No Dolly Parton thread? Well then -- classic or hyperclassic?

dolly parton though
is one of our very best
songwriters ever

talk about someone
who's still trying new stuff now
forty years later!

Hey now, that tribute album Kozelek coordinated gives me a new respect for the man.

I am listening to "The Bargain Store" right now and damn that's a good song.

..And she was great on Saturday Night Live - when she told folktales her mamma used to tell her and her siblings, about Hoss and Little Joe ..

There's a good ep in last year's album.

Knew about her back? I wanna know about her front! HI-YO!

Oh, does anybody know the best comp to get??????

Well, this one I just got is called Ultimate Dolly Parton, release date this year, hour long. But those who know her work better might suggest something else.

Remind me to have you killed.

Sally Timms does a nice version of "Down From Dover." When I saw her a few years ago, she prefaced it by recounting a fantasy of running off to be lovers with Dolly and resting her head on Dolly's breasts.

One of my friends has interviewed her several times for assorted publications. One time, while they were walking and chatting, she turned a corner ahead of him and rammed his elbow with her breasts. "Oops," she said, "I didn't leak on you, did I?"

And the log-cabin reproduction at Dollywood of her childhood home is affecting despite the cheesiness, because you stick your head in there and try to imagine a couple of grown-ups and 10 kids all running around and it really is kind of amazing and it does tell you something about her resilience and also her affection for the place.

"Coat of Many Colors" made me all misty-eyed when I was a kid. (er, still does, actually.)

Amazing film, stellar soundtrack!

hmmm. interesting. what would she leak I wonder?

at least, i think it's dolly.

i can't offhand remember specific lyrics, i heard it on the radio a while back.

it's one of her uptempo, rocking, likely 70's/early 80's songs.
the lyrics were somewhere like a cross between "here you come again" and "why'd you come here lookin' like that."

please help.

Here you come again
Just when I’m about to make it work without you
You waltz right in the door
Just like you done before
And wrap my heart ’round your little finger
Here you come again
Just when I’m about to make it work without you
You look into my eyes
And light those dreamy eyes
And pretty soon I’m wonderin’
How I came to doubt you
All you gotta do
Is smile that smile
And there go all my defenses
Just leave it up to you
And in a little while
You’re messin’ up my mind
An’ fillin’ up my senses

Here you come again
Lookin’ better than a body
Has a right to
An’ shakin’ me up so
That all I really know
Is here you come again
An’ here I go

All you gotta do
Is smile that smile
And there go all my defenses
Just leave it up to you
And in a little while
You’re messin’ up my mind
An’ fillin’ up my senses

Here you come again
Lookin’ better than a body
Has a right to
An’ shakin’ me up so
That all I really know
Is here you come again
An’ here I go

it's a more uptempo, rocking song.

the lyrics that strike me as similar are pretty much "here you come again." the song i'm trying to recall has a lot of attitude in it.

i'm racking my brain.

My friend Eric said "This is going to make your hair stand on end" and played me the record. It made my hair stand on end.

Dover is a city in Stewart County, in the Clarksville metro area.

It is the county seat. The community is in the Central Standard time zone.

The latitude of Dover is 36.487N. The longitude is -87.838W.

The estimated population, in 2003, was 1,471.

Why'd you come in here lookin' like that
In your cowboy boots and your painted-on jeans
All decked out like a cowgirl's dream
Why'd you come in here looking like that

Here comes my baby
Draggin' my heart behind
He's drivin' me crazy
Who says love is blind
He's got a wanderin' eye and a travelin' mind
Big ideas and a little behind
Out with a different woman every night
But I remember when he was mine

Why'd you come in here lookin' like that
In your high heeled boots and your painted-on jeans
All decked out like a cowgirl's dream
Waltzing right in here lookin' like that
Why'd you come in here lookin' like that
When you could stop traffic in a gunney sack
Why you're almost givin' me a heart attack
When you waltz right in here lookin' like that

I just can't stand it
To see him on the town
He's out slow dancing
With every girl around
I'm a softhearted woman he's a hardheaded man
And he's gonna make me feel just as bad as he can
He's got himself a mean streak a half a mile wide
But now he's dancing on this heart of mine

Why'd you come in here lookin' like that
In your high heeled boots and your painted-on jeans
All decked out like a cowgirl's dream
Why'd you come in here lookin' like that

Why'd you come in here lookin' like that
In your high heeled boots and your painted-on jeans
All decked out like a cowgirl's dream
Why'd you come in here lookin' like that

Why'd you come in here lookin' like that
When you could stop traffic in a gunney sack
Why you're almost givin' me a heart attack
When you waltz right in here lookin' like that
Why'd you come in here lookin' like that

have been listening to dolly parton all day (and the great trio record). it's cool to suddenly step into about 7 acres of beautiful music.

her recent bluegrass record is AWESOME

The demo of "My Blue Tears" is better than the studio version.

