons), so that would be where I would suggest looking for them.

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March 19, 2005
Dear Duane,
First, thanks for such a great site. Yours is the only Dolly site in my bookmarks. Loved seeing you on "Parking Lot" on Trio. Any inside info on "Blue Smoke"? I saw Dolly in Atlanta this last tour and can't wait for some new stuff! Absolutely loved her cover of "Me and Bobby McGee." I know the album is comprised of mostly cover songs, but aside from "Blue Smoke", what other originals will appear? By the way, your dedication to the Living Legend herself is awesome.
Brandon
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Why, thank you, Brandon! That's so kind. Not many details have come out regarding the upcoming CD, but here's what we know so far. New songs on the disc are to include the title track and "I Dreamed About Elvis," but there will probably be a few more. Covers reportedly include "Imagine," "Me and Bobby McGee," "Blowin' In The Wind" and a Cat Stevens song, although the title of it hasn't been publicly stated yet. Guest artists are supposed to include Keith Urban, Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Ronnie McDowell and, at least according to one published report, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens).

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March 18, 2005
Hi Duane, I just want to say that TJ dude doesn't realize the work you put into this site. Take your time; I'm sure you will make it worth waiting for. I have a few questions. First off, is the mole on Dolly's left side fake or is it real? I was looking on my CD covers last night, and I noticed on some she didn't even have it and then it would be on her right side, and now it is on the left side of her lip. Also I was wondering who all has Dolly sung duets with in the males. I know Porter Wagner is the biggest one, but who else? I want to let you know I love the site. You do a wonderful job. I was wondering what other job do you do besides the Web site? Thanks for devoting your time to Dolly and all her fans. I'M THE BIGGEST!!!!!!!!
Scott Davis
Newport, N.C.
Thanks so much, Scott. The mole is real -- however, it is almost flesh-colored, which requires her to place a dab of mascara on it to turn it into a classic beauty mark. Otherwise, she's said, it looks like a pimple. As for it sometimes appearing on the left and sometimes on the right, that's simply a photography editing trick. Rather than the mole actually being on the other side of her face or missing from it, the photograph itself has been flipped backwards or the mole airbrushed away for aesthetic reasons. As for her duet partners, her most frequent male collaborator besides Porter was Kenny Rogers. Since 1983, they've put out three individual singles and one complete album. In addition, they have held several concert tours together and filmed two television concert specials. There are a handful of other male singers with whom she has done two duets each (such as Mac Davis and Willie Nelson), but really no one who comes close to the amount of material with Porter and, to a lesser extent, Kenny. Finally, to answer your question about my "day job," I hold a journalism degree and started my career as a newspaper reporter and editor, which I did for a few years, but for the past five years I've worked as the media relations officer and grants administrator (and Web designer) for a grant-making charitable foundation in Jackson, Miss. I am currently transitioning into a new position as Director of Finance with the same organization.

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March 16, 2005
First I wanted to say that your site is the best! Thanks for taking the time to do this site and to keep everyone informed on Dolly. I have two questions really, first does it seem like the album "Blue Smoke" is taking a bit longer than normal to be released? It seems to me that this album is the one everyone is most excited about , but is taking the longest to release the details and even a release date? And second, since Dolly took "I Will Always Love You" to number one twice, Whitney did it for x-amount of weeks, the duet version was #15, and it's always at or near the top of the charts when they do the best songs of all time, my question is do you think that "I Will Always Love You" is the most successful song of all time? Considering all the chart times and all the profits it has made and all the other recordings by other artists? I just can't think of another song in history that can compare. If this isn't the biggest, then what song is? Thanks so much.
Eric
Higginsport, Ohio
Thanks, Eric! While Blue Smoke appears to be taking longer than usual for a Dolly CD (she usually has them recorded, mixed, and out to fans in a six-to-nine-month period, while the major recording on this one was done seven months ago), it's not very unusual in the music industry in general for it to take as many as two years between the time recording starts for a new CD and when it actually hits the streets, but that's on the major labels (indies are usually shorter). As of a couple of weeks ago, I confirmed that Dolly still had yet to submit the final masters to Sugar Hill or to schedule an anticipated release date, which suggests she might not be finished with it yet, and it probably won't be out until the fall at the earliest. As for "I Will Always Love You," it's certainly No. 1 in my book! However, it's not the most successful song of all time. Sales-wise, the most successful single is Elton John's "Candle In The Wind 1997," which sold 11 million copies in the U.S., compared to 4 million for "I Will Always Love You." For most times played on the radio, the top song is "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," which has been broadcast more than 8 million times, compared to "I Will Always Love You" at more than 6 million. Although I would bet that with three No. 1 versions, "I Will Always Love You" is probably the song with the most individual No. 1 recordings.

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March 16, 2005
Hey Duane. My goodness TJ has got some nerve! You put so much work into this site, and he goes and calls you a liar! That ticks me off! lol. You take your time with the vault; good things can wait. You dedicate so much of your time its a pity he would say something like that! Anyway...that's my two cents. Duane, your site is my absolute favourite!
Michelle
Ottawa, Ont., Canada
Thanks so much for your kind words, Michelle!

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March 16, 2005
Hi there, I picked up "Rhinestone" this morning on DVD. Am I alone in really liking this movie??? I was 12 when it first came out but I didn't get to see it until a few years later on cable. I did however buy the soundtrack when it was released. I loved the album then, and still do now (and yeah, I even love the wickedly funny "The Day My Baby Died", the only non-Dolly song on the album). The movie has always gotten bad reviews, mostly for Sly's singing. Seems to me that most people missed the point of the movie, he isn't supposed to be able to carry a tune!!! As for Dolly, the public bought her a secretary, they bought her as a madam, why wouldn't they buy her as a country singer!? I always felt Dolly did a great job in the movie, she is basically playing herself, so it was no real stretch. It's great to finally have the movie in widescreen. Too bad "Straight Talk" hasn't also been issued in WS, another flop movie that I really like!! Oh well!
Al Chapman
Stafford Springs, Conn.
No, you're not alone! Most Dolly fans I know love the film, too. Yes, I'll admit Stallone's singing is plum awful, and the dialogue often leaves much to be desired, but Dolly's great in the film and Sly and the other actors are good (as long as he's not singing!). The movie was released on DVD for the first time last week. Get it here.

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March 15, 2005
Duane: I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you that I think it is a good idea to change the policy of the reader's letters section. People don't seem to understand how dumb they make themselves look (well, maybe some are just exposing the truth, joke, joke) when they write these terrible (in both content and grammar) letters bashing Dolly. I don't understand the reasoning behind it. But then again, I am forgetting who wrote that letter. All I know is that I think Dolly is hotter than a firecracker, and she's nearly 60, and I'm under 20. So, that is all, and, as always, thanks a lot for keeping me up to date with Dolly information. I always know what is going on because of your site. For example, tonight my Dad asked me when Dolly was going to be on the Reba show because I had told him a few weeks ago that she was going to be. I told him that I didn't know but I would know well in advance because I read the Dollymania news just about every day. Thanks again for keeping me up to date on my baby girl.
Michael
Asheville, N.C.
Thanks, Michael. I had to think about it for a while before making the change, but as a site evolves, such changes become necessary, and it was just time to do it. I hope other readers agree it is the right decision.

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March 15, 2005
I did love your site, Duane, but you're a liar. You tell people and you tell me you'll have the vault store open all up by this date and that date. Why don't you just get it set up? I doubt I'll be back to your site anytime too soon! Sorry, but you got to do better.
TJ
Nashville, Tenn.
TJ, thanks for your feedback, although I think it is not very logical to boycott a site with more than 600 pages simply because one page you want to see has yet to be completed and posted. And if you read the handful of comments I've made on the site about the Vault section, I never made a promise that it would be posted by a certain date. In the fall, when I first announced plans to do it, I said I "hoped" it would be open by Christmas. While I got some work done to prepare the page, it was nowhere near finished by that time. Just after the holidays, another reader asked when it would be posted, and I said I didn't know but again "hope" to get it done in the next few months. A possible target date for launching it wasn't mentioned again until 13 days ago, when I said I "hoped" to get it done in the next few weeks. Please keep in mind that I maintain the site in my spare time and work full-time at another job. The limited amount of time I have available to work on it, combined with the fact that it takes a very long time to catalogue hundreds of items from a collection, type up the details and format it into html code to post online, has resulted in it not being ready to open yet. Just hang in there. On another note, I must point out that you did not provide a valid e-mail address when sending your letter. As part of the site's new policy, you must type in a valid e-mail address in the letter form for your comments to be considered for publication. The only reason yours were published is that I had not made that part of the new policy public yet. A brief response is sent to all letter writers via e-mail to let you know that your message was received. If you do not supply an e-mail address for this purpose, or if that reply is returned as undeliverable, your letter will not be considered for publication. If you do not wish to have your e-mail address made public, there is a button on the form for you to signify that, but you must provide an e-mail address.

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March 14, 2005
Hi Duane :-) First off, I want to thank you for all of the enjoyment your site provides for me. Your so in depth and and very factual with the smallest tid bits of info.
      I first knew of Dolly when i was a lil boy--5 yrs to be exact, in 1980. I have always "felt" her heart through her smile, words, songs, and heart. Like alot of people who really love Dolly for her "insides", I have always related to her words she has written. Growing up poorer than alot of kids, dealing w/ my sexuality as a young teen ,and moving away from a small town to join the military were all very rough, trying times in my life. Whenever I struggle I go through her albums. She's the only person who can make me cry, laugh, and love so deeply.
      Dolly Parton is an angel without wings. She has helped me be a better person to this world and its people. I don't believe I can ever say in words what my heart feels for Dolly--it is much too deep. Thank you for providing this area for Dolly and the people who care so much about her.
Hugs,
Mike Tomek
Rapid City, S.D.
Thanks for sharing your story, Mike. I never find it surprising how many of Dolly's fans emphasize the way her music has helped them in their lives to find solace when facing a struggle or problem. Humanity's universal language, music can often be a very healing and cathartic power. And on the note of the very few letters that have ever been received here which are critical of Dolly, I should note that due to some special circumstances surrounding a couple of recent letters as well as the volume of letters that this section of the site is now receiving, I have decided to shift it from a publish-them-all-unedited section to one similar to how your local newspaper's Letters To The Editor page operates, where only a percentage of those letters which are received are published, edited for content and grammar, and the ones which are nothing more than baseless personal attacks or questionable in taste are discarded at the editor's discretion. This is not to say that those letters which some may deem controversial in nature or which are critical of this site will not be published, as that will not be taken into consideration when making the decision of whether or not to publish them. This new policy begins immediately.

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March 14, 2005
I also herd a while back that they were in talks to do a all black cast of 9 to 5 with Will Smith and Jada Pinket Smith. Is that still going to happen? If so I would love to see who will do the title track. Missi Eliott, Lil Kim, Destonies Child, Janet Jackson, Tina Turner, Patti Label, I could keep goin :) But I wont have a great night and weekend.
Brian Wolf
Riverside, Calif.
Although Will Smith's production company, Overbrook Entertainment, announced in August 2001 that it would shoot the re-make for Fox Searchlight Films, it is still "in development," which in Hollywood terms means nothing has happened since then, so it might end up being shot or it might not. You just never know. So there's really no reason to speculate who might record the title track for the film, although I'd love to hear a rocked-out Tina Turner version of it myself!

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March 14, 2005
Do you know if a Dolly Parton collectors convention is scheduled this year?
Jim
Lexington, Ky.
Apparently there won't be. While as late as a couple of weeks ago the organizers showed on their Web site that they planned to host the convention again in 2005 but just hadn't released the time or location, as of Sunday their site shows that they don't plan to have the next convention until April 2006.

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March 12, 2005
Just wanted to know if you happend to know why the Dolly Greatest Hits with gate fold, and with out Islands in the Stream is worth so much more than the same LP without the gate fold and with Islands in the Stream on it? I havnt seen a price guide in a few years but there was about a 50.00 difference in the two LPs. So when ever i found the gatefold version at a store or a yard sale I would pick it up. I have a few copies of the gate fold version that I could sale that are in great shape. Do you happen to know how much they are worth now? Thank you and if anyone reading this would like to buy a copie let me know :)
Brian Wolf
Riverside, Calif.
Fewer copies of the version without "Islands In The Stream" were produced when the album was initially released in 1982 than when the song was added to it and other tracks removed a couple of years later in its reissue. Because the one without the song was the original, and there weren't as many copies of it made, it is worth more. Of the two major price guides, one places a near mint copy at $50, while the other puts it at $12 (two dollars more than the more common version). The true value is more likely somewhere between those.

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March 12, 2005
Hi Duane. First I wanted to thank you for all the work you do to keep this Dolly site current. It is very much appreciated by all of Dolly's fans who visit. Second, was there a mention of another Dolly tour in the near future if this last one "Hello I'm Dolly" was a success. Or maybe I was just hopefully dreaming ! I was fortunate to see Dolly twice last November. Once in Phila. and again in Reading, Pa.
Mike Wargo
Lehighton, Pa.
Why, thanks, Mike! Yes, before the tour started, Dolly said she hoped to extend it into 2005, but no announcement has come yet of the tour picking back up. As of last I heard, the decision on whether or not to go back on the road later this year had yet to be made, so it is still a possibility.

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March 11, 2005
Duane, Does Dolly have a CD of Christian Music? She is the absolute best when she sings Christian. Her "When I Sing for Him" thrills my soul, and "Take You There" is another one. I would love to have all of her Christian recordings, but don't know where to start. Can you help me? Thanks,
Linda Demaree
Ocean Springs, Miss.
Since she was raised in a religious family, the granddaughter of a Pentecostal preacher, Dolly learned to sing in church. So it's no surprise that some of her most emotive and moving singing is done on spiritual numbers. While she usually performs at least one, and sometimes as many as two or three, hymns or contemporary Christian songs on each CD that comes out, she's only done two full-length gospel albums: 1971's Golden Streets Of Glory and 1999's Precious Memories. The former has been re-issued several times over the years by RCA/BMG, including under the title I Believe, so it is still available in many stores. The second one was released as a fundraising CD for the education projects of her Dollywood Foundation and is sold exclusively at Dollywood, where it is still available. While there have been a couple of compilations which featured most of the songs from her first gospel album with three or four other Christian-themed tunes added, there has never been a very comprehensive compilation of her spiritual recordings. Unfortunately, that means the only way to get them is to buy each individual album. Some recent recordings include about half a dozen on her 2003 patriotic and spiritual CD For God And Country, several tracks on 2002's Halos & Horns, "In The Sweet By and By" on Little Sparrow, "I Am Ready" on The Grass Is Blue and "Shine On" and "When Jesus Comes Calling For Me" on Hungry Again.

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March 10, 2005
Hey Duanne, I just have on quick question for ya. In my class tonight music as a world phenomenon we were discussing South Africian music and the group Ladysmith Black Mambazo came up and she said that Dolly was one of the major artists that they collaborated with. I was just wondering if that was true and if so when did she do this and is it possible to find the song she did with them? Thanks for the help!
Amanda Amon
Kent, Ohio
Yes, Dolly did collaborate with the legendary band on two tracks. For her 1996 CD Treasures, she wanted a worldly, multi-cultural sound for her cover of Cat Stevens' "Peace Train" and asked her producer to find out who was singing a Life Safers commercial at the time ("Life Saaa-vers, Hummmmmm.") It turned out to be Ladysmith Black Mambazo. She knew of the band and loved their work, so she asked them to sing with her. The band also brought with them a song about a train in South Africa that they thought would blend well with "Peace Train," so they sang their song in their tribal language at the start and end of the track in addition to the background harmonies for Dolly's version of "Peace Train." Then they asked her to return the favor the next year by appearing on their 1997 CD Heavenly for a cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door." The song is perhaps the only reggae Dolly recording (although her duet with Boy George on "Your Kisses Are Charity" has an almost-reggae sound to it), complete with a bluesy slide guitar in the background played by none other than Bonnie Raitt.

