Aug. 31:
'Sparrow' Climbing Back Up
Little Sparrow moves up two spaces to No. 55 in its 31st chart week, according to the Sept. 8 Billboard country albums chart released Thursday. Also on this week's charts, the Songcatcher soundtrack falls three notches to No. 49 on the country albums chart in its 10th chart week. The soundtrack CD, with the Dolly and Emmy Rossum duet "When Love Is New," falls off the independent label albums chart, down from No. 40, after seven weeks on that chart. Also, the Sweet November soundtrack, featuring Dolly on Paula Cole's on "Heart Door," remains steady at No. 17 for its fourth week on the soundtrack albums chart.

Aug. 30:
Dolly Makes CMT Top 10!
Dolly's video for "Shine" from Little Sparrow enters the Top 10 this week, moving up two notches to No. 9 on CMT's weekly top 20 countdown for its seventh chart week, it was announced Wednesday. Jennifer at Sugar Hill Records asked me to remind you all to keep voting on Most Wanted Live here and GAC's Top 15 Countdown here.

No News On DVD
I recently contacted MPI Home Video, which is releasing the three-DVD collection Dolly Parton and Friends on Oct. 30, for additional information on the title, but they unfortunately could not provide any. A company representative told Dollymania that they are still in the process of compiling the material to be included in the collection and could not release any information on what it may contain until that process is complete. Be sure to check back for the latest news on this once it becomes available.

A Family Affair
A Dollymania reader who was in attendance tells me it was a Parton family event Monday when Dolly's aunt Dorothy Jo Owens was honored with a Doctorate of Sacred Music from Emmanuel Baptist College at a VIP luncheon in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. In attendance were Dolly siblings Stella and Willadene as well as two of Ms. Owens' grandchildren. Also during the celebration, Dolly friend Dottie Rambo was honored. A special concert followed the event, where Ms. Rambo, Stella and Dorothy Jo all performed, with Dorothy Jo singing "Daddy Was An Old Time Preacher Man," a Porter & Dolly hit she co-wrote with Dolly about her father (Dolly's grandfather), the Rev. Jake Owens. Dolly was featured during the show via a videotaped address during which she congratulated her aunt on the recognition and ended with a special acknowledgment to Dottie, who was unaware that Dolly even knew she was being honored. The concert aired live on the Gospel Music Television network, which is also expected to release a video of portions of the event. A successful songwriter in her own right, Dorothy Jo and Dolly co-wrote several additional memorable songs, including "Daddy Come And Get Me," "The Fire's Still Burning," "It Might As Well Be Me," and two of my favorite Dolly cuts, "J.J. Sneed" and "You Can't Reach Me Anymore." Dottie Rambo, whose office in the 1970s was next door to Porter & Dolly's and who appeared a few times on The Porter Waggoner Show (even performing with Dolly on one episode), said: "It was such an honor to hear from such a dear friend as Dolly. I can't wait to see Dolly again. Dolly has such a precious gift from God and 'Coat Of Many Colors' is one of my all-time favorites. Dolly and Stella are special girls and they have always been good to me and have been a blessing to millions across the world. I would love to work with them again sometime." Dottie will perform at next month's Southern Gospel Jubilee at Dollywood's Gospel Hall of Fame, of which she is a member, and will also donate a stage dress to the Hall's museum at Dollywood next month.

Dolly In CMT Magazine
Dolly is featured in several places throughout the September issue of CMT's magazine Country Music Today. First, there's a photo of her and Most Wanted Live host Lance Smith in an article on the program. She also logs the longest entry in a special article on country singers who've crossed over to film. It notes, in part: "Dolly Parton – In many ways, the quintessential musician/actress. She's been an angel, a secretary, a radio talk show host, a beautician, a madam, and, of course, a country singer. Dolly the actress has never strayed too far from Dolly the person, which is perhaps one reason she's had a moderately successful acting career for the past two decades." It also cited her role in next spring's Disney comedy Frank McKlusky, C.I., her upcoming remake of Solid Gold Cadillac, the upcoming Mae West television movie and the script currently being developed for a television project based on the song "Mountain Angel." In addition, she's included in a listing of country stars with places on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, with hers located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard.