Hey, which is the better album: The Grass is Blue or Halos and Horns?

is anybody bummed that she feels the need to have all that shit done to her face?

i have only heard grass is blue, and I like it.

all the plastic surgery stuff -- it's strange, because for someone else, it would seem freakish, but something about dolly parton just seems so normal and grounded that she could do almost anything, and I would still think she was pretty cool.

and Trio record is greatness

The demo of "My Blue Tears" is better than the studio version.
ysi??

i agree re: surgery. doesn't bother me in the least. she seems like the coolest woman ever.

and the music, wow. subtle and moving at the same time that it is incredibly poppy and fun.

trio is breeeaaaataking!!!

wee listened to Hard Candy Christmas on xmas night the other night, and it was just perfect. perfect.

Getting sued by your own fans for lip syncing your entire show, classic or superclassic?

what??

???

Oh this might not have made the intl press but a few thousand people who attended her Rotterdam (i think) show are trying to get their 80 euro back after discovering obv lip syncing.

I haven't heard about that, but seems to be a common complaint on her recent tour.

The demo of "My Blue Tears" is better than the studio version.
ysi??

-- Lingbert, Saturday, 8 September 2007 03:26 (3 months ago) Link

all the plastic surgery stuff -- it's strange, because for someone else, it would seem freakish, but something about dolly parton just seems so normal and grounded that she could do almost anything, and I would still think she was pretty cool.

I saw her on Larry King, and a caller asked if she'd had any work done. Without missing a beat, she said, "Hey, whenever's something saggin', baggin', or draggin', I gotta do what I can." Brilliant.

Major props for including "Imagine" in her sets when pro-war sentiment was at a fever pitch ('02-'03).

new album - "Backwoods Barbie" on Dolly Records

apparently it's her first mainstream country record in 15 years

Is Jack White involved?

i certainly hope not

Sanneh gave it thumbs-up on Sunday.

It's my favorite album of the year so far, for whatever that's worth. (And I've never been an absolutely huge Dolly fan either, for whatever that's worth, though I've loved some of her songs in the past, for course -- mainly the poppier ones, like "9 to 5" and "Romeo" etc. Reviewed the new one for emusic, but review's not up there yet.)

I pretty much like the straight country Dolly, around '70 on RCA. The new one--the songs where she's dispensing homilies I can do without, but "I Will Forever Hate Roses" and "Only Dreamin'" I like fine. What can you say about her, but I never really liked listening to her that much, about as much as I like to listen to Yoko Ono. Her new one isn't terrible, anyway. I talk to Dolly here

I heard "Baby I'm Burnin'" for the first time last week.

which album should I start with? is there a good greatest hits, or do I need to work my way through albums?

The two-disc Essential comp is exactly what it promises, although it's got too many blah 80s numbers.

thanks!

Idols singing Parton songs this week...I've only heard a few songs, but i'm youtubing her catalog now, and it's so goddamn great! I'm listening to an amazing live version of "Down from Dover" right now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xal27WBGC4M

Dolly Parton vs. Google. Sorta.

it's like tim buckley or something

Is Hannah Montana's Aunt Dolly Gay?
Tue., Mar. 24, 2009 1:48 PM PDT by Marc Malkin

Hannah Montana's Aunt Dolly is not a lesbian.

Well, at least the country legend who plays her isn't.

Dolly Parton knows that she's been the target of gay rumors for years and years because of her close relationship with lifelong best friend Judy Ogle.

And once again, for the umpteenth time, she's setting the record straight...