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March 10, 2005
Please help me! I am a 40 year old housewife taking some college courses. I thought that my music class would be pretty easy- but it is not! I am doing my project on Dolly, and in particular her song "I will always love you". Could some one please help me figure out the tempo, meter,timbre, rhythm etc? I love Dolly but I had no idea that this project would be so involved! Thanks for any help.
Diane
Belding, Mich.
I checked the sheet music, and the song is in the key of C and 4/4 time with the tempo of "slow." If anyone else has more detail to provide, please feel free to e-mail Diane. Thanks!

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March 10, 2005
Duanne, I was wondrein how old is dolly's husband and why don't you ever see him around with dolly. And Has Dolly ever cheated on him and admitted it to public? How much does dollywood bring in a yaer and how much is dolly worth today. Thanks for your help.
Scott Davis
Newport, N.C.
The elusive Carl Dean will turn 63 this summer. You never see him in public because he hates the spotlight. Dolly often tells the story that when she won her first major award, a BMI songwriting award back in 1966, he came to the ceremony with her and had such an awful time that he told her then and there that he would support her career but he never wanted to have to make any other public appearances for her. She agreed, and he hasn't done it since. Next year will be their 40th wedding anniversary, but they were together for two years before that. Dolly has never admitted to any extramarital affairs, saying that if she did it, he wouldn't want to know about it, and if he ever cheated on her, she wouldn't want to know about it, so she will neither confirm nor deny it. Dollywood does not release any figures on its annual revenue, but I have seen some published estimates that its gross revenue (before expenses) is in excess of the $100 million a year range. Finally, Dolly has never revealed her personal net worth, but financial experts agree she is the wealthiest entertainer in the history of country music with a personal fortune well over $100 million, most likely somewhere around $300 million by most accounts, although one Nashville business magazine about seven years ago had estimated it at half a billion dollars.

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March 8, 2005
Duanne, thanks for answering my question on the Dolly album Real Love. I am a die-hard Dolly fan at age sixteen and will be, I'm sure forever, and you are the one that helps with everything I need to know, thank you so very much for all your dedication to Dolly and all her fans who love her. So I have a few more questions the I've always wondered. 1) What are the sale numbers on Dolly's albums from The Grass is Blue and up. 2) Do you think that Dolly has grown in the past year in popularity? I feel like she has branched out into a younger audience now, becoming more appriceated by the younger fans of today. Finally, you mentioned Real Love being #35 or #36 when it comes to being a sucessful album. What are the top ten most sucessful? Thanks so much and beleive me, you are completely appreciated by all of us Dolly fans, the old and the new.
Justin
Denton, N.C.
No problem, Justin, and thanks for your kind words. Her major releases for indie label Sugar Hill have sold about 200,000 copies each (The Grass Is Blue, Little Sparrow and Halos & Horns). I haven't seen any sales figures for her other two albums released since then, For God And Country and Live And Well, but I would suspect that the first topped out at less than 50,000 units, while the latter is probably pushing 75,000 now. I would suspect she's a bit more popular than she was a year ago this time, simply because she received many high profile honors and made several high profile appearances which leads to greater exposure to non-fans who have the potential to become fans. I do agree that she is gaining popularity in the "urban hipster" set, the generally tech-savvy, artistic people aged 15-30 in cities (including those who in the 1980s would have been referred to as "punk rockers"). In recent years, these individuals have gravitated toward more of a roots music scene, and the adoration of some of country music's innovators like Dolly, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson has enjoyed a resurgence as part of that movement. As for her most successful albums, sales-wise, that would be Once Upon A Christmas with Kenny Rogers at more than 2 million copies sold as of 1989 (it's probably at least past 3 or 4 million today, but the record label hasn't chosen to have it re-certified at the higher amounts in more than 15 years), followed by her million-sellers Slow Dancing With The Moon, Eagle When She Flies, Trio, Greatest Hits and Here You Come Again. An additional eight albums have passed the half-million mark: Trio II, Home For Christmas, Honky Tonk Angels, White Limozeen, 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs, Great Balls Of Fire, Heartbreaker and Best Of Dolly Parton. Based on chart performance, her most successful albums are, in order from best:

  • 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs (No. 1 for 10 weeks)
  • Here You Come Again (No. 1 for nine weeks)
  • Heartbreaker (No. 1 for nine weeks)
  • Trio (No. 1 for five weeks)
  • Eagle When She Flies (No. 1 for one week)
  • New Harvest, First Gathering (No. 1 for one week)
  • White Limozeen (No. 3)
  • All I Can Do (No. 3)
  • Together Always with Porter Wagoner (No. 3)
  • Slow Dancing With The Moon (No. 4)
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    March 7, 2005
    comment_: Dear Duanne I am a teen in a small town that know own knows about,and every time I say were I'm from they laugh at me. So for the record I live in Mexico Mo. I was just wondering were her theme park was and how she thought of a theme park. I would think she might be doing it for a charity thing seeing what kind of person she is. Well thanks for listen'n.
    Thanks,
    Amanda
    Mexico, Mo.
    Well, Amanda, I'd never make fun of your town -- I don't really think anyone from Mississippi can easily make fun of another place :) As for the theme park, Dollywood (click on the name to visit their official Web site) is located in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., near the North Carolina border just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a few miles away from where Dolly was born and raised in the mountains. The park itself had been there for several decades in one form or another but never attracted a very large crowd until Dolly became an investment partner in it and re-named it Dollywood 20 years ago. Today, it is one of the 25 most popular theme parks/amusement parks in the United States with more than 2 million annual visitors. It is a commercial park, operating for profit with millions in annual revenue, but it does make a strong effort to preserve and present to the public the arts and crafts of the mountain folk which are fast disappearing. The park also houses the world's largest sanctuary for non-releasable bald eagles. There is a charitable component, as Dolly operates the Dollywood Foundation from the park. In addition to funding local education initiatives, her Foundation created and administers the Imagination Library, a nationwide program which distributes more than 1 million free books to children each year across the country.

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    March 7, 2005
    comment_: Hello there! My sister and I are both elementary school teachers, but on opposite sides of the country - she's in southern Ontario and I'm out here on the west coast. A few weeks ago she asked if I would write a play based on Dolly's childrens' book COAT OF MANY COLORS because she felt its message was worthy of a performance Being a dutiful older brother I set about the task and just completed it today. I thought it would be nice to send a copy along to show her that the wonderful message she wants children to hear is being presented in a play by a group of young students in a large school. By chance would you have an address where I can mail her the play? Thanks
    M. O'Neill
    Maple Ridge, B.C., Canada
    Mr. O'Neill, I'm sure Dolly would love to have a copy of the play. I would suggest sending it to her Nashville office at P.O. Box 150307, Nashville, TN 37215.

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    March 7, 2005
    I have always wondered this. Does Dolly not like her 1986 album Real Love. Because you never see it anywhere where she has a say so on what is put where. Like for Ultimate Dolly Parton, she did not include any of her number ones like "Think about Love" in the playlist, and the program of the tour did not exactly display much of it. Is she ashamed of the album? Thanks.
    Justin
    Denton, N.C.
    I don't know if it's fair to accuse Dolly of not liking an album simply because she didn't include it in the only compilation she has ever had input into designing (the songs on all others have been selected solely by the record labels issuing them) or because she didn't sing any songs from it in concert on her recent tour. She's released about 800 songs in her career, 24 of which have gone to No. 1 and 54 of which have entered the top 10 on the country charts, which means any compilation of 10-20 songs can't possibly get them all. Likewise, it is impossible in a 20-25-song concert to get that many of them in as well. In addition, the main reason for touring (other than to make fans happy with the personal appearances they allow) is to promote an artist's most recent and immediately upcoming projects. Hence, the majority of songs performed are those from the most recent or upcoming CDs. On the "Hello I'm Dolly" Tour, she devoted roughly half of the show to her biggest hits, a quarter to recent recordings and a quarter to those on her next album to come out later this year, plus an old novelty number or two thrown in for fun. There were 40-something albums from her career that didn't have any songs included in the concerts, not just this one. Finally, Real Love ranks around only the 35th or 36th most successful album in her career based on chart performance, and while it produced three country top 10s, two of which went to No. 1, there were no pop hits, none was among her "biggest" hits, and critics generally hated the album (with one or two even suggesting Dolly chose to record a mediocre album to keep RCA from renewing her contract so she could move to another label). So even if Dolly liked its songs, it is unlikely that they would be included in most compilations or concerts because of these facts. All that said, I don't think Dolly really has discussed the project much publicly to offer an opinion on it one way or another, but I never have heard her say she's ever been "ashamed" of anything she's ever recorded.

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    March 7, 2005
    i think dollymania is the best i have two questions to ask 1. when will dolly next be in scotland 2. what size is dolly's cup size
    Alyson Liversidge
    Sastkilbride, Scotland
    Thanks, Alyson. Currently, Dolly is not scheduled to travel to Europe in the immediate future, so I cannot tell you when she will next make an appearance there. As for her cup size, while she has admitted that her famous chest is a whopping 40 inches, I don't believe she has ever released her actual cup size (although she has joked before that she's "double D" because her married name is Dolly Dean, but I don't know if that's her real cup size or not).

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    March 5, 2005
    I've been wondering about this awhile. There's a well-known, really aged photo that's gone around the internet of Dolly Parton with her hands holding up her exposed breasts. If it was real, it would look to be from the early 80's. My gut instict is that it is a fake nude as Dolly supposedly has never done a nude shot before. But I must say that if the pic is indeed fake, it's a really well done fake as it doesn't look fake at all. I think you know the pic I'm talking about and seeing how your Dolly's biggest fan, perhaps you could clue me in regards to if the pic is fake or real. Thanks for reading Duane.
    Art Starr
    Baltimore, Md.
    Thanks, Art, but I'm certainly not her biggest fan. I've met many more over the years who are much more serious fans than I am :) But I can tell you that, yes, the photo is a fake. I have seen it before, and while it is very good for a forgery, you can look at the body shape and tell it's not really Dolly (in addition to the fact that she has never posed nude). Most of the numerous Dolly nudes that float around on the Internet are obvious (the color of the neck and face differs slightly from the body, or you can see a line in the neck where the head has been added to the body), but even the hard-to-determine ones are all fake.

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    March 5, 2005
    Hi Duane, I really enjoy your website. Thanks for all of your hard work! I was wondering if Dolly was going to appear or be in attendance for the awards show in Las Vegas on May 17th. The last time I attended the show in Vegas she was not there.
    Cindy
    Las Vegas, Nev.
    Thanks, Cindy. As of now, no word has come whether Dolly will be in attendance at the awards show. She usually doesn't attend unless she is presenting or performing, and most presenters and performers aren't announced until a few weeks prior to the show.

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    March 4, 2005
    Hi Duanne i was wondering What all has Dolly had plastic surgery on and do you know about how much money she has spent on it. What was dolly's song she first sang at the grand ole opry. and do you know when Blue Smoke will come out? Thanks for your help
    Scott Davis
    Newport, N.C.
    Well, Dolly freely admits to a plethora of plastic surgery, although she's never disclosed the price tag for any of it. She's said she had work done on her face (including chemical peels and collagen lip injections), breast enhancement following her major weight loss in the 1980s and work on her neck and rear end. On her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry at the tender age of 13, she performed the George Jones hit "You Gotta Be My Baby." And there's still no word on when Blue Smoke will hit store shelves. The project (which will include "Blue Smoke," "I Dreamed Of Elvis," "Imagine" and "Me And Bobby McGee" which Dolly premiered on tour this winter) hasn't been submitted to her record label yet or a request made to add it to their schedule. Since partnering with indie label Sugar Hill, Dolly now records her own albums and owns the masters on her Blue Eye imprint, leasing them to the record label for distribution and promotion. Given the time it takes to prepare a CD for distribution after getting the masters, it likely won't be until fall before we get to hear it.

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    March 4, 2005
    I thought I heard somewhere that a documentary or biography was being made on Dolly. Is it?...and if so, do you know when or if it's ever going to air on TV? just wondering...THANKS!!
    Jamie
    Anaheim, Calif.
    I think there are probably two possibilities of the project you're thinking of. First, there is a documentary about Dolly fans (which will include some appearances by Dolly herself) titled For The Love Of Dolly which is still in post-production. Hopefully, it could be on the independent film festival circuit later this year. Another possibility is that crews from cable network E! were in Nashville recently interviewing her friends for an installment of its sensationalized E! True Hollywood Story biography series for an episode on Dolly, but an air date for that has not been announced.

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    March 4, 2005
    Hi Duane. I was just wondering if you knew anything about the all male Dolly tribute album that was supposed to come out sometime this year. Is it still happening? Also, do you have any idea if the DVD release of Rhinestone on Tuesday will feature any extras like deleted scenes/songs etc.
    James
    Edmonton, Alb., Canada
    The album was apparently never actually scheduled to take place. When the all-female tribute CD came out in 2003, Dolly commented that several other artists had expressed an interest in doing a second and possibly third installment in a tribute series, including some male singers who wanted to do an all-guy version, but as far as I know, the project never materialized and currently isn't scheduled to be recorded at this time. As for Rhinestone, I haven't seen a copy yet, so I don't know if there'll be any special features, but given it's almost a "budget" release, I wouldn't expect it to be that likely that it will include anything major. The DVD comes out Tuesday.

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    March 4, 2005
    Well, my plans have changed and I won't be able to travel to Nashville to see Dolly host the Grand Ole Opry. Please let your readers know that I have put the tickets up for sell on ebay. We do have season passes to Dollywood and have ordered tickets to the concert in Sept. Can't wait to go again Christmas as well.
    Larry Simmons
    Dallas, Texas
    Sorry you won't make it to the show next month. Hopefully you'll recoup your ticket price on eBay, since the Opry doesn't give refunds.

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    March 2, 2005
    Hi Duanne I am sorry to email you to ask if you would take my name off the pen pals list of your website. I moved from shelby nc to newport nc and my computer was damaged and the only computer i have is the schools and they have a block so i can't check it anymore. I want to thank all of you for being my pen pal especially dolly jo. when will you be getting the vault store open? Love the site.
    Scott
    Newport, N.C.
    Sorry to hear about your computer problem, Scott. Your listing has been removed from the Pen Pals' page per your request. Please let me know if you'd like it re-listed once you get a new e-mail address, and I'd be happy to do so. As for the Vault Store, I still haven't had a chance to type up the material yet, but I do hope to do so soon. (I know you're probably getting tired of hearing that, but I really do hope to get it done in the next few weeks.) For those who are unfamiliar with the idea, The Vault will be a store area where I offer for sale items from my collection of which I have more than one copy -- albums, 45s, and some pretty unique items as well. Stay tuned!