'Annie' Is No More
The New York Post reported Wednesday that slow ticket sales post-Reba have forced the closing of Broadway's revival of Annie Get Your Gun, which will play its last show Saturday. The article noted that producers have been unable to lure another big-name star to replace current lead Crystal Bernard, specifically pointing out that Dolly told them no. You may read the full article here.

Let's Help Dolly
At the suggestion of Dollymania readers Chad and Lynette, I'm asking that you please send the request line numbers (preferably toll free numbers) for your local country radio stations if you live in one of the major radio markets across the country. I'll post the numbers on the site and encourage everyone to call them and request "Shine." Let's give Dolly her 100th chart country single and make it a hit! E-mail your radio station's call letters and phone numbers here.

Aug. 27:
'Sparrow' Moves Up In U.K.
Little Sparrow moves up three notches to No. 8 on the British country albums chart released Sunday. Currently in its 31st chart week overseas, the CD peaked for two months at No. 1.

A Lesson In Music
I stumbled upon an interesting lesson in the problems in Internet music licensing over the weekend. The San Jose Mercury News offered a piece on the problems, using Dolly's own "I Will Always Love You" as the example song to explain how complicated song royalties can be. You may read it here.

New DVD On Its Way
I've just learned that a new Dolly DVD is coming out Oct. 30. Although I don't have many details yet, I've done some Internet digging and learned that the release, titled Dolly Parton and Friends, will reportedly be a three-DVD boxed set. I have placed a query with its distributor, MPI Home Video, for more information. Thanks, Kayla!

Aug. 24:
'Sparrow' Steady, 'Songcatcher' Up
Little Sparrow remains for another week at No. 57 in its 30th chart week, according to the Sept. 1 Billboard country albums chart released Thursday. Also on this week's charts, the Songcatcher soundtrack moves up one notch to No. 46 on the country albums chart in its ninth chart week. The soundtrack CD, which boasts the wonderful Dolly and Emmy Rossum duet "When Love Is New," also moves up two spots on the independent label albums chart to come in at No. 40 in its seventh week on that chart. Also, the Sweet November soundtrack, featuring beautiful Dolly harmonies on Paula Cole's on "Heart Door," drops off the pop album charts, down from No. 200 after nine weeks, while it stands in place on the soundtracks chart at No. 17 for its third week there.

Aug. 23:
'Shine' Nearing Top 10
Dolly's video for "Shine" from Little Sparrow moves up two notches to No. 11 on CMT's weekly top 20 countdown for its sixth chart week, it was announced Wednesday. And on CMT's Most Wanted Live, the video fell off from the top 10 on Tuesday after returning to No. 4 Monday. Remember to keep voting on Most Wanted Live here and GAC's Top 15 Countdown here.

The Life Of An Extra
Ever wonder what it's like to be an extra on a Dolly film? Well, I was forwarded an online diary entry of someone who did just that on the set of the upcoming Disney comedy Frank McKlusky, C.I., which is expected to be in theaters next spring featuring Dolly in a supporting role. While the guy didn't seem to care much for the scene he saw being shot, he noted that Dolly "was very nice, making a point of coming over to say hello to us ( People were much more enthused about her than Randy Quaid, which I think is to be expected )." You may read of his full experience here. Thanks, Manuel!

Dolly Film To Be Re-Made
Well, it's official. Dolly's film debut, 9 to 5, has reached a new level attesting to it now being a cinema "classic;" it will be re-made. According to Wednesday's The Hollywood Reporter, Will Smith and James Lassiter's production company, Overbrook Entertainment, has inked a deal with Absolute Entertainment to film the remake for Fox Searchlight Pictures. The updated movie will feature three African-American actresses taking on the roles originally played by Dolly, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as secretaries who take on a chauvinistic male boss. Reportedly, Smith will play Dabney Coleman's boss-man character, and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, will play one of the ladies. The late 1980 original release was the third-highest-grossing film of the year, taking in $103 million and earning Dolly an Oscar nomination for Best Song, Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress, Best New Film Star and Best Song and a People's Choice Award for Favorite Actress in a Comedy/Musical. About a year ago, it was voted by movie fans online at the American Film Institute's website as the funniest film of all time, while the AFI experts ranked it at No. 74. The classic film was recently issued on DVD for the first time; get your copy here!