"We're absolutely totally honest, open and comfortable with each other," Parton says in the new issue of AARP magazine. "We've been accused of being lovers. We do love each other, but we've never been like that." (For the record, Parton has been married to her retired businessman husband, Carl Dean, for 43 years!)

is the dolly parton vs loretta lynn good vs evil thing codified? dolly as the blonde wronged wife vs loretta as the raven world-weary other woman? e.g. "jolene" vs "coal miner's daughter" albums. east vs west coast w country songstresses?

no

well i'd like to officially codify it then.

that done, "here i am" is a stone cold classic. i can't stomach pop dolly.

you are mistaking Dolly & Loretta for Betty & Veronica, which is sooooo wrong.

that is a much better analogy than the rappers.

holy cow

er nevermind

i went to dollywood last month. i saw the actual Coat Of Many Colors. i almost cried tears of joy.

Backwoods Barbie, despite the kinda awful title, is really great. The FYC cover works better than the big pop covers on the bluegrass trilogy (e.g. "Shine", "Stairway").

It almost made my top ten that year.

And deservedly! I don't remember hearing of the songs on country radio in 2008, which is a pity. The songs would have sounded totally normal there.

I'm listening to the new box set now. Even her greatest hits albums were in disarray before this, in that there are so many of them that you might get stuck with rerecordings if you're careful (for instance, of "I Will Always Love You").

Well, the country old guard doesn't get played much except new old guard member George Strait.

You're right, but in Dolly's case I'd think there's room for an exception; never mind her extraordinary musical talent, she's a household name without compare in country.

been loving "love is like a butterfly" lately. ignored it for being to sweet for a long time, but there's some little turns in the melody that are fantastic and keep me glued.

"The Bargain Store" is my new favorite.

love that one too!

The really early sides on the box set are eye-opening; her voice was quite different on the first two songs, much higher. And the sound of the songs in the first half of that first disk is more like "Dumb Blonde" and the song "Don't Drop Out" (that you might know from the One Kiss Leads To Another Rhino box set from a few years back). That's to say, more girl group than honky tonk. Her range as an artist is broad (no pun intended), more like Ray Charles or Aretha Franklin than Merle Haggard or George Jones.

"the bargain store" is great. uses an a-minor/g-major progression similar to "jolene," she likes those minor chords.

my parents saw dolly at merlefest the year she put out that bluegrass album and LOVED her - they weren't expecting much one way or the other but they said she sang her heart out and had great stage presence, made light of herself and her "assets" continually until no one could hold them against her, and just basically won over a crowd of bluegrass purists who were probably ready to hate her guts at the slightest misstep...

i didn't really realize "here you come again" was her - i always liked that tune, maybe i should dig up some of her other stuff

Your digging will be amply rewarded.

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west---or at least, when I hear this song from 1975, on disk 3 of the box:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtaGkXvXHfA

http://www.omgblog.com/2010/08/omg_a_dolly_parton_fashion_sho.php

http://www.youtube.com/v/LNcDXOemlRA&border=1&color1=0xcc2550

pure gold. now i know what to wear to a hog roastin' or maybe a rooster fight in the country.

I love her new album!

OK so I am finally getting around to listening to The Grass is Blue, which I copied off my Mom on my last visit. This is my first time listening to Dolly other than on the radio.

First song fucking SLAYS, then side 1 sags for awhile until 'Steady As the Rain' and 'I Still Miss Someone' (a song which I'll listen to anyone's version of, frankly). Then 'Silver Dagger' fully kills it and holy crap the lyrics and affect of 'The Grass Is Blue'. This album has more than its share of awesome.

Grass is Blue and Little Sparrow are both great, I think I prefer the latter more except it has that Collective Soul song on it which, even though she acquits herself admirably with her take, is just such a shitty song.

The Grass is Blue is awesome in stretches.

"Heartbreaker" is generic L.A. crap but wow her performance.

i saw her in brisbane last year, she was completely wonderful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv90nFTTqqc

nice find! unusual to see her "dressed down" as it were. That 80s album with the three of them is okay.

she's a national treasure obviously

yeah, i love this.
my mom had the Trio tape in the car constantly when I was a kid, there is some nice stuff on there.

I need to buy Trio, right?

if you like these ladies singing together, yes!

surprised you don't have it tbh

haven't looked it up, but i bet you could get it for under a buck on CD over on amazon.

Trio is super. There's a sequel, too, and the duo album Emmy did with Linda, Western Wall, is OK, too, though more of a mode with the former's late stuff.

this clip is from way earlier than the Trio album obviously. I didn't know they had tried to do it initially in the 70s, probably would have been even better back then.