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    Feb. 28, 2005
    Hi Duane, I have another question for you! Is it true that Dolly had an emergency operation which left her unable to have children? I read that somewhere and was wondering if that was the real reason she did not have children. Also, I just recently bought tickets to see her at the Grand Ole Opry on April 23rd and was wondering if you were going? I am so exicted!! It will be the first time I have seen her since the Stars Over Mississippi concert!
    Casey Robinson
    Brandon, Miss.
    Casey, yes, while she was somewhat private about it at the time, she has confirmed in later interviews that she suffered "female problems" in the early 1980s which required surgery that left her unable to bear children. She has said that this wasn't the only reason she didn't have kids at that point (her career's demands on her time would have made it difficult, and she also brought several of her youngest siblings to live with her and Carl in Nashville as soon as she could afford to, essentially raising them herself -- hence her nieces and nephews calling her "Aunt Granny" instead of "Aunt Dolly"). As for the Opry show, yes, I am planning to attend the 6:30 p.m. portion of the show -- I have a ticket on the second row!

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    Feb. 28, 2005
    Hey Duane, I caught the last part of "The Apostle" with Robert Duvall & Farrah Fawcett (1997) & during the credits listing songs in the movie, Dolly's "Shine On" was noted. I hadn't heard of this song being used in any movies. Do you know anything about this? Thanks again for the great work you do for all of us Dolly fans. You're appreciated more than you could ever know.
    Kenny
    Sacramento, Calif.
    Why, thank you, Kenny. That's awfully sweet. As for the song, yes, it supposedly does appear (as performed by Dolly) in the film, although it was not included on the movie soundtrack CD. It's a great film, and I had noticed the song in the credits myself but did not hear it during the movie when I had watched it, which led me to assume it must play in the background of a scene so quietly that one doesn't tend to hear it clearly and no attention is brought to it. Typically, songs are listed in the credits in the order of appearance, and if I recall correctly, hers is listed toward the very end, which would suggest it is played close to the end of the film. I would suspect that the use of the song had something to do with the fact that the movie had ties to Universal imprint Rising Tide, which released the soundtrack (available here). Dolly was signed to the label at the time, but her recording of the song didn't appear until the next year on sister label Decca's release Hungry Again. Attention was also brought to the song when Dolly performed it at longtime close friend Tammy Wynette's funeral in 1998.

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    Feb. 26, 2005
    Hi, Could u please tell me if Dolly will be at the opening of Kidsfest this year or not. Thanks.
    Chely
    London, Ky.
    While I expect she will likely make an appearance again this year to kick-off KidsFest at Dollywood, as Dolly has done each of the past two years that the celebration has been held at the park, her participation this year has yet to be announced. The festival runs June 17 through Aug. 7 and this year will feature a live stage show by Clifford The Big Red Dog, a SpongeBob SquarePants Turbo Action Ride, a Mad Science Movie Magic (where kids can insert themselves into MGM family films such as The Pink Panther and Agent Cody Banks), Penguin Group USA's Dolly's Imagination Playhouse (with live actors acting out three of the books from Dolly's nationwide literacy program), the world premiere of the new VeggieTales video Minnesota Cuke & The Search For Samson's Hairbrush and the return of the ASA Extreme Sports Show.

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    Feb. 26, 2005
    Hi, My name is Jaime and I am 27 years old and have been listening to Dolly for as long as I have been alive, literally. I would like to post this letter to express my extreme gratitude for the service she has provided for all these years. She does so much more than just sing songs, she tells stories. My grandmother has pictures of me, age 5, in her bra stuffed with socks, and a ton of misplaced makeup singing my heart out, right along with Dolly on my 8-track tapes. I have been a faithful fan for so many years and finally had a dream come true last year when my husband of 5 years took me to Dollywood. I felt right at home. Seeing the replica of her homeplace and seeing the different rooms, in ways, made me feel like I was just right back in my grandma's house again. I can't wait to go back. Now, due to some serious health problems, I am no longer able to work, and pretty much stay home all the time. My daughter, who is now 2, is being raised up on the music of Dolly just as I was all those years ago. My life's dream would be to meet Dolly and one day again be able to return to Dollywood. Similiar to the song she sings, "My Tennessee Mountain Home", it really feels like a second home when you visit. The people, staff and visitors are all so friendly. It is truly a happy and relaxed place. I know she does not sponser this website, but if there would be a way to forward this note just to let her know of my profound appreciation.... Thank you for the opportunity to express my gratitude and feelings for this wonderful lady/legend of country music.
    Jaime S.
    Stanley, Va.
    Jamie, I'm glad to give you the opportunity to let all of Dolly's other fans know of the impact she has had on your life. You are correct that this is not her official Web site, so I cannot forward your message to her directly, but I can post it here and perhaps she will see it.

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    Feb. 26, 2005
    Hi Ok here is a silly question! Do you have any recent pictures of Carl Dean on your website? I was watching the Ryan Seacrest show last year when Dolly made a video appearance. She was talking about her husband and they flashed to a picture of her and a man and made it seem like it was him. Do you know the episode? It was last year when Dolly was talking about Dollywood and opening weekend. Anyways, I know he is a private person but do you, or any of the other readers have recent pictures of him? I have only ever seen his picture in Dolly's autobiography and thats at least 10 years ago.
    Candice
    Temecula, Calif.
    No, unfortunately, you won't find any shots of Carl on the site. I don't post photos here unless I own the copyright on them or have permission from the copyright owner to publish them. I don't own the rights to any of Carl's images and haven't been given permission to publish any of them, so you won't see them here. As is well known to Dolly's fans, Carl is a very private person, and very few photos of him have ever been released to the public. There were one or two that a tabloid got a hold of a couple of decades ago and printed, and then Dolly published a handful of them in her autobiography, and that's about it. As for the image on the Seacrest program, that was not Carl. If memory serves correctly, the man in the photo that the host misidentified as Carl was actually her longtime producer Steve Buckingham.

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    Feb. 25, 2005
    Duane, I was just wondering if tickets to Dollywood will sell out for April 2nd? I booked a hotel already and then I got thinking about the crowds and didn't know if that could be a possibility. And can you tell me where the Dolly parade will be at? I've never been to it before, all I know is it's suposed to be at 6 p.m. I'm afraid to go cause I don't want to be in the middle of a stampede and get knocked down or ran over. Does she sing at Dollywood? Is the park going to be a zoo that day? And are you going?
    Robin
    St. Louis, Mo.

    Feb. 25, 2005
    Hi Duane! Well, this is only like the millionth question I have asked you, but you are always so kind, so I don't feel so bad lol. Well I just heard good news that I might be going to the Dollywood opening weekend. I was wondering a few things...when is teh right time to line up for the parade...what else is in the parade (is Louise Mandrell ever in the parade??) Also, I am supposed to be going opening day to Dollywood and I know that Dolly sometimes makes a couple appearances throughout the park, which would definatly draw large crowds, but is it really that crowded on opening day? I am talking about the lines for rides and everything, are they really really long? I am sooo excited. If I cant meet Dolly I am happy to catch even a little glimpse of her at the parade. Also, should my family purchase tickets to Dollywood beforehand, or is it fine just to get them at the gate? This is going to be a thrill of a life time, I also can't wait to meet other Dolly fans! thanks,
    Michelle
    Ottawa, Ont., Canada
    Since your letters both asked similar questions, I'm going to answer them at the same time :) First of all, congratulations on each of you getting to make your first trips down to Dollywood for season opening weekend! I know you'll both have a blast! Yes, the park does get quite busy on opening weekend with several thousand guests (the park doesn't release daily attendance figures, but I've heard figures as high as 15,000-20,000 being mentioned by people "in the know"), but I don't believe they ever turn anyone away. While it can get crowded (and, really, any Dolly appearance there draws a huge crowd), it usually doesn't cause a problem for attendees, and most of the ride lines are much shorter than you'd find at even a non-holiday visit to many other parks, such as Six Flags or Disney. It can save a little time to buy your admission tickets in advance from the park's Web site, but you shouldn't have a problem getting in if you buy tickets at the gate. So, here's a bit of a guide to the weekend's festivities: Dolly is expected to be on the park grounds on Friday, April 1, for appearances for the media, but I don't know if those events will be open to the public or just for the press only. Then her parade through Pigeon Forge is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday evening. It usually starts in front of the Carbo's Police Museum at South River Road on the Parkway and proceeds down the Parkway three or four miles through most of the city. Some people start lining up several hours before the parade begins to get the best spots, but you can usually find some great places to watch even if you get there just before it begins. Many fans also "run the parade" -- they start at the beginning and get a few shots of Dolly as she passes, then run up a ways, stop and get some more photos, then run some more, stop, etc. Dolly's float is always the first major one, usually just after the color guard, police and Sevier County High School Band, and she's always elevated above the crowds so that everyone can see her. And, yes, Louise Mandrell usually rides in the parade and waves at everyone as well. There is also usually an unofficial collectors' convention for fans Friday night, but details of that event have yet to be released. Then on Saturday, Dolly usually makes several appearances around the park grounds for the public. Sometimes she sings a song or two, sometimes she doesn't. Her appearances are usually supposed to be "surprises," so the park doesn't release a schedule beforehand, but word usually gets around the crowds about most of them well before they take place. There's also always a Parade of Nations featuring Dolly through the park grounds in the afternoon, and you'll know where that one is because they tape off the route with a "Dolly's Parade Route" banner half an hour or so before it begins. And, yes, I'm planning to be there!

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    Feb. 21, 2005
    Hey Duane, Could you please give me a list of all the movies Dolly has done? I mean like tv and motion pitcure movies. Thanks so much. Your sight is the best and you're really nice! Love Dolly,
    Haley
    Newville, Ala.
    Thanks, Haley, that's so sweet. Well, Dolly's first film appearance was in the documentary Nashville Sound, filmed in 1969 and released in 1972. The movie captured Fan Fair 1969 and is sometimes referred to as country music's version of the Woodstock film. Her first feature film appearance came in 1980's blockbuster 9 To 5, which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Song and three Golden Globe nominations (two for acting: Best Supporting Actress and Best New Film Star). Her theatrical releases which followed were 1982's The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas (earning her another Golden Globe nomination: Best Actress), 1984's critically panned Rhinestone (coming out on DVD for the first time March 8), 1989's hit Steel Magnolias, Straight Talk in 1992 and a cameo in the big screen version of The Beverly Hillbillies in 1993. In 2002, she returned to the screen with a supporting role in the comedy Frank McKlusky, C.I., but it did poorly when in a test release in Florida cinemas, so Disney chose to send it straight-to-video instead of a nationwide theatrical release. On the small screen, her first made-for-television movie was the 1986 holiday classic A Smoky Mountain Christmas for ABC, followed by 1991's Wild Texas Wind on NBC, the Christmas movie Unlikely Angel with pal Roddy McDowell (one of his final roles before his death) in 1996 for CBS and Blue Valley Songbird in 1999 for Lifetime. She also had a cameo in Lifetime's Jackie's Back the same year and in television bio-pics on Dottie West (1995), The Judds (1995) and Barbara Mandrell (1997). Concert films, although none had a theatrical release, included ABC's In Concert with several other stars on The Grand Ole Opry in 1975, Dolly In London in 1983 and Kenny & Dolly: Real Love with Kenny Rogers in 1985, both for HBO; NBC's Kenny, Dolly & Willie with Kenny Rogers and Willie Nelson in 1989; CBS' Treasures special in 1996; and 2004's DVD release Live And Well.

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    Feb. 21, 2005
    I think we as fans should write Dollys people to get them to release her older music that has not made it to CD yet. I mean come on how many greatest hits do we need with 9 to 5 on them? I think I have at least 10!! It seems they just keep releasing the same 10 to 20 songs and just change the picture and the title of the CD. Dont get me wrong I love all the different pictures of Dolly, even the ones you think were on a LP beore but its a different one from the same photo shoot. Anyways, I think if enough of us wrote in and told them what we wanted they just might listen to us. Never hurts to try, and hey if not what did you lose, maybe .37 cents to mail out the letter? You can find all the addresses you will need to in the FAQ section on this web site. Thanks Duane and keep up the GOOD work. And Candice I am SOOOOO glad you were able to get in to the Reba taping, wish I was there :)
    Brian Wolf
    Riverside, Calif.
    Thanks, Brian. Unfortunately, writing letters to Dolly's people wouldn't do any good, since neither she nor they have the power to release the albums. True, nearly all of her older material is no longer available, which is a shame, but those recordings are owned by Sony BMG, parent company to Monument Records (where she recorded from 1965 through 1967), RCA (her recording home from 1968 through 1985), and Columbia (her label from 1987 through 1995), so only Sony BMG Music Entertainment can decide whether or not to re-issue her old albums. While Sony has kept much of her '90s catalogue in print over the years in the U.S. and most of her Monument recordings available in Europe over the years, BMG has done a miserable job, in the past six or seven years re-issuing on CD only a handful out of her nearly 50 albums for RCA. While label officials have said they intend to come out with more compilations (although they do keep putting the same handful of songs on all of them), there have been no indications that they intend to re-issue any more of her complete albums. Hopefully, that could change now that BMG has merged with Sony Music. So writing Dolly or her staff is not the thing to do. If you want to write someone, I'd suggest BMG's RCA imprint at 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. Also, BMG's re-issues are done through its BMG Heritage imprint, and their e-mail address is info-heritage@bmgsmg.com, so contacting them might be advisable as well.

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    Feb. 21, 2005
    My friend was listening to a Julio Iglesias cd and this duet with Dolly came on. I recognized the song from D. Ross's The Force Behind the Power, but more importantly I couldn't believe she dueted with the biggest corn ball of all time. I had never heard it before--she sounds great as always and overpowers his voice, but what was she thinking? I was wondering if you knew what she thought of the result and her work with Iglesias?
    Steve
    Astoria, N.Y.
    I don't recall much discussion of the duet when it first came out in 1994 on Iglesias' Crazy CD, but regardless of what you think of him, many women (and some men) still consider him one of the most "romantic" singers even today and, don't forget, even country legend Willie Nelson duetted with him. My guess is the duet was likely set up by Dolly's record label at the time, Sony's Columbia imprint, which was also the one for which Iglesias recorded. While the song wasn't a hit, and I don't believe it was released as a single in the U.S., it was released as a single in Europe, and the duo recorded a music video together for it which saw some airtime overseas. That time period saw her collaborating with several Columbia artists, again likely at the urging of the label. The same year also found her on pal Mac Davis' CD Will Write Songs For Food, and in the previous year she did duets with Neil Diamond for his Up On The Roof CD (a voice which she overpowered even more than with Iglesias) and an Oscar-nominated turn with James Ingram for the Beethoven's 2nd soundtrack, all released on Columbia.

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    Feb. 19, 2005
    i like to know the sings of album (jolene)for dolly parton,thank you
    Maroine
    Fes, Morocco
    Thanks, Maroine, for your letter. It's not often that we get one from Morocco! The original Jolene album came out on RCA Records in February 1974 and was Dolly's break-out album as a solo female artist. The title track became one of her all-time most popular songs and her second No. 1 single. The album's other single, "I Will Always Love You," also went to No. 1 (and this is nearly two decades before Whitney Houston recorded it). The album's other songs were "Early Morning Breeze," "Highlight of My Life," "It Must Be You," "Living on Memories of You," "Lonely Coming Down," "Randy," "River of Happiness" and "When Someone Wants To Leave." Dolly wrote all of the songs on the album except "It Must Be You," "Lonely Coming Down" and "River of Happiness." For future reference, all of Dolly's original albums with their track listings as well as any guest appearances on other artists' albums are provided on the site here in chronological order. In addition, all of her original albums and the greatest hits collections that have charted on the Billboard country albums chart are listed in chronological order here as well with their track listings provided.