No Thank You
FOX News' Celebrity Buzz on Wednesday featured a report from the current Entertainment Weekly which notes that Dolly turned down a request from Jane magazine to appear in a photo spread on "natural beauty." As Dolly is known for heavy make-up and big wigs, a spokesperson for her told the magazine that she "is definitely not a natural beauty and would not want to be photographed as one."

Aug. 21:
Down One More Spot
Little Sparrow drops one notch to No. 11 on the British country albums chart released Sunday. Currently in its 30th chart week overseas, the CD peaked for two months at No. 1.

Dolly Heats Up Bluegrass Charts
The Bluegrass Unlimited monthly bluegrass charts came out Friday, and Dolly moves up on both the album and single side for August. Little Sparrow inches up one spot to No. 2 in its fifth chart month, while its cut "Marry Me" shoots up five spots from No. 9 to No. 4, also in its fifth month. July's No. 2 album, Big Mon: The Songs of Bill Monroe, which includes a Dolly performance, drops three places to No. 5 in its ninth month.

She's Baaack
Meanwhile, "Shine" from the CD shot back onto the CMT Most Wanted Live countdown on Monday, coming in at No. 4. Remember to keep voting on Most Wanted Live here and GAC's Top 15 Countdown here.

New CD Coming!
A new compilation CD is on the way which will include many Dolly cuts on CD for the first time. Raven Records is slated to release Mission Chapel Memories (1971-1975) on Oct. 9. The 24-track CD will include four songs from each Coat of Many Colors, Touch Your Woman, Sings My Favorite Songwriter: Porter Wagoner and Jolene (although Coat and Jolene have both been re-issued on CD), three from each Love Is Like A Butterfly and The Bargain Store and two from Bubbling Over. The track list is as follows: Coat of Many Colors, If I Lose My Mind, The Mystery of The Mystery, She Never Met a Man (She Didn't Like), Love Is Only As Strong (As Your Weakest Moment), Will He Be Waiting, Loneliness Found Me, Mission Chapel Memories, Comes and Goes, Oh He's Everywhere, He Left Me Love, Still On Your Mind, My Kind of Man, Pleasant As May, Jolene, When Someone Wants To Leave, Living On Memories of You, Lonely Coming Down, Highway Headin' South, Once Upon a Memory, Sacred Memories, The Bargain Store, On My Mind Again and When I'm Gone. Reserve your copy here! Thanks, Jeff!

Too Late
Those of you wanting to get your hands on Dolly's guitar, you're out of luck. Her producer, Steve Buckingham, was auctioning her 1930 Gibson guitar, as you may have read on Dollymania, where it was posted first anywhere. Well, he informed me on Monday that the guitar has been sold.

Something's In The Air
While on a mini-vacation this weekend down to New Orleans, I happened upon the local Virgin Megastore branch there, and guess what they were playing over their store sound system in the middle of the afternoon on a busy shopping day Sunday: Little Sparrow!!!

Another Place To Vote
Vote for Dollymania in Dot Music's Online Music Awards! Click on the icon at left. Thanks for your support!

Aug. 17:
Still On The Charts
Little Sparrow remains steady at No. 57 for its 29th chart week, according to the Aug. 25 Billboard country albums chart released Thursday. Also on this week's charts, the Songcatcher soundtrack moves up one spot to No. 47 on the country albums chart in its eighth chart week. The soundtrack CD, which features Dolly and Emmy Rossum on "When Love Is New," falls five notches on the independent label albums chart to come in at No. 42 in its sixth week on that chart. Also, the Sweet November soundtrack, with a great Dolly and Paula Cole duet on "Heart Door," falls three spots on the pop album charts to No. 200 for a ninth week, while it inches up one place on the soundtracks chart to No. 17 for its second week there.