I've been on a Ronstadt kick and I tend to forget that record.

Actually, Shakes, the first Trio album has songs they cut in the seventies, held back by record company wrangling.

btw i found that clip via http://officialdollyparton.tumblr.com which has some pretty good dolly content.

like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc8qdjhJ6f0

beautiful video btw, thanks tyler
truncating fade-in applause at the end somehow the exact opposite of appreciation

Okay as long as this has been revived:

http://24.media.tumblr.com/20e1a4102aa27e25c1cd76649e780bde/tumblr_msl2snhLKF1qar3r2o1_500.jpg

layin' on the schmaltz but jesus christ how is it her voice is *still* this good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTmi6v0Sy2s&feature=youtu.be

Don't know if it's actually true, but I've been told she wrote 'Jolene' and 'Coat..' on the same day. Imagine that.

'Why do you come in here looking like that' rules forever, by the way.

Beyond classic, of course. Amazing lady.

aw man I'm such a cornball, that made me kinda teary. What a set of pipes she has.

and Rogers don't sound bad either

yeah I was pleasantly surprised by old Kenny, I expected him to sound more ragged than he does

i saw her two years ago in brisbane and she was in astounding voice and also ridiculously gorgeous, her entire band and the audience were wreathed in cartoon hearts.

Heard the slowed down "Jolene" on the radio today.

That live TV with Emmylou/Linda video was great. Have been on a Dolly buzz since I was in the Mission in SF a few weeks ago and was looking for a bar with a nice beer garden - ended up in a mostly-lesbian bar with an all-day Dolly tribute running. If you didn't like the Dolly in question there'd be a different one up in 5 minutes to sing a different (or occasionally the same) song.

Also yeah the slowed Jolene is great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzYHllLv_IE

Anyone wanna do a POX for tha kid

kinda wish we could here Marvin Gaye doing Islands in the Stream like the Gibbs originally wanted (no knock on the Dolly/Kenny version)

hear

argh

Hear, my dear...

there was a segment about her and Porter Wagoner on the recent Nashville episode of Drunk History; not sure how accurate of course but it was actually quite touching/she was badass

haha wait waht

I gave up on that show but would watch that

speaking as a complete dolly neophyte I was won over; actually thought this thread revive was about that

just watched it - it's not too far from the truth. actually that's one of the things I got bored with about Drunk History, it's not *wrong* enough

Anyone wanna do a POX for tha kid

― zvookster,

Sure!

Jolene
Just Because I'm a Woman
Touch Your Woman
Coat of Many Colors
The Bargain Store
My Blue Tears
The Seeker
Here You Come Again
Down From Dover
9 to 5

Dumb Blonde
Coat of Many Colors
9 to 5
The Bridge
(posting youtube cuz this song is fucked up and so great:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93phyqr_BRE)
Jolene
I Will Always Love You
As Steady As the Rain
Anything's Better Than Nothing
Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me
My Tennessee Mountain Home

It's super hard to hate on Dolly, who is awesome - got an autographed album cover hanging to my left as I type - but per her voice, she's been pretty open about using some degree of sweetener and canned vox live. "It's not to fool you, it's to entertain you," goes her line of reasoning.

Um...

http://gawker.com/oh-god-dolly-parton-what-are-you-doing-1447971263

what is the best dolly parton compilation out there please

i've got the essential dolly parton, its awesome, but i havent compared it to any others

http://marcelmarceau123.svbtle.com/mimin-dolly

The Essential has pleased me almost ten years.

she really deserves a quality box set; the closest is (duh) from Bear Family: http://www.bear-family.de/blog/BearWordPress_EN/2014/02/07/dolly-parton-porter-wagoner/

I've gotten by with a lot of downloads+vinyl scouring (primarily because my favorite stuff is from her pre-disco period - although there is plenty of great stuff during and after that as well)

altho I should point out that Bear Family box is all w/Porter and doesn't cover her (also great, possibly greater) solo material from the same period

The Dolly box set is pretty damn great.

you mean the 4-disc one?

yes. Sorry, I should have clarified.

yep that four disk one is awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5fxVvvHRhs

What I love about Dolly is not whether or not she's actually playing the sax (um ...) but that she recognized that there is a time and place for everything, and that that was the perfect time and place for "Yakety Sax."