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    Feb. 17, 2005
    Hey Brian, Thanks for your reply. Sorry that you missed the Reba taping.I got in there and in line at 9am. I was about the 14 or 15th person, and I got in!!! It was great! I had fun and saw alot of people that are in pictures from this website. Reba was so excited. Dolly was a riot and Judy Ogle was there right by her side the minute the camera was off. If you want e-mail me as we live close by and can keep each other posted on Dolly events.
    Candice
    Temecula, Calif.
    Thanks for the note, Candice. Glad you had such a great time!

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    Feb. 17, 2005
    I agree with Frank that the grammy's dont pay enough attention to country music, but until country music stops belting out trash like Blake Shelton's twang-filled "Some Beach", Cletus Judd's "I Love NASCAR", or basically any Randy Travis song, i dont blame the Grammy's for ignoring most of country music.
    Chad
    Miller, Ill.
    Thanks for your thoughts, Chad.

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    Feb. 16, 2005
    This letter is for Candice. I would have emailed her but her email wasnt on there so I couldnt. Well, I have some bad news :( I did get tickets BUT I am not able to go. I was thinking it was for last Friday and that fell on my day off (not having to call in sick) So when I told my boss what I was wanting to do I was told I cant have Tuesday off because they dont have anyone to cover me, so if I were to call in sick they would know im not sick and im going to see Dolly. But to answer your question Candice if I were going I was gonna get up at the butt crack of dawn, go get something to eat, and then just sit out there all day long like I did for the Tongiht Show and The Crossroads show (two days in a row) no money for a room I slept in my car had extra stuff to wear, toothbrush, toothpast, and hair stuff went to a gas station got cleaned up and went to see Dolly. Well if you get in I hope you have a great time and if its anything like the other shows I have seen taped you will have a BLAST. There is A LOT of stuff that dont make it to the TV screen.
    Brian Wolf
    Riverside, Calif.
    Unfortunately, the site wasn't updated again prior to the taping, so Candice didn't get to see your reply. Hopefully, she got in :)

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    Feb. 16, 2005
    Hey everyone I just wanted to say that the Grammys the other night was like every other year except for the kick a** performance by Melissa E. She looked awesome and very strong for having breast cancer and belted out one of my favorite Janis Joplin's songs. I wish I was alive when Janis was living she rocks. But as for Lorette Lynn I thought she was being a little obnoxious with the way she was talking to Jack White. But thats just my opinion. Have fun at the Reba taping for those going. Peace
    Jon
    Norfolk, Va.
    I agree, Jon, that Melissa Etheridge's performance of "Piece Of My Heart" was certainly the night's stand-out. Of course, Dolly fans recall that Melissa and Dolly did CMT's Crossroads together and appeared together on Oprah's show to promote the tribute CD to which she contributed, so there's a connection there. Although I disagree that Loretta was being obnoxious with Jack White. It appeared more that he chose to act subservient to her on stage (not wanting to say many words other than "yes, ma'am" -- I understand he continued to act the same way backstage when they appeared together to talk with the press). Plus, you should remember that Jack White is young enough to be Loretta's grandson, and he certainly was showing respect for his elders.

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    Feb. 15, 2005
    What time are people lining up for Dolly on Reba? Brian W I know you probably got tickets....What time are you going to line up?
    Candice
    Temecula, Calif.
    Unfortunately, Candice, I haven't heard anyone say when they plan to line up, but I'm told they should get there "very early" to ensure seating, since there will likely be more people with tickets than they have available seats. And if Brian sees this, perhaps he can e-mail you to let you know when he'll be there because the site likely won't be updated again until after the show tapes.

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    Feb. 15, 2005
    I think it's a shame how the Grammys treat the country music awards. It seems like Nashville does little or nothing at all to help promote there artists. I think we need to start emailing the Grammys and let them know. We will not be watching next year. I already have. Remember viewers equall ratings. Ratings equall money. I really think it enough of us said we will not watch your show. Things would change and cant wait to see Dolly on the Reba show. I will add that to my tape collection. Thank you.
    Frank Monateri
    Lyndhurst, Ohio
    True, the Grammy Awards have treated country music like its red headed stepchild for some time now, relegating it to just one on-air award and usually one (sometimes two) on-air performances. Nashville execs and fans complain every year, but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

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    Feb. 14, 2005
    Hey guys, I was just wondering if y'all may have heard how Dolly is doing these days, if she is back to good health? I have been so worried about her having the flu. I hope all of our well wishes and prayers have been answered. Please let us fans know if you've heard anything or if there is any way of finding out. Perhaps contacting one of her agents for an update or if Dolly would send a note to Dollymania. Thanks guys. Take care and God bless always! P.S. Anyone who bad-mouths Dolly for whatever reason obviously does not know Dolly, as an entertainer and a human being. What may be "fake" on the outside is a far cry from what is very genuine on the inside. :)
    Scott Nassans
    San Francisco, Calif.
    I'm sure Dolly is fine now, as the flu only keeps you down for a few days. As far as I know, she's still scheduled to film "Reba" on Tuesday, so if she was sick, that would have been cancelled.

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    Feb. 14, 2005
    I wanted to say, "Thank you, Dolly" for making this world a brighter place with your beautiful songs! Listening to your CD's has cheered me when I have been feeling down! Peace Always,
    Ann Carmichael
    Bellefontaine, Ohio
    Thanks, Ann, for your note. As I always point out, since you have written an online newsmagazine dedicated to Dolly instead of Dolly herself, I cannot guarantee she will ever see your message, but I post it here where it is available for anyone who wishes to read it.

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    Feb. 12, 2005
    hi,how much albums has dolly new sell? 130 000 000 millionen
    Enrico Bertz
    Berlin, Deutschland (Germany)
    Well, an exact figure has not been released, but promotional materials a few years ago confirmed it was in excess of 100 million.

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    Feb. 11, 2005
    Hi! I was just wondering if "Wild Texas Wind" is available anywhere on VHS or DVD. If not, do you know if are there any plans to have this movie released in the future? THANKS!!! As always you have a GREAT website!!
    Jamie
    Anaheim Hills, Calif.
    Thanks, Jamie. While the film wasn't released in the U.S. on VHS or DVD, it was issued in Canada on VHS for sale to video rental stores, so you'll occasionally see one of those on eBay, but it's not currently available in any stores. There have been no indications it will be released any time in the immediate future.

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    Feb. 10, 2005
    About Dolly and her hands...give the poor woman a break! I met her on the "Hello, I'm Dolly" tour, and she's breathtakingly gorgeous up close. At the concert, I was on the 5th row, and you can't truly appreciate what she looks like even in the audience. It was before the show during the meet and greet that I got a chance to take pics, hug her and hold her hand briefly as I thanked her. I didn't notice her hands looking old--I mean they don't look 25 or anything, but it's not like they are hideous! I guess I don't see what all the fuss is about. It's not like she looks airbrushed in person. She looks totally different up close. I can't explain what it is, but it's just different. She does have some wrinkles like everyone else does--fewer than most, I'll admit, and they are very thin and shallow ones, but her face was not stretched tight. She looked around 45-ish (give or take a year or two) in my opinion, so it's not like she's way out in unrealistic plastic surgery land, and she's not stretched tight like everyone says. Her complexion was smooth, and although she's fair, she wasn't ghostly white either. One thing is for sure, she is so sweet, and so genuine, and just the most pleasant person you'd ever want to meet. I really don't care if she wants to have work done or not...she was pretty before...she'd be pretty if she had nothing done...and she's spectacular with it. For me, it's all about who Dolly is on the inside. For my own selfish reasons, I don't mind that she has the maintenance done because she's almost just like I remember her as a little girl--lol--and that brings back such memories. :)
    Lory
    Austin, Texas
    I agree, Lory. Whenever I bring back photos from a trip to see Dolly, everyone I show them to who isn't a big fan already simply marvels at them and comments on how beautiful she is and how gorgeous her skin is. Dolly will always be Dolly, and she looks great!

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    Feb. 10, 2005
    First, great site! I used to get all my info from another site, but NOW, your site is IT!!!
          I attended Dolly's concert in Dallas, and had floor seats, and enjoyed the show more than any of the other four I have seen. I know many people were disapointed that she "rushed" thru her earlier "hits" but I was glad to see some new stuff and some of her more recent songs. Such as LITTLE SPARROW, which was without a doubt the highlight of the night. I do believe SUGAR HILL Records should release it as a CD single with a few other live songs or .....The entire concert, but that probably won't happen since Live and Well was just released. I'm sorrry to go on about LITTLE SPARROW, but the live version was so thrillin' it gave me goosebumps. Plus, I wish she wouldn't ignore her HUNGRY AGAIN songs in concert, I would like to hear her revisit some of those too.
          Also, Do you have any information of the Buddah Records or BMG/Sony releasing any previously unrealead recordings on CD, ie;Burlap&Satin, DollyDollyDolly,All I Can Do, New Harvest..????? Sorry to ramble
          Duane, you had mention a while back about Dolly's version of "Son of A Preacher Man" ....if you have a copy of this I would love a copy.
          I had recently seen a CD cover with one of the band member wearing a Dolly T-Shirt, but I can't remember the band's name, sorry. Do you know??
          Thanks for any replies you can give.
    Casey Conger
    Fort Worth, Texas
    Thanks, Casey. I loved the concerts, myself, and I really enjoyed the new stuff. As for releasing anything from the tour, that's not Sugar Hill's call. Dolly records what she wants these days, and she owns the masters. She just leases them to Sugar Hill for distribution and marketing, so if she wants to release any live recordings from the tour, it's entirely up to her. As for BMG, while label officials have said that they intend to continue releasing new Dolly compilations (like last year's Platinum and Gold Collection and 2003's Ultimate Dolly Parton), they have not indicated any plans to re-issue any additional complete albums from her massive back catalog. Since BMG merged with Sony Music (which owns Monument and Columbia), this one company owns almost everything she recorded from 1965 through 1995, or nearly 75 percent of the music she has released in her career (about 600 songs out of the more than 800 she has recorded). So if they wanted to, they could re-issue a ton of material or, at the very least, put together some real kick-ass compilations instead of the same 20 or 30 songs that show up again and again. (By the way, BMG closed down its Buddha imprint a few years ago, choosing instead of re-issue things under the BMG Heritage imprint.) As for "Son Of A Preacher Man," to my knowledge, the studio version of that song was never released. There's a rumor it may have appeared on a special issue CD over in Europe, but I've never seen it, so I doubt that's true. She did record the song but didn't include it on an album, although she sang it on The Tonight Show, and pirated CDs of that performance have circulated in the fan community for years, but I personally don't sell or trade those, so I can't get a copy to you. Finally, the CD you're thinking of with the Dolly t-shirt is Rascal Flatt's Feels Like Today.

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    Feb. 10, 2005
    i am trying my best to look for dolly parton 9 to 5 song because i really want to listen to it but it just won't come up at all could you please let me listen to it because dolly is my number one fan ever and i love that song please reply.
    Jessica Morris
    Widnes, Cheshire, U.K.
    Jessica, isn't it a great song! One of Dolly's biggest hits, you can find it on tons of her compilation CDs, including (right there in England) Ultimate Dolly Parton (U.K. version) and Legends. She also did a live version on last year's concert CD Live And Well.

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    Feb. 9, 2005
    Dear Duane: I love this site but posting letters from so-called fans that want to downgrade one of the most successful 'CINDERELLA" stories this wonderful Nation of ours has` to offer is unnessary! I fell in love with Dolly in 1974 when she was with Porter.. it broke my heart when she left but I knew "greater things" was instore for her!! How can anyone even think about attacking her physical beuty when I think her career is blimish and spot-free!! I adore her and it hurts me when I read negative comments about her.. please consider not just my feelings but the "Queen" herself! I`m 45 and when I hear a Dolly song..I can tell you exactly where and what was happening in my life the time a New LP or Single was released! I hear you work with Dolly`s management and I`m sure they are not happy with negative comments either! Please suggest to Dolly that she record a song called "THE STRANGER".. Her and Kenny Rogers did a part of it on "REAL LOVE" video concert on HBO.. and Kenny recorded it solo..It`s a masterpiece!! it`s one of Dolly`s "all-time best composition`s!! why she never recorded it and released it as a single is beyond me!! I have over 30 years of DOLLY PARTON memoribilia and I will support her til she`s 100 if I have too but since you read all the emails anyway..I think you should at least "EDIT" them if someone might find the letter offensive! Keep up the good work! thanks.
    Steven Wood
    Staunton, Va.
    Thank you for your input, Steven. Yes, I agree that Dolly would provide her fans a great treat if she recorded "The Stranger." She once performed it on her ABC television series, but it is one of those thousands of songs she has written over the decades and never recorded. As for editing e-mails, I made the decision when I started the "Letters To The Webmaster" section that all letters would be presented unedited and uncensored unless they contained libelous or obscene material. Partly, the justification for this is that it provides fans with a venue for expressing their thoughts and opinions without interference, but it also allows the intelligence (or lack thereof) of the letter writer to show clearly without being filtered through my editing. There have been many controversial subjects discussed here over the years, and I believe fans who have read those discussions were better informed by hearing all sides of the issue. If I aimed to edit letters to remove comments that someone might find "offensive," then it would be a difficult decision of where to stop, as somebody somewhere is bound to find something offensive in any opinion ever uttered.

  • Ed. Note: A reader wrote in to alert me that he thought Steven was claiming that I worked for Dolly's management and asked that this statement be corrected. I offer the following clarification -- I must first admit that I didn't catch his comment when I first read and posted it. My apologies for missing it, but I receive several dozen e-mails a day regarding the site, so occasionally I will skim through one and accidentally skip a line or two. Even so, if you read what he actually wrote, he didn't say that I work for Dolly, and given the context of his message, I do not believe that he meant it that way either. Instead, he said that he heard that I work "with" Dolly's management, which is different. It may be a matter of semantics, but working "for" someone is different than working "with" someone. The former means you are employed by that person, but the latter can mean that you just have a business relationship with that person, such as his or her providing you with information, as members of Dolly's staff have been gracious enough to do for this site in the past. So, yes, in that sense I have in the past worked "with" Dolly's staff, but I have never worked "for" them. It has been noted many, many times on this page and elsewhere on the site over the years that I am not Dolly, that this is not Dolly's official Web site and that I do not work for her, so that fact has been made very clear.
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    Feb. 9, 2005
    Duane, Wow...It is such a small world...I did not know that you lived in Jackson. I was beginning to think that I was the only Dolly fan in Mississippi...LOL...Not really, there are plenty out here I just don't talk to them very often. And about the trivia, I have always wanted to "go head to head" with another Dolly fan to just see how much I did know. I think even Dolly herself would be surprised! Well, if you get a chance, send me an e-mail and maybe we can talk sometimes. Bye
    Casey Robinson
    Brandon, Miss.
    Yep, it's a small world :) I don't have much free time (keeping the site updated takes most of that up LOL) but feel free to drop me a line sometime.