And The Winner Is . . .
All of the contestants' names in the Win A CD From Dollymania contest were placed on tiny pieces of paper and dropped in a Dolly cap for luck, and the entry pulled out at random to receive the Hank Locklin CD featuring Dolly was Ren Guardiano of Lynnwood, Wash.! The reason he gave for loving Dolly, although a bit long, is: "First off, I am not a country music fan. I grew up in the 70s with pop music. Then Dolly hit pop in the late 70s and introduced me to her style. I instantly became a fan. Her plan to take country wherever she went, certainly worked for me. Because of her, she broadened my taste in music. I am still not a country fan, but I'm certainly a Dolly fan. I watched her grow in music, then TV, then movies, and then superstardom. She has influenced my life with believing in myself, and pursuing my dreams. To think that Dolly has made it with persistence, good marketing skills, and personality - is a great way to keep things in perspective. She is a shrewd business person that I try to emulate. Her music style is completely untouchable. I love her diversity in styles - I mean, what other artist can sing a pop song like 'Savin' It For You', and then go to the other side of the spectrum with a tender song like 'Little Sparrow'? With either song - you still picture DOLLY. Different mood, but the same larger-than-life person! From a personal standpoint, I hope she continues with dance music and pop music. That's my preference! No matter what - I'll still be there for Dolly." Congratulations! Your CD will be in the mail tomorrow! Thanks to all who submited entries, and keep visiting to learn what interesting contests could be coming up next!

Aug. 16:
Staying Power
Dolly's video for "Shine" from Little Sparrow moves up two notches to No. 13 on CMT's weekly top 20 countdown, it was announced Wednesday. In its fifth chart week, the video had earlier spent five weeks as a "Hot Shot" video on the network. Sadly, the song drops off the network's Most Wanted Live show, after a surprise showing at No. 4 on Tuesday. And remember to keep voting for the song on CMT's Most Wanted Live here, CMT's Labor Day Top 100 here and GAC's Top 15 Countdown here.

Aug. 15:
Back Where She Belongs
Dolly's video for "Shine" returned Tuesday to CMT's Most Wanted Live, coming in at No. 4 after several weeks of absence from the daily fan-voted top 10 list. Meanwhile, the Little Sparrow CD remains steady at No. 3 for its fourth month on the bluegrass albums chart, according to July numbers issued Tuesday by Bluegrass Unlimited, while Big Mon: The Songs of Bill Monroe, which features Dolly, also holds steady at No. 2 for its ninth month on the chart. Keep voting for "Shine" on CMT's Most Wanted Live here, CMT's Labor Day Top 100 here and GAC's Top 15 Countdown here.

Oxford Gets Washington Hopping
An article in Tuesday's Washington Post raves over the annual Southern music issue of Oxford American magazine, which features Dolly's "Seven Bridges Road" on the companion CD. The writer notes: "Good as the articles are, the music is even better . . . This eclectic 22-song collection is like the best hour of music you ever heard on FM radio back when the deejays were free to mix all kinds of music together into a grand gumbo. They can't do that anymore because a few huge corporations now own most radio stations and they keep their deejays on a tight leash." Read the full story here.

The Last Entries
Here's a fan who sent in his own Top 10 list for his reasons he loves Dolly for the Win A CD From Dollymania contest. John of Tucson, Ariz., says: "10. Her Big Hits, 9. She used her fingernails as a musical instrument on "9 to 5," 8. Her Dolly in London special, 7. "Don't Drop Out," her lost song from the '60s, 6. Dollywood, 5. Both of her television shows, 4. Nobody can pull a towel out of a box of Breeze like she can, 3. "Down From Dover," 2. "Jolene," and 1. All her other hits." Remember, all entries are due by 5 p.m. (Central) Thursday, Aug. 16. A winner will selected at random at that time and will be announced in the news Aug. 17 news update (which should be posted the Thursday evening). Click here to learn how to enter before it's too late!

Aug. 13:
'Sparrow' Down In England
Little Sparrow drops three notches to No. 10 on the British country albums chart released Sunday. Currently in its 29th chart week overseas, the CD peaked for two months at No. 1.