There are some clear lip-synch fails towards the start of that televised Glastonbury set.

"My boobs are fake, my hair's fake but what is real is my voice and my heart." - Dolly Parton, 30 June 2014

Who gives a fuck. Is there really anyone who thinks Dolly cant really sing? I mean maybe she cant belt em out anymore and if so whatever she is old but she has 50 years of beautiful singing behind her its not like she's some talentless ingenue that's been faking it and hoodwinking the audience this whole time.

i'm thinking at this age there might be a few of the higher register faster songs where she has a bit of "help", but there are definitely only a few - seen her twice in the last few years and there's been definite adlibs in middle of songs, slightly missed notes, improvs reacting to crowd etc. and both shows have been amazing.

and also, who gives a fuck?

i'm more frazzled about the fake boobs thingy

my point is that Dolly lip-syncing at this stage of her career is not really similar to, say, Ashley Simpson lip-syncing.

baaderonixx she had a reduction at one point and then i believe had a bit of extra work done some time after that, but no, the large-osity is famously real

yeah I don't think you could even get fake boobs like that in the late 60s

Happy 70th bday!

happy bday

but jeez with everything going on lately i was worried for a second

So she and Bowie were the same age?! Doesn't seem possible.

But happy birthday, Dolly. You're underrated and underappreciated.

Trying to buy "Little Sparrow" as a present for someone but it seems curiously difficult to find... in the UK, that is.

... on CD, that is (again).

I probably think about this Ebert and Siskel exchange about Dolly Parton every month and should probably do it more often. pic.twitter.com/SySz9ydMnm

— Vinegar Mike 🏳️‍🌈 (@VinegarMike) February 11, 2019

As hyperclassic as her covers.

Last fall, former President Barack Obama told Stephen Colbert that he was "shocked" Dolly Parton hadn't gotten a Presidential Medal of Freedom during his time in office. "That was a screwup," he said. "I think I assumed she had already got one."

Now, the country icon says the Trump administration offered her the honor, not once but twice — and she turned it down both times. "I couldn't accept it because my husband was ill, and then they asked me again about it and I wouldn't travel because of the COVID," she said in an interview with the Today show.

Only two weeks into his term, President Biden has not yet announced any new Medal of Freedom recipients. But Parton says she'd be hesitant to accept a possible third offer. "Now I feel like if I take it, I'll be doing politics, so I'm not sure."

And, she added, "I don't work for those awards. It'd be nice, but I'm not sure that I even deserve it. But that's a nice compliment for people to think that I might deserve it."

-___________-

Dolly Parton has re-recorded her hit song 9 to 5, in a Super Bowl ad for Squarespace, as "5 to 9," as an ode to having a side hustle https://t.co/tmfbUbJqaA

— Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart) February 2, 2021

yeah saw she was losing twitter today

Side hustles: Classic or Dud?

would she have accepted a Dolly Pardon?

Dolly is really getting baconed these days

9 to 5 is le epic socialist anthem

The melody was familiar, but the words were written for the moment: “Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine. I’m begging of you please don’t hesitate.”

Dolly Parton, the country music legend who wrote “Jolene” — and updated its lyrics for the coronavirus era — was in Nashville on Tuesday to get the Moderna vaccine, which she helped fund.

Amid swaths of vaccine skepticism in the United States, prominent politicians and celebrities have received their shots publicly to encourage others to sign up. Parton’s Instagram video came as President Biden said the country would have enough vaccine doses for every adult by the end of May, earlier than July, as previously announced, bringing the promise of a more normal summer.
In February the singer, who’s also beloved for her philanthropy, told USA Today that she wouldn’t “jump the line” to get vaccinated.

On Tuesday, it was Parton’s turn, and she had a message for others.

“I just want to say to all of you cowards out there, don’t be such a chicken squat. Get out there and get your shot,” the 75-year-old said in the video.

To get hers, Parton returned to a place and a doctor that tie her to the Moderna vaccine.

Naji Abumrad, a Lebanese-born physician and professor of surgery, first met Parton after the singer got into a minor car accident in 2013 and visited Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The chance meeting led to a friendship between “two poor, mountain kids trying to get by, though they were raised more than 6,000 miles apart,” The Washington Post’s Timothy Bella reported. Last year, Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt in the doctor’s honor, helping to fund the early stages of coronavirus research.