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    Feb. 9, 2005
    I just got done watching Blue Valley Songbird, and I noticed something that I never did before. Was the house that her Mama lived in, the Best Little Bleep House as Dolly calls it? I have seen that house in 4 or 5 different things latly. And I will email you all to let you know how the taping of Reba goes. Have a great week.
    Brian Wolf
    Riverside, Calif.
    No, they're different houses. The one used for The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas was on a Universal Studios lot in California, while Blue Valley Songbird was filmed in Bethel, Tenn.

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    Feb. 8, 2005
    Hey Duane, I'm sure you remember me, i'm ask a lot of questions. I hope it dosen't bug you, a lot of people tell me it does. I just wanted to say your web site is one of the best i've ever seen. You are very informed on Dolly and very respectful to everyone, even if they are not to you. Any way i was just wondering if you knew if Dolly ever went to college? I was also wondering if you knew if Dolly had a star on Hollywood streets and where it would be, like what street and which other famous people are around her. Thanks so much Duane You're the best I hope Dolly gets better soon too. Love
    Haley
    Newville, Ala.
    Why, thank you, Haley! And it's not a bother. I look at it that if someone takes the time to write me, the least I can do is write them back. And if they have a question and I know the answer, I'm more than happy to share it with them. Now, back to your questions: No, Dolly never attended college. However, she was the first in her family to complete high school, and the day after she was graduated, she boarded a bus for Nashville to pursue her dreams of stardom. She was granted an honorary degree from Carson Newman College in East Tennessee several years ago, though. And Dolly and Sylvester Stallone both earned stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame back when Rhinestone came out in 1984. The walk is in Los Angeles on Hollywood Boulevard from Gower Street to La Brea Avenue and on Vine Street from Yucca Street to Sunset Boulevard. Dolly and Stallone's stars are located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard almost equal distance between North Highland Ave. and Las Palmas Ave. Also on that block are Elvis Presley, Diana Ross, Doris Day, Liberace, Charlie Chaplin, Fred Astaire, Ingrid Bergman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vivien Leigh, Victor Mature and Jay Leno.

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    Feb. 8, 2005
    Hi Duane, I just had to tell you that I am very impressed of your website and your knowledge of Dolly! I too am one of Dolly's biggest fans (I know you hear this all the time) and I have been a fan since I was about 12 years old and I am now 20. I know a lot of useless information like the name of the family chicken when she was growing up....I mean c'mon...who knows stuff like that?!? LOL...When I see something about Dolly I have to read it and I am just in love with the person that she is and everything that she stands for. I hope she gets well soon from her battle with the flu because we need the Queen of Country Music up and running! Once again, nice job on the website and maybe we can keep in touch!
    Casey Robinson
    Brandon, Miss
    You'd be surprised, Casey, at the devotion of some fans who know every possible piece of trivia about her -- many who know even more than I do :) And it's good to hear from someone just down the road from me a bit (Brandon is a suburb east of Jackson, and your webmaster is in the suburbs north of Jackson).

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    Feb. 8, 2005
    Hello Duane, Again & as always great site. Thanks for keeping true Dolly fans up to date on things with our Dolly. My family & I will be going down for the Parade & opening of Dollywood and I was told after the parade Dolly would do something special with the kids. Do you know if that is true or is someone pulling my leg?? Another thing (sorry I can't help myself) but if John so hates dolly what is he doing on this site? Dolly if you see this hope you are feeling better & can't wait to see you in April.. Love ya,
    Susan
    Martinsburg, W.V.
    Thanks, Susan. No, Dolly usually doesn't make any additional appearances following the parade, so I doubt there's anything "special" planned afterward this year. The parade is set for 6 p.m. Friday, April 1. Dolly will be on the park grounds for the media earlier in the day, although I don't know whether any of those appearances will be open to the public or for the press only. She will make public appearances around the park on Saturday, April 2.

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    Feb. 8, 2005
    Hello! I was just reading thru the last month or so "Letters To The Webmaster" and I was reading the one about the 1980's TV series. Was the list you have there the full list? I have the entire series that I taped when they first aired. I know Tom Petty was on one of the earlier shows (before they revamped things). You think there's any chance these will be reissued on DVD somehow? I remember hearing awhile back that the 70's show was supposed to have been, but it never happened. As I said, I taped the entire 80's series back at the original airing. I'll have to dig the videos out and I can get you the complete list and air dates.
    Al Chapman
    Stafford Springs, Conn.
    The list, which was provided by another reader (see Jan. 31 letters), was not fully complete. While it listed all episodes of the series, it didn't list all guest stars for each. For example, the Christmas episode featured Mac Davis and Burl Ives, but on the list it's just shown as "Down Home Country Christmas" without any of the guests being noted. If you'd like to offer more detail, by all means, you're welcome to do so.

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    Feb. 8, 2005
    Dear Webmaster, I was wondering if Dolly trys to find things for her museum.Like personal little ideams,that would not mean anything else to anyone but her.Like when she first started & maybe interesting photos,or autographs on unusual items,& the story that goes with how a person got it. Thank you,
    Karol
    Wise, Va.
    Of course, you'd be able to just send something in, but there'd be no guarantee they'd ever use it. The museum at Dollywood doesn't often add anything like that for display. Every once in a while they'll switch out a few of Dolly's dresses on view and add most of the new awards she wins as they're collected, but that's about it. There is a segment of photos when you first enter, but that doesn't change, and there are some interesting items in the "attic" you next visit as well as one display case that contains several gifts fans have made for her over the years, but I haven't noticed any of those areas changing since the new museum opened a few years ago.

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    Feb. 8, 2005
    Hey everyone out there I was reading some of the post and had a couple of things I wanted to say.
          First off last week there was a lot of country music around in the hip-hop area of music. First off on the missy elliot tv- show they where in nashville and in the bar they performed had a picture of Dolly from the cover of slow dancing with the moon and I spotted it right away. And also on the local hip-hop station they have a game called 5 in 10 which you have to name 5 things in 10 seconds from a category. The category ended up being name 5 country male singers and i shouted them out right away but needless to say the person playing didn't win. But they said at the radio station good thing because they where a hip hop station and I was like why does it matter you should be able to listen to what ever and not get made fun at.
          Then this weekend in Virginia Beach a gay bar started a drag brunch. It was my first drag show and it was fun one of them who was a really good tina turner impersonater. She also did a song where she dressed as a pregnant woman had some babies in her had and did "Ones on the way" it was trip. But the one that stood out was gorgeous and the best. She was like the perfect person and rocked the house also and got some tip money from me. But after all this and being a big fan of Dolly and Rupaul I am going to go past last halloween and start dragging some. I love it and the attention. Drag queens look up to the people who know how to do makeup and personally Dolly by far is the only one I have seen that knows from the start how to accent every part of her face from the painted on eyebrows down to the lips.
    Jonathan Robinson
    Norfolk, Va.

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    Feb. 7, 2005
    Just wanted to wish a Get Well soon. We'er gonna miss her @ the Opry this weekend. Looking forward to April @ the Opry.
    Chad Hunter
    Madison, Ala.
    I'm looking forward to seeing her there in April, too, Chad!

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    Feb. 7, 2005
    hope Dolly gets well soon!! Love her #1 fan,
    Alissa
    St.Louis, Mo.
    I'm sure Dolly appreciates the well wishes.

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    Feb. 5, 2005
    Hi Duane, I was wondering if you could do me a favor. I will be attending the Reba taping on February 15 in LA and was hoping to see if I could meet up with any other fellow Dolly fans from the area who might be attending. So if anyone read this and is interested in at least meeting and say hi before/after or during the taping please e-mail me and let me know. Hope it's ok to do this through your Letters To Webmaster section. Thanks for everything as always. :)
    Manny
    Burlingame, Calif.
    No problem, Manny. I think it's a great idea for fans to get together while in town for the taping. If anyone's interested, they can e-mail you.

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    Feb. 5, 2005
    I heard about Dolly having the flu and wanted to send my love and prayers to her for a very speedy recovery.
    Scott Nassans
    San Francisco, Calif.
    I'm sure she appreciates the well wishes.

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    Feb. 5, 2005
    Hey Dolly, If you're reading this, I just want to say hello and I really hope you get to feeling better real soon. By The Way, I LOVE "Blue Smoke" and can't wait for the CD to come out! "I Will Always Love You"!!
    Crystal Ellis
    Calhoun, Ga.
    I'm sure Dolly will appreciate the kind thoughts if she sees this.

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    Feb. 4, 2005
    Hello there I just read about Dolly getting the flu and having to move the taping of the Opry to April. Do you know if she is still going to do the taping of Reba on the 11th of this month? I got tickets and I LOVE Reba and all but if Dolly isnt going to be there I dont know if I really want to call in sick to work or not :) Thanks Brian
    Brian Wolf
    Riverside, Calif.
    Shame on you, Brian, calling in sick for work to see Dolly (LOL!). As far as I know, the show is still scheduled to be taped at this time. The flu usually only causes problems for infected persons for a few days and then they can get back to work, and the show doesn't tape for another week and a half, so she should be all better by then.

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    Feb. 4, 2005
    I just saw about Dolly coming down with teh flu! Thats terrible! I sure hope she feels better soon!
    Michelle Ivey
    Benton, Ark.
    I'm sure she appreciates your well wishes, Michelle.

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    Feb. 4, 2005
    Hey Duane. I have been thinking of asking you this for a while...just haven't got around to it...until now. I was wondering what are your favourite Dolly things. What is your favourite song, what is your favourite album, what is your favourite movie, what do you think is the funniest thing Dolly has ever said, what was the first Dolly album you ever owned. And if you would like to throw in another question on your own I would love to hear your response. I love hearing other people's opinions on what Dolly things they like. Thanks for your time and I hope this isn't a stupid question...actually there are no stupid questions right? only stupid answers, just kidding! lol. By the way, I really hope Dolly gets to feeling better and I hope it isnt anything serious.
    Michelle
    Ottawa, Ont., Canada
    Oh, let's see. It's so hard to choose! Back about five years ago, I compiled a list of my favorite all-time Dolly songs here and favorite all-time Dolly albums here. But to recap, my favorite song has always been "I Will Always Love You" from the time I was very small, followed closely by "Jolene" and "Coat Of Many Colors," and, appropriately enough, my favorite album is Jolene, followed by Coat Of Many Colors. However, in the past few years, her 1983 opus Burlap And Satin has moved up higher and higher each year in my enjoyment of it and is jockeying for that No. 2 position, or maybe even No. 1. As for a favorite movie, it's definitely Steel Magnolias because it's so funny and yet so emotional ("Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion"), although the hilarious 9 To 5 is a close second. As for her funniest quotes, I think my all-time favorite (which never gets old) is the classic line she throws out at many concerts when a male fan shouts "I LOVE YOU DOLLY" and she retorts: "I told you to wait in the truck!" And the first Dolly album I owned I believe was probably the Camden version of Just Because I'm A Woman from 1976. I would have been about a year and a half when it came out. My grandmother worked at a record store at the time, so she often brought her young Dolly fan grandson promotional copies of her albums that the store received (yes, I was a fan even at that age!). And here's one I'll throw in: When was my first time to see Dolly? I was almost four years old, and she performed in my hometown of Jackson, Miss. Pretty much my whole family went, and it was my first concert (of any performer). My mother said I stood perfectly still in her lap through the whole show, but my heart was pumping as fast as it possibly could. The only time I moved was when she carried me up to the stage to hand Dolly a rose.

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    Feb. 4, 2005
    Hi Duane, You have a fantastic site and I check it out every day for Dolly News. I was wondering if you could answer a question for me: In "Straight Talk", at the scene where Dolly is "saved" from "jumping" off the bridge by James Woods, was Dolly actually doing her own stunts? I know it was Dolly up to a certain point, but I was just wondering about the part where she was literally hanging from the bridge?
    Cheers!
    Suzi Roberts
    London, England
    Thanks, Suzi. No, that wasn't Dolly doing her own stunts. She may act a little crazy sometimes but she's not insane :) Actually, that was a stunt double named Barbara Anne Klein.

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    Feb. 3, 2005
    Duane, you probably already heard but Dolly, originally scheduled to perform on this Saturday's Opry, has rescheduled her performance for Saturday, April 23 due to the flu. Brad Paisley has stepped in to host "Grand Ole Opry Live" Saturday night. Tickets can be exchanged by calling 1-615-871-OPRY
    James
    Edmonton, Alb., Canada
    Thanks, James. Yes, that item was reported in tonight's news update, but thanks for sending it in.

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    Feb. 3, 2005
    I am a fan of Dolly. I just started listening to her CDs a few years ago. Do you know when he next CD is coming out? I'm sure she has been busy writing song for it. She is a great song writer.
    Jennifer
    Richmond, Va.
    Dolly is currently finishing up her next CD, to be called Blue Smoke. It is expected to be released in late summer or fall 2005, although its actual release date hasn't been officially scheduled yet. The disc will include some new tunes, such as the title track "Blue Smoke" and her Elvis tribute "I Dreamed About Elvis" that she performed on her recent concert tour, and several folk-rock cover songs, such as John Lennon's "Imagine" and Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee." Guest artists appearing on the disc will include Keith Urban, Joni Mitchell, Ronnie McDowell, and Judy Collins and at least one report said Cat Stevens (now known as Yusuf Islam) will also contribute vocals, as I understand she is covering another one of his songs as well (she did his classic "Peace Train" back about 10 years ago).

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    Feb. 1, 2005
    many of dolly here fans say that dolly is there idol but do you now to who dolly is looking up? who dolly's idol is? i sure hope you have an answer to this question, best greets from Belgium.Lesley
    Belgium
    Well, Lesley, over the years, Dolly has expressed appreciation for several of the performers who influenced her, including many of country music's trailblazing women such as Mother Maybelle Carter, Patsy Montana, Kitty Wells, Wanda Jackson, Patsy Cline, Connie Smith and others, as well as some of the genre's greatest men (such as Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe and Chet Atkins) and non-country performers including Elvis Presley and Barbara Streisand. However, she's said that the people who influenced her performing the most were her family members -- her mother, aunts and uncles who taught her to sing and to play instruments back in the mountains as a girl.

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    Feb. 1, 2005
    Hello, I am attending the opening of Dollywood again this year, I was wondering if the parade through Piegon Forge is still on Friday April 1st and if so is it the same time as it was last year. Just to be sure the park is also opened on the first as well right? Thank you for all your help!
    Amanda Amon
    Kent, Ohio
    Amanda, I haven't seen anything showing the parade time yet, but it is usually held at 6 p.m. the Friday of opening weekend, which would put it on April 1 this year. And, yes, the park is to be open prior to the April 2 "official" season opening festivities, with operating days scheduled for March 25, 28, 30 and 31 and April 1.

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    Feb. 1, 2005
    duane, great site...i just read through your information about dolly's show and noticed that she performed the seeker with the staple singers....thats one of my favorite songs, along with the staple singers who i think are amazing..i wonder if there is a copy of this out there for folks to listen to? thanks..
    Taylor
    New York, N.Y.
    Thanks, Taylor. Unfortunately, Dolly's 1970s series has never been released commercially, so the only copies floating around out there are pirated ones fans have recorded off of television and dubbed over and over to share with each other. If you look around and contact other fans, chances are you can come across one.