Bluegrass Touted In The 'Post'
A great Washington Post article on Sunday touted the great success of bluegrass in recent years, noting several projects which included Dolly (Little Sparrow, The Grass Is Blue, the Songcatcher soundtrack and Big Mon: The Songs of Bill Monroe). The article quotes Dolly saying: "I'm so happy to see the resurgence of bluegrass music. It's a music that's always been respected by those familiar with it. And now it seems to be getting its just dues." The article also tells her story of moving to the music of her childhood once country radio abandoned her and Sugar Hill Records' survey results showing that before she did Blue that bluegrass fans wanted her to record an album in the genre more than any other performer. In addition, a sidebar to the story lists "10 Recent Bluegrass Releases Worth Checking Out," which features both Dolly's Little Sparrow and the Songcatcher soundtrack on which she has a duet with one of the film's stars. Read the full article here

Dolly's Producer Selling Her Guitar
Dolly's producer, Steve Buckingham, is selling one of her guitars, and he asked Dollymania to be the first Dolly site to list the item, which was posted on the Collectors' Connection page on Friday. The starting bid is $2,000. Read about it, and other items wanted or for sale by Dolly fans, here.

A Water Tower Called Dolly
I came across a cute little story Sunday in The Free Lance-Star, a paper out of Fredericksburg, Va., about locals' interesting ways of naming landmarks and public projects. Prominently in the story is a water tower named after Dolly. Read it here.

Aug. 10:
Dolly Scores Three Bluegrass Noms
Dolly received three nominations for the annual International Bluegrass Music Association's awards, it was announced Thursday in Nashville. Dolly was nominated for a second year in a row for Best Female Vocalist, which was bestowed last year upon Rhonda Vincent, who announced this year's potential winners and is again nominated in that category. Also up for the trophy are Sonya Isaacs, Claire Lynch and Lynn Morris. Dolly also gets nods for the Big Mon: The Songs of Bill Monroe tribute album put together by Ricky Skaggs, which is up for Album of The Year and Best Recorded Event. Unlike many other awards shows, the IBMAs give the nomination and award for such group projects to all principal participants, meaning Dolly, Skaggs, Mary Chapin Carpenter, the Dixie Chicks, Charlie Daniels, John Fogerty, Bruce Hornsby, Patty Loveless, Joan Osborne, Travis Tritt, Steve Wariner, The Whites and Dwight Yoakam. Dolly, of course, won Album of The Year last year for The Grass Is Blue, but, as expected, this year's Little Sparrow, with its more mountain sound than bluegrass, was not nominated. Facing off against Mon for album honors are the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack, Talkin' to Myself by Lonesome River Band, Empty Old Mailbox by Don Rigby and Carry Me Across the Mountain by Dan Tyminski. Up for event are Follow Me Back to the Fold: A Tribute to Women in Bluegrass, Knee Deep in Bluegrass: The AcuTab Sessions, The Legacy Continues and Music from Rancho deVille. Winners will be announced Oct. 4 at the Kentucky Center for the Arts in Louisville, Kenn.

Elton's Film Featuring Dolly Coming
Universal Pictures has purchased European distribution rights to Women Talking Dirty, the Seattle Times reported Thursday. As was reported on Dollymania when the film was on the festival circuit two years ago, this first effort by Sir Elton John's film company Rocket Productions features at his insistence a fictional nightclub dedicated to Dolly, who contributed five or six songs for the film's soundtrack including a new dance version of "Jolene." Dolly and Sir Elton also wrote a few new songs together around the same time it was shooting, but there's no word on whether those made the cut or which of the ones Dolly recorded will be on there. The newspaper did report, however, that Dolly will appear on the soundtrack, which will also include Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Trisha Yearwood, Marianne Faithfull, Diana Krall and Lulu. The film stars Helena Bonham Carter and Gina McKee. So far, the company has not made plans for a U.S. release of the picture. The film will open in the U.K. on Sept. 28. A release date for the soundtrack on Mercury Records has yet to be announced.

Please Help Me I'm Falling
Little Sparrow drops six places to No. 57 for its 28th chart week, according to the Aug. 18 Billboard country albums chart released Thursday. Also on this week's charts, the Songcatcher soundtrack drops 14 spots to No. 48 on the country albums chart in its seventh chart week. The soundtrack CD, which features Dolly and Emmy Rossum on "When Love Is New," falls six notches on the independent label albums chart to come in at No. 37 in its fifth week on that chart. Also, fueled by the film's release on video, the Sweet November soundtrack, with a great Dolly and Paula Cole duet on "Heart Door," re-enters the pop album charts at No. 197 for an eighth week, while it debuts at No. 18 on the magazine's new soundtracks chart.