“Her work made it possible to expedite the science behind the testing,” Abumrad told The Post at the time. “Without a doubt in my mind, her funding made the research toward the vaccine go 10 times faster than it would be without it.”

Parton previously told USA Today: “I think I’m getting more credit than I deserve. But I was just so happy to be a small part, and to plant a seed that would grow into something bigger.”

The bond between the two was on display in Tuesday’s video.

Parton, wearing a dress with open shoulders, put on a mask as Abumrad entered.

“You and I have been friends forever, and I thought it was only appropriate that you should be the one to give me my shot today,” Parton said, joking that she hoped he had practiced.

As Abumrad prepared to give her the shot, Parton joked, “Well it didn’t take this long to film ‘9 to 5,’” referring to her 1980 movie.

“You think you got it?” she said.

“I got it,” Abumrad replied.

“I did it,” Parton said. “I did it.”

Dolly is really getting baconed these days

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown),

Nigella Lawson as well!

Um, baconed?

Turned into a meme, generally agreed upon to be EPIC BACON AWESOMESAUCE. For recent examples, see: Keanu Reeves, Werner Herzog.

I do find these spontaneous outpourings of adoration for seemingly random artists somewhat annoying too, but the good outweighs the bad imo - lots of people get exposed to Dolly Parton's music, which is great.

Nigella feels more contained because it's mostly a UK (and within that, left twitter) thing.

James, there's a 77 thread on this phenomenon, which also includes zombies and moustaches iirc

Ha, thanks, I saw that thread but still couldn't quite figure it out, didn't have time to peruse properly.

this and the lionization of Keanu seem like maybe a response to #MeToo when it was revealed that a lot of the celebrities we liked are actually scumbags so its refreshing to encounter one that actually does seem good and genuine

I assumed it meant stoned. like, more than baked.

I was briefly confused as to whether it meant something good or bad because of all the disappointment online about her rewriting 9 to 5 for that ad. I'm glad to see that's being pretty much forgotten.

twitter calling someone a "national treasure" is a warning sign that baconing is occuring

https://twitter.com/search?q=dolly%20parton%20national%20treasure&src=typed_query

also protecting them "at all costs"

https://twitter.com/search?q=protect%20dolly%20parton%20at%20all%20costs&src=typed_query

Dolly Parton is the new Betty White. We must protect them both at all costs.

— Adam O'Neill (@oneilla01) March 3, 2021

Excellent examples, thanks!

I assumed it meant stoned. like, more than baked.

Hah, same here. Yeah, I get mixed feelings about these sudden outpourings of celebrity adulation. With Dolly, it's fine because (except for her decade of disposable, mega-selling pop) I already loved her music, and as a humanitarian, she was already pretty awesome, even before donating $1+ million to what ended up resulting in the Moderna vaccine (without ANY fanfare to boot - it only came out because they were more or less compelled to list her as one of the financial benefactors after completing their clinical trials).

But it also gets ridiculously smarmy, especially when I've now heard "national treasure" applied to everyone from Julie Andrews to Tom Petty in the last few years - I'm sure they're all good people but c'mon.

(without ANY fanfare to boot - it only came out because they were more or less compelled to list her

Same with her producing "Buffy"!*

* (yeah, I know, but still)

She sure has been baconed huh? It seems everyone loves Dolly. Literally everyone, fascists and eat the rich communists alike. It's magical.

I mean, even her perfume is beloved!

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/reviewed/2021/10/15/dolly-parton-perfume-where-buy-scent-above-fragrance/8468511002/

Breaking Good News Alert:

Dolly Parton's Dollywood Parks & Resorts has announced it will pay all tuition costs, fees, and books for employees who pursue higher education.

It includes all part-time, full-time, and seasonal employees from day one on the job.

♥️🎶 pic.twitter.com/wDiqecVgdq

— Goodable (@Goodable) February 9, 2022

The greatest living American.

Your move Bezos.

xp Totally. I think Dolly's one of those rare artists that I absolutely love who seems like someone I would not be intimidated to meet and would actually enjoy knowing IRL. Really sinks in this morning after I was listening to Van Morrison, who I'd be hesitant to meet and really wouldn't want to know at all (even before his past year of asshattery).

❤️ pic.twitter.com/Z6LKfWtlxg

— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) March 14, 2022

haha, never change 🙏

I wasn't gonna vote for her anyway, but now I can not vote for her completely guilt-free.