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    Feb. 1, 2005
    Dolly, I am trying to find out if you could send my parents a video-gram on their Golden Wedding anniversary which will be on Nov. 16 , 2006. Please e-mail me.
    Brenda
    Winston-Salem, N.C.
    Brenda, thanks for your note, but you have written an online newsmagazine dedicated to Dolly, not Dolly herself. As she does not operate an official Web site and does not have a personal e-mail address to which I could forward your message, you will need to write her a letter with your request and mail it to her. While I doubt she would be able to do it, there's no harm in asking :)

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    Jan. 31, 2005
    In response to Tammy and her stab at Dolly and Dollywood's alleged lack of compassion for the physically and mentally handicapped population, she should first have someone proofread her writing before sending it over the web for the public to see. I would expect that a strong advocate for a worthy cause would know how to form complete sentences and spell words correctly if she wants to be taken seriously. I'm sorry she feels this way about Dolly. How she can use Dolly and Dollywood in the same sentence with the word "selfish" is ridiculous. Dolly does so much for many charities and has always been such a giving person. Dollywood is a generous place and concept that should be respected for all it does for EVERYONE. I just hope Tammy continues to support the disabled and encourage others to do so instead of criticizing someone else for not granting every wish and accommodation. Slightly off the subject...I also wish that visitors to Dollymania would study the site and realize that it is not run by Dolly. All of these requests for birthday party appearances and money donations need to be directed elsewhere. Duane, don't you get tired of telling everyone this? At least you are respectful in your responses to these writers who are asking for almost the impossible. Sorry, I needed to vent. Thank you for your dedication to Dolly and her fans.
    Hillary
    Penn Valley, Calif.
    Thanks, Hillary, for your comments. Glad to give you a place to vent. And while it does get a bit cumbersome to have to keep telling people that this is not Dolly's official site and that I'm not Dolly, there will always be people who either don't spend enough time on the site to figure that out or are not bright enough to figure it out, so I have accepted that those types of e-mails will always be received.

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    Jan. 31, 2005
    I read the letter that Tammy Kimerly wrote about Dolly not caring about the disabled. The was about one of the most stupid things I have ever heard!!! Dolly does have a lot of money, but a greedy or uncaring person would keep it all to theirselves. Obviously she cares about others or she wouldn't use it for the charities and other things that she does. She doesn't HAVE to do any of that but she does because of the type of person she is! Not only that, but she even if she wanted to she can't contribute to every charity out there! So I think Tammy should have thought that out a little better before writing something so preposterous!!!
    Amber Eads
    Oakland City, Ind.
    Thanks, Amber, for sharing your comments.

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    Jan. 31, 2005
    Hi, I have always enjoyed your site. I would like to ask you or your readers if anyone knows how I can find an exact list of episodes of the Dolly 70's and also the Dolly 80's tv shows. I know I have seen a list before either on your website or some others. I am trying to organize mine and to see what is still missing in my collection. If anyone has any info that would be great.
    Tom
    Nashville, Tenn.
    A list of the episodes of the 1970s program, complete with each song Dolly performed on them and most songs performed by the shows' guests, is available on the site here. The only show missing is the episode with Captain Kangaroo as the guest star. I recently obtained some additional information (such as the show information for the episode with Captain Kangaroo as well as almost all of the other non-Dolly performances from the series), but I haven't had time to update the page since then. As for the 1987-1988 network series, to my knowledge there is no published list of all episodes. I have information on several, but I've been waiting to try and get more before posting it anywhere on the site because it's very incomplete.
    Special thanks to Greg for passing along his recounting of Dolly's ABC series as follows in response to this letter:

  • 1. Sept. 27, 1987: Oprah, Dudley Moore
    2. Oct. 4: Whoopi Goldberg, Burt Reynolds, Alabama
    3. Oct.11: Trio, Bruce Willis
    4. Oct. 18: Patti LaBelle, Patrick Duffy
    5. Oct. 25: Delta Burke, Kermit the Frog, Oak Ridge Boys
    6. Nov. 1: Jackee, Jon Lovitz
    7 . Nov. 8: Tennessee Mountain Thanksgiving
    8 . Nov. 15: Juice Newton, Jerry Reed, Miss Piggy
    9 . Nov. 22: Willie Nelson, Smother Brothers
    10. Nov. 29: Down Home Country Christmas
    11. Jan. 4, 1988: Tammy Wynette, Ricky Skaggs
    12. Jan. 13: Merle Haggard, Mary Hart
    13. Jan. 19: Kenny Rogers, Charles Durning
    14. (air date uncertain): Tom Jones, Lee Majors
    15. (air date uncertain): Brenda Lee, Glen Campbell
    16. (air date uncertain): My Hawaii
    17. (air date uncertain): Barbara Mandrell, Tom Selleck
    18. (air date uncertain): Randy Travis
    19. (air date uncertain): Nashville Memories
    20. (air date uncertain): Bob Hope, Miss Piggy
    21. April 30: New Orleans
    22. May 10: Loretta Lynn

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    Jan. 29, 2005
    Hello, Can you tell me if Dolly is really playing the harmonica and/or penny whistle on the Live and Well DVD? To my eyes it seems like she could be faking the penny whistle part, and perhaps it is being played on a keyboard instead. Thanks! I love your site!
    Jack
    Greenville, S.C.
    I do not believe she is playing either instrument. When she appeared on the Today show to promote Halos & Horns, she got caught removing the harmonica from her mouth on "I'm Gone" before it was through playing, and she joked, "I guess y'all can see I don't know how to play that thing!" And on the pennywhistle, if you watch closely you see her fingers don't appear to move properly with the notes. I think it most likely that those two instruments were pre-recorded and she pantomimed playing them.

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    Jan. 29, 2005
    I work for a mental and physically challenged institution. These people have been a highlight in my life. Giving the care they need and receiving all the glory I need by seeing the simple simle upon their face when the acheive a hard worked for goal. They are truely people that are closer to God than we shall dream to be. As great as these human being are they have alot of adversity's to overcome due to public beleif and unacceptance. Although most business and corporations are welcomeing to our business. Being kind and curtious giving all the respect these individuals deserve as any other paying consumer which is truely appreciated. But yet their is places such as Dollywood (there for) Dolly Parton herself ,whom protrade as a giving human beings, hit the bottom of the totom poll. In my opion is to greedy with their millions that they can't even give people they see below them a break so they may enjoy a theme park as every other human being. Even going so far as the say in a round about way that we are not welcome unless they spend the money for a season ticket. What small amount of money they do have does not need to wasted on something they would not get full use of. Yet cant enjoy a day in the park due to in my opion they are not wanted. So untill this subject is addressed I myself will not purchase or participate in anything associated with Dolly and will voice my opion to local papers and anyone who will listen due to the selfishness of MS. Parton herself. Maybe you won't care maybe you will but as a american with a heart I feel the obligation to stand up for those more needy. In help voicing a opion on the unjust inflicted upon them. They may be disable individuals but they are human beings with the same since of enjoyment as anyone else. Also with more heart than most people could ever dream to have. I just wish Dolly could say the same. Sincerly,
    Tammy Kimery
    Greeneville, Tenn.
    I'm sorry that you feel that way, Tammy. I know that the staff at Dollywood goes out of its way to accommodate all of its visitors and make them feel welcome, regardless of disability, so I suspect you just misunderstood the situation. In fact, on my last visit to the park a few months ago, I had the opportunity to discuss the special efforts made to help one patron who was in a medical scooter, so I have seen first-hand the lengths to which they go to help people out (further information on the park's services for the disabled is available here). I am positive that Dollywood staff would never tell anyone they are not welcome if they don't buy a season ticket -- most likely, you were probably told that if they plan to visit the park more than one day in a year, it is less expensive to buy a season ticket than two regular admissions. It also sounds as if what you were seeking may have been free or discounted admission for the individuals with whom you work, and the park cannot do that. For many, many years, Dollywood offered free admission to nearly 45,000 severely handicapped guests annually and only stopped about a year ago after a disabled advocacy group sued saying that the policy violated the Americans with Disabilities Act because it discriminated against individuals who had minor and less obvious handicaps that were still covered by the ADA -- so the park had to end the free admissions policy. Even so, the park hosts three deaf awareness days a year, featuring special interpreters and events designed specifically for the hearing impaired. And Dolly herself has volunteered and contributed to many charities assisting the disabled and handicapped, from posing for a calendar for the local Down Syndrome Association to hosting regular breakfasts with terminally ill children through the Make A Wish Foundation. So, as history has shown, she and her staff are very open, accommodating, and helpful to those with disabilities, suggesting that your problem resulted either from a simple misunderstanding or because you wanted something done that the park legally could not do.

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    Jan. 29, 2005
    How often does dolly stay at home on an average basis and I was wondering what does carl do when dolly is gone. Does Dolly have any farm animals and if so how many and what of. THANKS DUANNE THE SITE IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Scott
    Davis, N.C.
    Thanks, Scott, for your letter. I don't know exactly how often Dolly makes it back home, but she is gone several weeks out of the year for work and business. And I understand Carl still keeps himself occupied with his work in construction. I don't believe they have any farm animals on their main property, either.

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    Jan. 29, 2005
    I am a parent of a child of has Cystic Fibrious. And we are trying to raise money to help pay some of his bills. He takes 15 different kinds of med. a day & has 5 different kinds of docotrs. The med. cost dad and I 400.00 a month. And the total in hospital bills just keep adding up. He also has a lot more health problems. He is 7 years old & been in & out of hospitals since he was 2 months old.Wich comes to a total of about 15 times. We were wondering if you could send us something to raffle off & the money would go toward his bills. He also hasa special vest that he has to wear for 20min. a day & it is going us @ least 1,300.00. The insurance has paid there half and this is what is left for us along with the other. I have tried to gethelp but get told since dad & I work we should be able to make it. If you can do anything @ all please send an e-mail to cline 5063@bellsouth.net or mine wich is araines@localnet.com. Thank You Very Much!!
    Anna Raines
    Parrottsville, Tenn
    I'm sorry about the misfortune you are currently facing, and your family will certainly be in my prayers and, I'm sure, those of the site's readership. However, it appears you may have thought you were writing to Dolly personally to seek assistance. Instead, you have written to an online newsmagazine dedicated to her. Since she does not operate an official Web site and does not have a personal e-mail address to which I can forward your message, I cannot give it to her. Also, I would assume that she, like many other people of wealth in the public eye, receives many, many such requests on a regular basis, and while I am positive she sympathizes with each family, there's no way anyone could possibly address all of those that come in.

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    Jan. 26, 2005
    I have heard that Dolly will supply books to kids if you sign a child up with her foundation. Is that true and how do I register a new grandchild?
    Sandra L. Franklin
    Boone, N.C.
    Your grandchild must live in a participating community in order to sign up for the program. I checked the Dollywood Foundation Web site (here), and looked up North Carolina (since I assume your grandchild lives near you). The communities participating there are cities of Cherokee, Vilas and Mill Spring and the counties of Gaston, Greene, Lincoln, Person and Richmond. If your grandchild does live in one of those communities, you can click on the "affiliates" selection on the Foundation's Web site to find the contact information for the local officials who can sign him or her up. If your grandchild does not live in a participating community, perhaps you could spur local authorities into getting involved. Dolly's program, active in nearly 400 communities across 39 states, provides one free book per month to every child who signs up in those communities from birth to age 5. Her Dollywood Foundation covers all administration of the program, while local sponsors (such as corporations, foundations, governmental agencies and individuals) make contributions to cover the actual cost of book purchase and postage for the children in their communities, a little less than $30 per child annually. The program currently mails out more than 1.2 million books per year nationwide.

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    Jan. 25, 2005
    Hey Duane, If you had to guess, what do you think Dolly did on her birthday? I've always wondered too, what she would be doing at home if she was not on tour, not in the recording studio, not at a photo shoot, or not rehearsing for / hosting a TV show. She is so down to earth and one of the MOST grounded celebrities. Do you think she does common every-day things like make brownies, re-pots her houseplants, sorts junk out of her closets, etc? I was sad to hear about Johnny Carson, and always enjoyed seeing Dolly on the Tonight Show. Just wondering if anyone remembers the song she sang once years ago when she was a guest. The lyrics were something like: (and I am totally paraphrasing this)..."The folks back home are all real proud of me...I finally bought a fancy house up in the hills...but I never felt like I made it until I made it to the Johnny Carson show..." I don't think it has ever appeared on an album, so she must have made it up especially for Johnny.
    Clint
    Des Moines, Iowa
    Dolly has said many times that in her off time she tries to live as "normal" a life as possible. Of course she does things around the house, and she loves to cook -- I've known many people who have known her over the years and just rave about what a good cook she is. And she and her husband love to go camping and travel the country in an RV. And I do remember the song about Johnny. She never recorded it, but she did perform it on his show back in her early crossover days and again in her final appearance with him hosting. I may have to dig through my old videotapes and find it because it was such a great little song, but I recall part of it going something like: "I went from pop beads to diamonds, rhinestones to pearls, from gingham to Gucci, and from here no telling where. From a Smoky Mountain paradise to an empire on the coast, but I never really made it 'til the Johnny Carson Show."

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    Jan. 24, 2005
    I am Dolly's # 1 fan, and I was just wondering, is she a vegitarian?
    Alissa
    St. Louis, Mo.
    No, Alissa, Dolly loves good ole Southern cookin', which usually includes a meat dish. In fact, she has said she has someone fry up bacon for her every day she's at her office so she'll have some bacon grease to use in cooking, and I doubt vegetarians are supposed to eat things made with bacon grease :)

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    Jan. 22, 2005
    Hey I just wanted to let everyone know that we had a GREAT time the other night in the chaat room on Dolly's b-day, we fianlly eneded about 12:15...The 8 or so that was in there has decided that we are wanting more poeple to come in there...Us 8 will be in there on sundays at about 7:30 central time! I am telling you all we had a GREAT time, more people should join us, and share our fav. dollythings, and pictures! Hope to see some people there!
    Justin
    Paducah, Ky.
    Glad you had a good time, Justin. Unfortunately, I could only stay for a brief time, but I stopped by for a few minutes. Hopefully others will join you on Sundays, and maybe I'll be able to visit as well some weekends. For those wanting to drop in, the CMT.com Dolly message board is located here.

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    Jan. 21, 2005
    I bought Slow Dancing with the Moon years ago when it came out. When I opened it the booklet that came with it was missing some of the pages and had some of the other pages twice. I wrote to the record co. they sent me a new one with all the right pages with words and pics. Just wondering if I should still keep the one that was put together wrong? Would it be worth something because it was put together wrong? I have kept it all this time just because I like the front cover and its a way to have it in a frame.
    Brian Wolf
    Corona, Calif.
    CD booklets aren't that collectable right now, and an assembly error is worth considerably less than had there been a handful with a printing error, so it's probably not worth more than a couple of dollars. However, I'd still hold onto it because it's a neat memento to have, even if it probably won't be worth but a few dollars years from now.

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    Jan. 21, 2005
    Duane, You know how I love your site, it's the greatest! As a member of the press, have you heard any speculation about whether or not Dolly will be hosting the CMT Flame Worthy Awards this year? They had made an annoucement about the host by this time last year and was wondering if you had heard any rumors! Keep up all of the great work for us Dollymaniacs!
    Tony
    Independence, Va.
    Thanks, Tony. No, there is no word yet on who may host the awards. I would expect them to announce something in the next few weeks, though.