Turn Your Radio On
I'm told that the DJs on Georgetown, Ohio, country station 97.7 FM reported on air this week that Dolly's "Shine" is one of the station's most-requested current songs, resulting in heavy rotation on the station's playlist. So call your local stations and request the song, and we'll hopefully see it charting soon! Thanks, Chad and Lynette!

Warning: Some May Find This Objectionable
Ben Holst of the British novelty manufacturer The Titpillow Co. provided this photo of Dolly on the U.K. television show So Graham Norton receiving a gift from Norton of a special Dolly version of the pillows from the company. Dolly is said to have gotten a good laugh from the gift. Thanks, Ben!

Time Is Running Out
It's just one week until the winner is revealed in the Win A CD From Dollymania contest! Click here to learn how to enter before it's too late!

Aug. 9:
'Shine' Keeps Flying
Dolly's video for "Shine" from Little Sparrow moves up two notches to No. 15 on CMT's weekly top 20 countdown, it was announced Wednesday. In its fourth chart week, the video had spent five weeks as a "Hot Shot" video on the network. And remember to keep voting for the song on CMT's Most Wanted Live here, CMT's Labor Day Top 100 here and GAC's Top 15 Countdown here.

CMT Special Announced
To promote TNN's ditching, er, um, switching of the Grand Ole Opry telecast over to CMT, the country music network will broadcast a week of specials later this month called "CMT Salutes The Grand Ole Opry." Episode Four, which debuts August 16 at 8 p.m. Eastern, celebrates the women of the Opry -- including Dolly. It is hosted by Loretta Lynn's daughters The Lynns.

Detroit Digs Dolly
I'm told that Dolly's "Shine" beat out a new Dixie Chicks cut Tuesday night on Detroit's 99.5 "Today's Country" station as best new song on the station. Dolly will be up against other new songs each night until she loses. So if you're in the Detroit area, vote for Dolly and keep her on there as long as possible! Thanks, Ray!

'The Queen Of Music'
Here's another entry in the Win A CD From Dollymania contest! Melissa of Fairview Heights, Ill., says: "I have loved Dolly as an artist since I was 7 years old. She has been my biggest inspiration and there is nothing that Dolly has done that I have ever disagreed with! She is the queen of music in general! I have all of her movies and most of her CD's and hundreds of pictures! I go to Dollywood at least 2 or 3 times a year, and that is an 9 hour drive! I also try to go where ever she is and I actually got to ask her a question on Most Wanted Live in Nashville and she shook my hand!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was the best day in my life so far!! I love Dollymania and check it daily, Keep up the great work!!! And thank you for keeping all of us crazy Dolly fans informed!!" Enter here for your chance at a free CD!

Aug. 7:
A 'Sweetheart' Of A Collection
Reserve your copy of Clinch Mountain Sweethearts, the Ralph Stanley duet album to be released on Rebel Records Sept. 25 which includes a cut with Dolly, "Loving You Too Well." Get yours here!

Another Duet
Chris over at Dolly Parton Central reported Monday that Dolly will sing harmony on the track "Slowly I'm Falling To Pieces" on Paul Brewster's upcoming album Everybody's Talkin'. It is available for $18 from Paul Brewster, P.O. Box 1164, Hendersonville, TN 37077.

Making Others Proud
Here's another entry in the Win A CD From Dollymania contest! Jeff of Batesville, Ark., says: "Growing up, I was embarrassed to be from the South, because people thought it wasn't cool to be from the South. Dolly has made me proud of growing up poor (albeit not as poor as she grew up). I used to tie strings around Junebugs for fun, too. Dolly has shown me that you can appreciate your heritage, regardless of who you are, and still be a successful person. Kudos to you, Dolly! You deserve all of the happiness in the world." If you'd like to enter for your chance to win Hank Locklin's new CD Generations In Song, with Dolly on "Send Me The Pillow You Dream On," click here for rules and more information.