Good for her. It's not like the RnR Hall of Fame is the apex of all musical achievement; they act as if, if you're truly exceptional in some other genre, we'll let you Rock.

Didn't wanna have to go to Cleveland.

Doing everything she can to facilitate Devo’s induction

ignore the lede and focus on dolly being amazing and "piddle around and doodiddle around"

That one time Dolly Parton shut Barbara Walters right on up 😂 pic.twitter.com/qA126plBK0

— Jzon Azari (@JzonAzari) December 31, 2022

https://www.vinylmeplease.com/pages/vinylmeparton?

relentless baconing

wonder if it will include her xmas record with Jimmy Fallon

I've long posited that Dolly and "Weird" Al remain two of the least sullied and most universally beloved people in American music, if not *the* two. That is, no one has a bad thing to say about them personally, and musically their reputations seem pretty secure, too. In celebration and out of respect we were trying to think of what "Weird" Al would do with a Dolly song. The best we came up with (and granted, we spent two minutes) was rewriting "Jolene" as "Eat Beans," about a guy that just sits around and eats beans a lot.

Anyway, Happy Birthday Dolly Parton! You should be on our money.

I'd add Stevie to that list, but then again, of course I'd add Stevie to that list

Oh shit, duh, yeah. Though Stevie's public prominence and musical output has faded significantly over the last few years.

Honestly, come to think of it, I don't know much about Stevie Wonder personally. Is he a nice guy?

True on the public prominence. His musical output has trailed off considerably but, then again, so kinda has Dolly's

I was about to say! Parton released an album a couple months ago but it's not like she's been more prolific.

huh, I guess that's true.

Come to think of it, Al has not released a new album in 10 years, either.

And with that, Dolly moves decisively into first place!

There are certain features to Dolly Parton that are classic. Two of them, actually...
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, November 11, 2003 3:14 PM (twenty years ago)

Remind me to have you killed.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, November 11, 2003 3:19 PM (twenty years ago)

willie?

Yo-Yo Ma?

lol I came home to my wife playing "Rockstar." This album sucks.

(many xp) I thought you meant Stevie Nicks.

https://variety.com/2025/music/news/dolly-parton-sister-praying-health-issues-1236542641/

don't wanna jinx it, but this is one loss i don't think i'd be able to take right now

the sister already posted again saying it's not that serious and she didn't mean to scare people

fkn sisters amirite lol

phew

Sometimes it’s just nice to pray for someone, who knew ppl would read into it

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BzXBpHjJM/?mibextid=wwXIfr

i turned on the radio last night and some people on a program were in the middle of eulogizing a female country singer and i started to have a sinking feeling in my stomach. but it turned out they were talking about patsy cline

Whether it's prayers, roses or whatever, Dolly deserves all of them while she's still around to receive 'em.

why cant Dolly be eternal

Are Dolly and Willie the only two major artists still alive from country's "golden age"? Kind of sad when I can actually remember George Jones, Johnny Cash & June Carter, Merle Haggard and Loretta Lynn all touring and recording - truly seeing the end of an era.

Maybe Emmylou Harris counts, but I feel like she came in at the tail end and bridges things with the '80s neotraditional movement.

Was gonna suggest Dwight Yoakam, but he exists in this weird blurry zone - post-"golden age"/post-"outlaw," but pre-Garth Brooks.

He's firmly in the '80s with other neotrad notables, all of whom I rarely hear about anymore which feels weird - they all seemed to be big mainstream names in country music all through the '90s.

Dolly and Willie had their first great recordings in the '60s, which feels pretty ancient now.

ronnie milsap

barbara mandrell

connie smith

crystal gayle

Are any of them still alive? If so, there's a certain thread I have to visit next.

all guaranteed alive!

Wanda Jackson's 87

Larry Gatlin, who wrote "I've Done Enough Dyin' Today": still alive!

Tanya Tucker
Bill Anderson

Neil Sedaka?

David Allan Coe too, shockingly enough

https://theonion.com/dolly-parton-shares-video-confirming-sister-a-shit-stirring-bitch/

lol

Happy 80th!

Here's a clip of Dolly covering Patty Griffin's great "Moses" with Bette Midler that I could watch on a loop forever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImGieBpyYxM

I adore that video, too. Happy Birthday, Dolly.