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    Jan. 21, 2005
    hi as you now know my name is rachel from wales in unitedkingdom, i am a hugh fan of dolly, and i love all what she has done over the years, she is a great inspiration to to me, i belive in her and love her dearly, i have her cds books photographs,but i am longing to see her in my country live, i have missed her last year and i was so sad, i would like to know if any one can help when her net tour to england would be.iwould just like to say to dolly keep up the good work, you are loved by all, take care your loving fan rachel, good luck for the years ahead xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Rachel Gibbons
    Newport, Gwent, Wales, UK
    Thanks for your letter, Rachel. I always love to hear from Dolly fans from outside the U.S. There is no word on any plans to tour Europe in the immediate future yet, although there were discussions last year of that being a possibility later this year. Keep watching for developments.

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    Jan. 21, 2005
    Hey, could you tell me how to contact dolly's office or a fan club that she will actually get. I need to call or write a letter,this is extermely important! Please let me know how i can contact someone or her of course in a serious matter. thanks again love the site!! I just bought dolly's autobiography dolly parton and unfinished business off line because it isnt being published any more. I bought it new on amozon. I was wondering how it is. Ive wanted it but couldnt find it so i said i have to get it on line! thank you i went to the hello im dolly concert and didnt think she lip synced at all but some people do. Did she..acording to my mom and i she didnt. By the way i went to the show in new jersey!
    Melanie
    Sewaren, N.J.
    Thanks for your letter Melanie. Dolly does not operate a fan club. However, her office and home mailing address are public record published several places, including the Frequently Asked Questions page on Dollymania here. I'd suggest writing one of those, but I'm sure she receives hundreds of letters a week, so I don't know if she'd be able to personally reply. As for the autobiography, it is a very entertaining read. It's heart-felt and mixes Dolly's trademark wit and bluntness with stories that will tug at your heartstrings and others that will make you laugh out loud. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. And as for the concerts, yes, Dolly did lip-synch to a few songs at all of the tour's stops, she confirmed to this site at the time, but not the full concert (as a couple of attendees had suggested).

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    Jan. 20, 2005
    Editor's note: A few more readers wrote in greetings for Dolly on her 59th birthday Wednesday. They are below:
    a big happy birthday dear dolly, from germany
    Eric Faerber
    Gelsenkirchen
    Germany

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    Happy Birthday Dolly. I was also born on January 19th so every year on this day I think of you. Have a great birthday. I hope to visit Dollywood one of these days.
    Lois Linner
    Prior Lake, Minn.
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    HAPPY 59TH TO DOLLY!!!!!!!!! ALL MY LOVE LIL DOLLY!!!! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    Dolly
    United Kingdom
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    Jan. 20, 2005
    Dear Duane, The instrumental bluegrass version of Dolly's songs played at her concerts (I went to the one in Sacramento) was indeed the Pickin' on Dolly Parton CD. I only recently bought that CD a few weeks before the concert, so when I heard it over the speakers before Dolly came on, I was ecstatic! So far I've only seen the CD at Walmart. I recommend it to all fans of Dolly.
    Hillary Sakima
    Penn Valley, Calif.
    Thanks, Hillary. I have seen it in several stores, although they usually stick it under "Various Artists" instead of "Dolly Parton," so that may be why you've not seen it everywhere. For those who want to buy it online, it is available at Amazon.com here.

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    Jan. 20, 2005
    Editor's Note: The below letter is in response to one published Jan. 17. You may scroll down to read it.
    Laurie, I am really sorry to hear about what you are having to deal with right now. I know things feel like they will never get better and that you will never love again. I dont really respond to other emails on here, but I just felt like I had to respond to you. You said that this guy you were with for 2 years left you for someone closer to his age, and that if you looked younger he would have stayed with you. You might be right, but would you want someone to stay with you just for your looks? I mean if he didnt want to stay with you because of your heart and what is on the inside you dont need him and you shouldnt settle for someone like that. If he didnt love you for YOU, inside and out, then screw him. You know once Barbie doll starts to look older or get a little fat he will trade her in for a new model as well. I hope you dont take any of this the wrong way, I just wanted to put my two cents in. Just remember this, love yourself because where ever YOU are, YOU are there. Hope this helps some. And if you feel like you totally hit rock bottom with this, I have good news for you there is only one direction to go, and that is UP. Just be the BEST YOU you know how to be and if someone can't or don't love you for that then you don't need them.
    Brian Wolf
    Corona, Calif.
    Thanks for you input, Brian. Perhaps Laurie will read them here.

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    Jan. 19, 2005
    Duane, This is probably a foolish question for me to ask but Do you know if Dolly's online birthday party is still going to be held on her message board on CMT.com?
    Chase Wilemon
    Larkspur, Colo.
    Now, didn't your teachers ever tell you there is no such thing as a foolish question :) Yes, as far as I know, the online birthday party is still scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern on the Dolly message board at CMT.com.

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    Jan. 19, 2005
    Hi Duane. I was lucky enough to see Dolly twice on the Hello I'm Dolly tour--in Minneapolis and in Phoenix. At the Phoenix show, before the Grascals came out to kick things off, there were bluegrass instrumental versions of Dolly's biggest hits (eg., Coat of Many Colors) playing as background music. I'd love to find out who performed this music, and if it is available commercially. Any clues?
    Kevin
    Minneapolis, Minn.
    Well, Kevin, when I saw her show near the tour's start, I don't recall there being any Dolly background music before the concert (although it was a casino show, which tends to cut things short). My guess is either Dolly had her backing band/opening act, The Grascals, record instrumental versions of some of her songs, or they played the bluegrass instrumental tribute CD Pickin' On Dolly Parton: A Bluegrass Tribute, which was released nearly two years ago.

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    Jan. 18, 2005
    You have a great site! Keep up the good work. You are my number one source for Dolly news. I also want to share something I overheard today in a record store in King of Prusssia, PA. A young lady with a punk haircut singing to the music playing in the store that was a hard rock group. She knew all the words and while she sang she was looking at Dolly cds and telling her friend that she loved Dolly. I watched her pick out Halos and Horns and carry it with her to the alternative rock section. Just goes to show Dolly's fans comes from every walk of life.
    Jeff
    Philadelphia, Penn.
    Thanks, Jeff! Yes, Dolly has a very diverse fan base -- I always say her concerts are the only places in the world you'll ever find a Southern Baptist minister standing next to a drag queen standing next to a biker standing next to a lesbian standing next to a punk rocker standing next to a gay couple standing next to a real-life cowboy, etc., and everyone getting along wonderfully. In fact, when I went to her Dallas concert in 2002, which was general admission, the fans who had camped out since 4 a.m. to be the first in line were a group with the blue and pink hair and every place imaginable on their faces pierced.

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    Jan. 18, 2005
    Would Like to have Dolly Back in Philadelphia giving a concert because we Love her Here.
    Fritz
    Bryn Mawr, Penn.
    I'm sure Dolly would love to return to Philly at some point as well, but she was just there for a concert two months ago :) So I would expect it'll probably be a while until she returns.

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    Jan. 17, 2005
    I just wanted to be the first to wish Dolly Parton happy birthday. Imo maybe the greatest female singer around in any form of music. Some can write,some can play some can sing some can act. But the great Dolly is one of a very few who can do it all. One of the great songwriters ever.Once again happy birthday Dolly.
    Frank Monateri
    Lyndhurst, Ohio
    Yes, our favorite artist turns 59 on Wednesday, and I'm sure all of her other fans echo your well wishes.

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    Jan. 17, 2005
    Thanks for the info Duane. Your the greatest! Can you please tell me what you think her best movie is so far and if you think she will make anymore if the scripts are right (as i have heard, she won't do a movie unless the script is right)? Will you be goin to the Dolly B-day party Wed.? If you do I hope to be able to talk with you, my name on the board is dollyparton14. I just got back from town and i bought the 20 greatest hits Porter and Dolly cd. I like it. Hope to see you at the party.
    Haley Reynolds
    Newville, Ala.
    Glad to pass the news along to Dolly's fans on the site. If someone out there isn't aware of it, some fans thought up that they'd like to have an online party for her birthday. They had originally asked to host it on the Dollymania chatroom here, but a couple of people couldn't get it to work on their computers, so they asked for it to be moved to the CMT.com message boards here, where they plan for it to take place at 8 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday. Unless something comes up, yes, I do plan to try to join in. I believe my CMT.com username is Dollymania, appropriately enough. As for her films, I suspect my favorite will always be Steel Magnolias because, as her character in the film says: "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion." And I'm sure she'll get back on the big screen eventually. She has purchased the film rights to a couple of books, so maybe we'll get to see her in one of those one of these days.

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    Jan. 17, 2005
    Dolly has been an inspiration to me for many years. When i was younger my mother used to read me her book Coat of Many Colors and sometimes jus sing it to me. I always hoped for the chance to meet her some day or jus let her know what an inspiration she has been to me. My mom and I love to listen to her Greatest Hits cd. Next year I'm doing a queen contest and I couldn't decide what song to sing for the talent and then I remembered the song my mom used to sing to me and I knew it was the right one. Thank you Dolly for being such an inspiration and maybe one day I'll have the opportunity to meet such an inspiring person. Your biggest fan,
    Ashley K
    St. Clair, Mo.
    I'm sure Dolly would appreciate your comments, Ashley, but I have to tell you that you have written an online newsmagazine dedicated to Dolly, not Dolly herself, as she does not operate an official Web site nor does she have a personal e-mail address to which I could forward your message. Therefore, I cannot guarantee she would ever see your letter, but it is posted here, where she might someday read it.

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    Jan. 17, 2005
    Dolly,I have been in such pain (in my heart) over my ex lover who was 12 years younger then me. It never was a problem for two years. Untill he met the snake (named Laura) who was 12 years younger. The two years we were together, age didn't matter to him. When he met the snake ,my age was the reason for the breakup ( to him) we saw you on tv amd he said she looks 20 years younger. Ok, I want to have surgery I'm 48 he is 36 years and he hurt me like no other. I'm so down. I need a face lift , breast reduction. Please help me ,please give me names of doc's I'm a single Mom of Two. I need to feel good again. Even if you don't respond to me thank you for all the music, it has kept me alive. Love Laurie He f---ked me up. I really loved him.
    Laurie Munoz
    San Diego, Calif.
    Laurie, while I certainly have sympathy for your situation (and appreciate your deleting some letters from the term you chose to use in your letter), I must tell you that you have written an online newsmagazine dedicated to Dolly, not Dolly herself, as she does not operate an official Web site nor does she have a personal e-mail address to which I could forward your message. Therefore, she cannot answer you directly on the site. I can tell you that in her autobiography, Dolly acknowledged that her main cosmetic surgery doctors are Dr. Frank Kramer (face) and Dr. John Grossman (body), both in Los Angeles; Dr. Arnold William Kliein (dermatology); and Dr. Fred Martens, Dr. Richard Stark and Dr. John Kral in New York. However, she urged anyone considering plastic surgery to contact the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons Referral Service at 1-800-635-0635 for a referral to a qualified doctor.

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    Jan. 15, 2005
    Hi Duane, Just wanted to tell you that you have a great website and I really enjoy looking at it. Keep up the good work.
    Chase Wilemon
    Larkspur, Colo.
    Thanks so much, Chase!

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    Jan. 15, 2005
    Duanne you are the greatest I hope this site rides on forever it's the best of them all keep up the great work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Scott
    Davis, N.C.
    Well, thank you for your kind words as well, Scott!

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    Jan. 14, 2005
    Any news on a Concert yet at Dollywood in the spring? Please advise A.S.A.P. Thanks,
    Pat M.
    Tifton, Ga.
    Unfortunately there are no indications that Dolly will perform a concert at Dollywood in the spring, although she should make appearances at the park for season opening weekend April 1-2. However, Dolly is expected to perform her annual benefit concerts for the Dollywood Foundation Sept. 24 and 25 at the park, but those have yet to be finalized and there is no word on whether that will be the "Hello I'm Dolly" show or not.

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    Jan. 14, 2005
    Hey Duane, Please email me back. O kay My register thing onyour web site keeps telling me how many people are chattimg but won't let me log on o the chat thing. I think I did something wrong. Could you please help? I hope you had a Happy holidays. I would also like to know if you have an address where I could send Dolly a birthday card.Do you also know what date the Blue Smoke cd and the Rinestone dvd will come out? In your personal opioin would you say that Rinestone is good? Well that is alll for now.
    Haley Reynolds
    Newville, Ala.
    Thanks for alerting me to the problem on the chat room. You're only the second person to have a problem logging on, but since one of those people is the person who thought up the idea of the online party, they've decided to hold it on the CMT.com message board instead (see next letter). I contacted my technical support people, and they looked into it and said that the chatroom is working fine. They said that the problem could be if your Web browser is not set to accept cookies then the chatroom will not work. They suggested asking you to open your Web browser and check that setting. If you use Internet Explorer, this may be done by clicking on "Tools" near the top of the browser window. Then click on the "Security" tab. Look at what the setting is under "Internet." If it is set on "High," change it to "Medium." Please try this and then try to log back onto the chatroom and let me know if that solves your problem. As for sending her a birthday card, her home address and Nashville office mailing address are both public record published on this site's Frequently Asked Questions page and other published resources, so I would recommend sending it there. No release date has been set for Blue Smoke, although it may come out sometime in the summer or perhaps as late as the fall. The DVD of Rhinestone (which I think is an okay film -- not Dolly's best, but nowhere near as bad as the critics made it out to be) will come out on March 8.

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    Jan. 14, 2005
    Gey, teh dolly party cannot be held on the chat boards because we have a girl whos idea it was that cannot get into the chat room. It simply isnt wotrking for hjer. So we are holdoing it on teh cmt doolly message boards.
    Mixhelle Ivey
    Benton, Ark.
    Sorry to hear that. I have had several others e-mail me since they saw her posting on the CMT message board to tell me she must be doing something wrong because they haven't had any trouble logging on.

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    Jan. 14, 2005
    Hey whats up everyone. I wanted to ask a couple of questions and post a few things. I was wondering if anyone knows what cellphone service Dolly has along with are there any dolly ringtones available beside the ones from sony music box. I love them and want more. I have verizon and for any customers with verizon you can get them from get it now.
          Also since i have finally got my tree frog from my parents house he is back to his old self. He still chirps every time Dolly is on the tv along with Reba and scary movies. So he must have good taste like the rest of us.
          One last thing is I think Dolly needs to do a reality tv show... lots of celebrity's have them on tv now along with the Missy Elliott project on UPN and the Lil Kim Makeover coming soon to VH1. She would be the perfect person with her own show I think. I think she would have made an awesom job being a judge on the shoe He's a lady or even help the men transfer into women. One last thing I wanted to say about Suncom, who my boyfriend and I used to have, they screw people over. Just wanted to say that and get it all off my chest.
    Jon
    Norfolk, Va.
    Unfortunately, I don't know what cell service she might use, and I don't have one myself so I haven't kept track of what ringtones might be available (although she did use a new recording of "I Will Always Love You" for a Verizon commercial a couple of years back, so perhaps they have a ringtone or two). And Dolly was asked recently if she wants to do a reality show, but her response was simply: "Lord, no! No! I'd would be so embarrassed for somebody to see how I really look and how I really live. I get so embarrassed watchin' those shows. I know they're big hits, the reality shows, but, ew, I couldn't stand somebody follerin' me around like that all the time! Aw, I'd just have a heart attack."