Aug. 6:
'Sparrow' Steady, 'Trio' Out
Little Sparrow remains at No. 7 on the British country albums chart, released Sunday. Currently in its 28th chart week overseas, the CD peaked for two months at No. 1. Also, Trio II drops out of the top 20, down from No. 18, on the country albums chart. Although the CD had peaked at No. 3 on the country chart two years ago, it had been gone for some time. It re-appeared in the top 20 six weeks ago for a five-week stretch, increasing its chart run from 31 weeks to 36 weeks.

Use These Last Weeks Wisely
The Tennessean encouraged readers on Sunday to make the most of the last few weeks of summer by putting in a trip to Dollywood and Dolly's Splash Country. Read their article here.

She Touches Us All
Here's another entry in the Win A CD From Dollymania contest. Michael of Coden, Ala., says: "I love Dolly because she is the ultimate symbol of strength. She rose above poverty and had the courage to make each and every one of her dreams come true. She didn't care what people thought of her. The more people complained about her wigs (the wigs just got bigger) or how much skin was showing (we just saw more). She was herself a little bit of fine wine and a little bit of turpentine. A little class and a little trash (and she was proud of it). She used her sex appeal to sell her angelic voice. You heard pain in her voice and you could almost hear the teardrops fall when Dolly sang 'Down From Dover,' 'Mountain Angel' or 'Me and Little Andy.' You could also hear the lions roar in her working songs like '9 to 5,' 'Working Girl,' 'Sing for the common Man' and 'The House of the Rising Sun.' That's why I love Dolly." If you'd like to enter for a chance to win a copy of Hank Locklin's new CD Generations In Song, which features Dolly, click here.

Aug. 4:
Dolly On DVD
Surfing the Net last night, I came across more Dolly on DVD! A title called Country Legends was released in March, containing live performances by some of the genre's greats. Dolly is shown performing "Jolene" and "Coat of Many Colors." Others on the DVD include Patsy Cline with "Walkin' After Midnight," Roger Miller with "King of the Road" and Conway Twitty with "It's Only Make Believe." Order your copy here!

Another Contestant
Here's another entry in the Win A CD From Dollymania contest. Gregory of Chelmsford, Mass., says he loves Dolly because her "ambition in doing things her own way and following her dreams makes her a great role model for anyone needing encouragement in life." If you'd like to enter for a chance to win a copy of Hank Locklin's new CD Generations In Song, with Dolly on "Send Me The Pillow You Dream On," click here for more information. A winner will be chosen at random Aug. 17.

Aug. 3:
'Blue' Passes 150,000, 'Sparrow' Close
Current figures indicate that Little Sparrow should pass the 150,000 mark for U.S. sales within weeks, Dollymania has learned. According to Sugar Hill Records, Sparrow has sold more than 144,100 copies since its January release while Dolly's first bluegrass effort, the Grammy-winning The Grass Is Blue, released in October 1999, just passed the 150,000 level a few days ago! Based on sales over the past two months, Sparrow should reach 150,000 in two or three weeks. Thanks, Jennifer!

Week No. 27
Little Sparrow holds steady at No. 50 for its 27th chart week, according to the Aug. 11 Billboard country albums chart released Thursday. Also on this week's charts, the Songcatcher soundtrack drops two spots to No. 44 on the country albums chart in its sixth chart week. The soundtrack CD, which features the lovely Dolly and Emmy Rossum duet "When Love Is New," jumps up 16 notches on the independent label albums chart to come in at No. 31 in its fourth week on that chart.

'Joshua' Out In Europe
On the heels of the double-album CD release of Jolene/My Tennessee Mountain Home, RCA parent label BMG earlier this week released a double-album CD of Joshua and Coat of Many Colors (cover art at left). Of course, U.S. BMG re-issue label Buddha Records came out with Coat of Many Colors in 1999 (along with three other titles), but this marks the first time Joshua has been available on CD. The title song of this 1971 album was Dolly's first country No. 1 single, and it also contains several other gems, such as "J.J. Sneed," "The Last One To Touch Me," "You Can't Reach Me Anymore" and the standard "Letter To Heaven." Although I don't know of any U.S. retailers stocking the CD yet as an import, you can probably get it from a few overseas vendors. Thanks, Stuart and Stephen!