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    Jan. 14, 2005
    Hi Duane, Happy New Year! I saw where another reader asked if Dolly's beauty mark was real? Just the other night I was watching the "making of" featurette on the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas DVD and there is a brief clip of Dolly looking in a mirror and putting on lipstick. The lighting is situated in such a way that you can clearly see there are two small bumps, one was dark and the other was covered with make-up. At that time, it looks like she was darkening the one further from her lip.
          Since we are on the subject of "looks" what do you think of Dolly's teeth? It looks like she has had major work done recently on her choppers. If you look closely at pictures from the 80's (there are some good ones in the new tour book) her teeth look smaller and her smile shows more gums, versus newer pictures where her teeth look much bigger. A buddy of mine in dental school says she has dentures. I say no way - how could she sing??
    Clint
    Des Moines, Iowa
    Yep, I had forgotten about that segment. Another reader also reminded me of an interview she had done in Vogue in which she noted that she darkens her natural beauty mark with mascara because "otherwise it looks like a pimple." As for her teeth, I agree they look a little different, but that could be the result of many things. Rather than dentures, it would be more common for someone of her age to have had veneers -- a cosmetic procedure where thin pieces of porcelain or plastic are glued to the front of teeth to change the shape or shade of one's smile. And as for the gums, Dolly loves her collagen lip injections, and larger lips reduce the amount of gums that show when one smiles.

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    Jan. 12, 2005
    RE: CRB to honor Dolly.
    Hi Duane. Just wondering if you have heard if this event will be a televised event? They couln't have chosen anyone better than Martina to sing Dolly's tunes. Next to Dolly, I think she has one of the best voices in country music. As for Catherine Britt, is she a newcomer to the country music scene? I have never heard of her before. Also, do you not think it is strange that Reba was honored BEFORE Dolly? I love Reba but Dolly should have been honored first. Any idea what the criteria is for choosing who they honor each year? On another note, have you heard if Dolly will be including "Brand New Key" on her Blue Smoke album. I bet she does a great job of it. Did she do that song at the concert you attended? Unfortunately, I am from Canada and missed her U.S. tour. I am hoping she comes to Canada in 2005!
    James
    Edmonton, Alb., Canada
    Usually, the ceremony is not televised to my knowledge, although I would expect to see a snippet or two from it on CMT Insider or some similar music news program the week after it takes place. I, too, love Martina and think she'll do an amazing job on some of Dolly's songs. And, yes, Catherine Britt is a newcomer. She's a very young singer from Australia who found favor with Elton John, who brought her to the attention of American music executives. She's only had one chart single in the U.S., "The Upside of Being Down," which went to No. 36 country a couple of months ago. And I haven't heard of whether "Brand New Key" will be on the new album this year or not. Unfortunately, she added it to the show after I had seen her perform, so I missed it :(

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    Jan. 12, 2005
    Would love to hear Dolly perform tributes to past country queens on a future cd. Imagine her doing "Heartbreak USA" by Kitty Wells,"You Ain't Woman Enough" by Loretta Lynn ,"Crazy" "I Fall To Pieces" and "Sweet Dreams" by Patsy Cline. All done with a bluegrass twist. I can hear her doing "End Of The World" by Skeeter Davis or maybe " LA International Airport" by Susan Raye. I think it'd make a great CD. It could be called " American Sweethearts" and I would think it would be a huge bestseller.
    Tim Poole
    Greenville, S.C.
    Thanks, Tim, for your note. I'm sure those are all songs Dolly would do wonderfully!

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    Jan. 12, 2005
    I read on a Dolly message board that someone was looking for a Christmas Disco LP that Dolly did in the 80s. Is there such a thing or are they thinking of the Dance With Dolly on p!nk vinal? If there is a disco Christmas LP were can I find it cuz I have never even herd of it. Thanks,
    Brian Wolf
    Corona, Calif.
    No, Dolly has never done a Christmas disco LP. Most likely they're either confusing Once Upon A Christmas with her disco single Dance With Dolly, or they're thinking of some various artist compilation that might have some disco version of a Christmas song on it in addition to one of Dolly's holiday classics from Once Upon A Christmas or Home For Christmas.

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    Jan. 11, 2005
    I noticed that Dolly's apperance at the Opry will be at the Ryman. Is this just for a special occasion or are they moving the Grand Ole Opry back to the Ryman permanently?
    T.C.
    San Jose, Calif.
    No, T.C., the move to the Ryman is a special event. For a two-month period of Jan. 7 through Feb. 26 this year, the Opry is returning to its former home in the Ryman, but it's just temporary. Afterward, it will once again be performed in the current Grand Ole Opry House.

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    Jan. 11, 2005
    Okay, i believe that the plans for the dolly party are that we will hold it on the chat boards, Jan.19, 7:00 central. If plans change, someone will notify you. It will last jsut however long it takes to die out. And ifa anyone has questions, they can ask on the message boards
    Michelle Ivey
    Benton, Ark.
    Thanks, Michelle. I'll pass the information along on the news page as well.

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    Jan. 10, 2005
    HI! I sm siure that you have heard about the cyber dolly party that will be held on her biorthday. W ewere thinking about holding it at teh solly message boarddds on cmt, but now we are trying to find a chat p[lace that we mighjt could go to withour disturbances of any kind form non-dolly fans. Do you knwo of any chat rooms thjat we could go to? Or maybe a palce where we could reserve a chat room for that purpose? We really nee d to know sot heat we woint have to worry about getting all jumbled up on teh mesdsage boards. You knwo soemone posting soemthing at teh same tiem on the same thread. We want to avoid that at all costs! So have you any sugggestions?
    Michelle Ivey
    Benton, Ark.
    Thanks for your letter, Michelle. Yes, I have seen mention of these plans on the CMT message boards and had been contacted by someone working on organizing it. There is a chat room (here) and message board (here) on Dollymania which are both open to the public, and you are welcome to use either one. If you choose to do so, please let me know the times, and I'll plug them on the news page so others may know about it.

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    Jan. 7, 2005
    I jsut saw that dollywood is opening on March 26th. I feel so LUCKY! The reason i dois becauser thats my BIRTHDAY! I feel so blesssed!
    Michelle Ivey
    Benton, Ark.
    A happy early birthday to you, Michelle! But that weekend is actually the usual "sneak peak" period the weekend before the park's official season grand opening with Dolly on the first weekend in April, so that's not really new. The big difference this year is it will also be open for the first time during the week between the sneak peak and the grand opening.

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    Jan. 7, 2005
    Just bought "Live and Well" today. Love it. I'd love to hear Dolly and Allison Krause so "The Grass Is Blue" and hear Dolly do stuff with Reba, Wynonna, Loretta,Shania,Tim McGraw and even a new one with Porter. All stuff about lip syncing aside, she sounds fantastic on this CD. Its a great memory of the concert, even if its not the same exact show.Great website.
    Tim
    Greenville, S.C.
    Thanks, Tim, for sharing your thoughts. That CD was recorded live two years ago (except for possibly "Stairway To Heaven," which appeared to be lip-synched for about half of the tune), so there wasn't a lip-synching controversy at that time. The dates on the 2002 tour were scheduled far enough apart to allow her vocal cords to rest between performances so she could sing all of them live, but the most recent tour featured dates too close together for her to be physically be able to do that -- hence the use of some pre-recorded vocals. As for the possible collaborations, I'd love to hear a new Porter duet, too! She has performed with Shania -- they did "Coat Of Many Colors" together on the tribute CD Just Because I'm A Woman: Songs Of Dolly Parton with Alison (although Dolly's not credited on the Grammy nomination, that's Dolly doing the harmonies throughout the song, as Alison only sings on the chorus), and of course there's a whole album with Loretta and Tammy Wynette (1993's Honky Tonk Angels), but cuts with Reba, Wy and Tim would all be awesome as well, I'm sure.

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    Jan. 7, 2005
    Duanne
    I don't want to be a bother but...... WHEN CAN WE SEE THE VAULT STORE :-) and when will dollywood open for the first time! Hope you had a wonderful christmas and have a happy new year.
    Scott Davis
    Shelby, N.C.
    You're not a bother :) I still haven't had time to type up all of the 45s, albums, and other special memorabilia that I have two or more of in my collection to offer to sale to other fans via the site's upcoming "Vault" store, but I hope to get it all done up and posted in the next month or two. Just please hold on until then :)

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    Jan. 7, 2005
    I have to agree with Michael from NC. Dolly and Fantasia would rock together. Fantasia's cd is the first cd I have bought in a while that I like every song off of it. Her and Clay Aiken are the only two people who really have the talent from the show. I am sorry but I thought Dianna needed to be booted long before. But as long as the true artist from last year won I didn't care.
    Jon
    Norfolk, Va.
    Thanks for sharing your opinion, Jon, but I wouldn't dare get into an argument over who's best from the show :)

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    Jan. 6, 2005
    I am so happy to have found your website. I am a huge fan of Dolly, just like so many others are. This website is the closest website I have found to Dolly having her own. The information you have on your site is wonderful. Thank you very much for being such a great fan and sharing your information with us.
           On another note, while viewing Dollywood.com, I noticed the opening date is March 26th, which is a Saturday. Do you believe that Dolly will make an appearance on that day??
          Once again, thank you for sharing this site with Dolly's fans.
    Leslie
    Easton, Pa.
    Thanks, Leslie. Hearing from other fans who enjoy the site is what makes the effort that goes into it worthwhile. As for your question, the park is always open to season passholders for a "sneak preview" the weekend before its official season grand opening the first weekend of April, so the March 26 opening is not new, but Dolly traditionally does not make an appearance at that event. However, what is new this year is that the park will for the first time be open to the general public for the week prior to opening weekend (meaning March 28, 30 and 31 and April 1). In years past, Dolly has made media-only appearances on the Friday before opening day, and while I understand she is expected to do so again this year, there is no word on whether any of those appearances will be open to the public. Her parade through Pigeon Forge is traditionally held that Friday evening, and she usually makes several appearances the following Saturday (April 2 this year) at Dollywood including her parade through the park grounds that afternoon. Other than the parade, her appearances at the park on Saturday generally are kept secret so they will be a surprise for those in attendance, although once you're in the park the rumors get around pretty fast and are usually correct as to where she'll be and when.

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    Jan. 6, 2005
    When did blue smoke come out?
    Scott
    I almost didn't print your letter, Scott, because you didn't include your hometown or state. Please, other readers, don't forget to put that information in. As for your question, which I thought many others would want to see, to my knowledge no firm release date has been set yet. When I last spoke with officials at the record label, they said no date had been scheduled. While several rumors have claimed it will be out in early February to coincide with her appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, a report in Country Weekly published this week cited a "spring 2005" release date, which would suggest more along the lines of March or April since spring doesn't technically begin until late March.

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    Jan. 5, 2005
    Dolly should do a duet with Fantasia!! You know, the one who won the last American Idol. If you listen to Fantasia you can tell that she is very much a southern girl. On American Idol one time, Simon Cowell told Fantasia that she reminded him of a cartoon character. And Dolly always says that she "is a cartoon". I think a good duet with Fantasia would broaden both of their audiences.
    Michael
    Asheville, N.C.
    They'd probably do great together, although if Dolly did anything with a contestant from the show, my guess would be last year's runner-up, Diana DeGarmo, who used to work as a singer at Dollywood.

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    Jan. 6, 2005
    Yes, this is my second letter in one day, but I need to ask you somehting, Duane. For Christmas, my parents gave me a Dolly record that looks like the "Heartbreaker" one, but is called "Dance With Dolly" and has two dance remixes of "Baby I'm Burnin'" and "I Wanna Fall In Love". The record itself is pink. My parents said that the person they got it from said it was very valuable--it is in good condition, too. Any idea how much it is worth?
    Michael
    Asheville, N.C.
    No problem, Michael. The LP is of the extended remixes to Dolly's sole disco hit. While more rare and sought after than most of her other singles, it isn't that hard to come by. One in near mint condition is valued by most record price guides at around $12.

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    Jan. 4, 2005
    i was reading some of the other reviews on the Everett show so i thought i would put my opinion into it.
          first the grascals were absolutely great! their playing alone was jaw dropping but then to have meaningful songs (me, john and paul) and really fun songs (viva las vegas).. i just loved em.
          this was my first dolly concert (having been a life long fan it was a very special day for me) and i must say she didn't disapoint. Her star quality and presence alone make her seem larger than life. As far as i can tell she is over 7 ft. tall and nobody can tell me otherwise.
          the lip sync stuff... well she very clearly did not sing many of the songs live. there was one moment where her talk in between songs almost ran over the pre recorded vocals. i don't think, however, that the main ballads were pre-recorded. When she was explaing the "technical" and "not trying to fool you" part i yelled out "lip sync all you want" cause i truely didn't care, and after the show was over i still didn't really care. Her singing on little sparrow gave me chills and smokey mountain memories brought me and my two friends to tears.
          I loved her versions of brand new key, imagine and bobby mcgee. The last two truely paid respect to the originals while at the same time really taking on the dolly feel. My only real complaint was how quickly it ended. She sang "..las vegas" then said she was gonna go after the next song. It just came out of nowhere. I very much loved the encore though, as well as the way she worked the crowd and interacted with us. Two days after the show my boyfriend woke up and the first thing he said was "did you know that dolly parton puts on one of the greatest concerts ever" and i said "yes i do".
          With the very small flaws aside (flaws that are going to come with any live show) I must rate the show an A+
    Jamie
    Federal Way, Wash.
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the show, Jamie.

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    Jan. 3, 2005
    My mom, my three kids and I were planning on going to Dollywood opening weekend. I've never been to Tennessee and am looking forward to it. Do you know wether April 1st or 2nd would be a better day to go and see Dolly. My six year old daughter is so excited and can't wait to go and hopefully at least see Dolly there.
    Amy
    Wichita, Kan.
    Traditionally, Dolly has made an appearance or two for the media on the Friday of the weekend (April 1 this year) prior to her parade through the town of Pigeon Forge that evening, and then she made two or three appearances around Dollywood on Saturday (April 2 this year) as well as a parade through the park grounds. This year, however, the park is going to be open to the public on Friday (in the past, it has been closed that day and only members of the press allowed inside), but I do not know whether or not her appearances that day will be for the public or still for the media only. The best plan would be to try and go both days, but if that's not possible, perhaps a little more detail will be available on the site's news page closer to the event.

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    Jan. 3, 2005
    hi duane it's debbie maver again. will u be letting us know if or when Dolly will be coming to the uk as i know how hard it will be to get tickets to see her? i missed her in 2002 as i was working in south africa. oh your website is great. thank god for you. Luv
    Debbie
    Edinburgh, Scotland
    Thanks, Debbie. Yes, if a European leg of the tour is scheduled (it had been discussed as a possibility earlier this year), it would be reported on the news page as soon as something is announced. As of now, no information has been released on that, so check back later.

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    Jan. 3, 2005
    Hi Duane! I just wanted to let you know that I saw a promo today for Live with Regis and Kelly. Tomorrow's show (Friday) is about surprises for Mom's and it showed Dolly doing a segment on the show! This may be a repeat because I think I might have some vague recollection of this happening before but it could be my mind playing tricks on me. Also, I know it's probably too late to be posted so that other people will see it tomorrow, but thought I'd pass it along anyway. Thanks and keep up the great work! Happy New Year to you, all other Dolly fans, and of course, Dolly!!
    Bill
    Wilmington, Del.
    Thanks, Bill. Yes, the show was a repeat from Mother's Day week. I found out about it the day before and added it to the news page's TV listings on Thursday night, but your letter arrived after that update and I didn't have time to post it until I returned from out of town for New Year's.

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