First Entries
The initial entries have arrived for the Win A CD From Dollymania contest, and D.J. of Brookport, Ill., has the honor of being the first person to submit his entry, sending it in less than an hour after the contest announcement was posted Wednesday evening. The reason why he loves Dolly is: "I feel that GOD gives us all inspiration – a little extra bonus in life. For me DOLLY is that inspiration!!!" If you'd like to enter for a chance to win a copy of Hank Locklin's new CD Generations In Song, which features a Dolly duet, click here for more information. Entries will be accepted through Aug. 16, and although you must include a reason why you love Dolly, the winner will be chosen at random.

Aug. 2:
Keep That Momentum Going
Dolly's video for "Shine" moves up one notch to No. 17 on CMT's weekly top 20 countdown, it was announced Wednesday. In its third chart week, the video had spent five weeks as a "Hot Shot" video on the network. And remember to keep voting for the song on CMT's Most Wanted Live here, CMT's Labor Day Top 100 here and GAC's Top 15 Countdown here.

More 'Jolene' Coverage
Monday's Village Voice had an interesting little Dolly note in a review of the Detroit band the White Stripes. The author opened with: "My best friend, Lindsey, was obsessed with 'Jolene' as a child and used to sneak drawing pictures of Jolene in class with a fellow nine-year-old. They were fascinated by what Jolene could possibly have looked like if she could take the indubitably foxy Dolly Parton's man for sport. Well, what about if Jolene were up against 25-year-old singer-guitarist-pianist Jack White, who sings to her, as Dolly does, 'Please don't take my man'?" (The male lead singer of the duo chose to record the song without changing the gender references.) The full story is here.

The Dolly Is Right
I'm told that Dollywood got a plug on Wednesday's The Price Is Right, with a video clip showing the park, complete with a few words from Dolly herself, aired when a contestant won a five-day Dollywood vacation. Thanks, Kayla!

Win A CD!
Recently, when I was having some trouble getting a copy of Hank Locklin's new CD Generations In Song delivered from the store where I had ordered it, I bid on a copy at ebay. Well, wouldn't you know, I won the auction just a couple of days before my purchased copy arrived. So, with an extra copy of the CD, I've decided to give it away. If you don't yet have this album, which features Dolly harmonies on Locklin's classic "Send Me The Pillow You Dream On", enter to win. Complete rules are posted here.

Aug. 1:
30 Million Strong
Dollywood on Tuesday welcomed its 30 millionth visitor, the park announced that afternoon. After 16 seasons and $100 million in construction, the park recognized the White family from Mobile, Ala., as No. 30 million. Tennessee's most visited attraction other than the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 2.3 million visited the park last year. "I'm so proud to see this day at Dollywood arrive," Dolly said. "We've come a long way in 16 years, and we just keep getting better and better season after season." The Whites, who won a prize package including an autographed Dolly Doll and Super Passes to the park, were visiting the area for the first time in a dozen years. The last time they were there, they had celebrated their honeymoon with a trip to Dollywood. Congratulations Dolly!

Will She Be Nominated?
It was announced Tuesday that the nominees for the International Bluegrass Music Association's annual awards show will be unveiled Aug. 9 at the Country Music Hall of Fame in a ceremony featuring Rhonda Vincent and Steve Wariner. The awards will be handed out Oct. 4 at the Kentucky Center for the Arts in Louisville. As you may remember, Dolly won Album of the Year at last year's awards show for The Grass Is Blue (which also took home a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album and earned Dolly the British Country Music Association's Top International Independent Label Artist Award). Vincent herself beat out Dolly for 2000's Best Female Vocalist, capping a year in which she covered a bluegrass version of Dolly's classic "Jolene" on Back Home Again. Some critics have opined that while Little Sparrow is a spectacular album, it likely won't be in the running for this year's prize because of its distinctive leanings toward more mountain and folk music than the straight-forward bluegrass of The Grass Is Blue.

Win A Fiddle!
Jennifer at Sugar Hill/Vanguard Records tells me that to celebrate the release of the wonderful Songcatcher soundtrack, the record label and Spinner.com are hosting a contest which will give away a fiddle autographed by soundtrack participants Dolly, Maria McKee, Sara Evans, Patty Loveless and Deana Carter. Enter here. The contest runs through Aug. 15. Thanks, Jennifer!