Site: Dolly On 'Idol' Next Year
According to Contact Music, Dolly has agreed to appear on the new season of the FOX hit American Idol, which returns to the air in January, to coach contestants in an episode dedicated to her music. Read more here.

U.S. Chart Updates
As was previously noted here, Dolly's "Better Get To Livin'" falls off the top 60 country singles tally in the Oct. 6 numbers released by Billboard magazine Thursday, but I'd expect it to return in next week's tally. Elsewhere on the charts, the new Emmylou Harris boxed set, Songbird: Rare Tracks and Forgotten Gems , featuring several Dolly appearances, including two previously-unreleased Trio tracks, debuts at No. 49 on the country albums chart. Rhonda Vincent's All American Bluegrass Girl, with Dolly on "Heartbreaker's Alibi," dips one to No. 10 on the bluegrass albums chart in its 61st week. Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted, which has his No. 1 Dolly duet, "When I Get Where I'm Going," remains steady at No. 8 on the country catalog albums chart in its sixth week since being removed from the main albums list due to longevity rules and also remains steady at No. 41 Canadian country. Martina McBride's Timeless, featuring Dolly on "I Still Miss Someone," falls off the 75-position country albums chart, down from No. 73 the previous week, in its 100th. Kenny Rogers's 21 Number Ones, including "Islands In The Stream," rises three to No. 71 country in its 84th week. Reba McEntire's stellar new collection, Reba Duets, debuts at No. 1 country and pop, her first pop chart-topper, with 301,000 copies sold in its first week, while Kenny Chesney's Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates slips one to No. 2 country and two to No. 5 pop with 112,000 units moved in its second week.

More Dollywood Shots Available
Yet another set of reader-submitted pics from the Barbeque & Bluegrass Fest kick-off at Dollywood has been added to that section of the site here. And there are still a few galleries yet to be posted! Thanks, Greg!

Anderson Duet Gets Release Date
Thanks to Tony for alerting me that a release date has finally been set for Bill Anderson's next CD. Titled Whispering Bluegrass, the set featuring a duet with Dolly on "My Perfect Reason" will come out Oct. 23 from Madacy Records. Get yours here!

Dollywood 'Journeys' Another Week
News outlet Broadway World announced Thursday that the Matrix Theatre production of Journey To Dollywood, a play about a Dolly fan that features a voiceover from Dolly herself and has received some pretty rave reviews, has been extended an extra week. Originally scheduled to conclude Oct. 27, the show will now run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 3. Read more here.

Sept. 27:
Dolly's Music Website Debuts, Fan Club Coming
Dolly's official music website, Dolly Parton Music.net, formally "went live" on Wednesday, offering in its initial stage a few photos, several of her music videos in streaming format, a new message board, street team sign-up and more. The site promises much more exclusive content will be added soon. One quite important item, though, was buried a bit in an inside page: an announcement that for the first time in a decade, Dolly will once again soon have an official fan club. The club, which will be operated via the website, will launch "in coming weeks" and include restricted access to exclusive photos, videos, blog entries from Dolly herself, a members-only message board, contests and more. In addition, there will be chances for members to win meet-and-greet passes with Dolly, the site revealed. More information on how to join is promised soon. Other tid-bits from the site included that she was to be interviewed by Perez Hilton Wednesday night following her Dancing With The Stars performance for a segment to be aired in November on his series of VH1 specials, and Dolly will be sending fans voicemail updates on their cell phones in a service available through the site (those who sign up will also be entered in a contest for a Dolly prize package to be given away on Jan. 8). In addition, an e-mail address has been established for the first time ever to collect messages to Dolly from her fans: you may write her at FanClub@DollyPartonMusic.net.

Dolly On Dancing, Song Off The Charts
Dolly sparkled on ABC's Dancing With The Stars Wednesday night, with the show's professional dancers prancing country style to "9 To 5" and her having the stage to herself for an abbreviated version of her current single, "Better Get To Livin'" (the second verse was not performed, presumably due to time constraints). Unfortunately, the song will fall off the Oct. 6 country singles chart when the full numbers are released on Thursday, Billboard has revealed. The song, which debuted last week at No. 57, will drop below the No. 60 bottom position on the tally, which reflects airplay from Monday, Sept. 17, through Sunday, Sept. 23. However, I would fully expect that airplay generated from listener requests thanks to the television appearance before a likely audience of 21 million people will allow it to re-enter the tally at an even higher position when the Oct. 13 chart is released next week to reflect airplay from Sept. 24 through Sept. 30. (Call your local radio station and request the song today!)

Dolly Causes DJ To Sweat
Dolly made Blair Garner, the host of the syndicated radio program After Midnite, sweat Wednesday morning. The DJ admitted to having wet palms from nerves at interviewing her on his program, adding that this has only happened twice before in his long career: the first time he previously interviewed Dolly and the first time he interviewed Kenny Rogers. He spoke of Dolly's influence on other artists, noting that when Keith Urban made a recent appearance on program he asked if they wanted him to sing something live, so he pulled out his guitar and played "Coat of Many Colors." She interjected that the Aussie also sings "Jolene" in concert, which prompted her to send him lyrics of the song from male perspective to use in place of her original female-point-of-view words (although he apparently still sings the regular female lyrics live). In addition to playing the new single, Garner also offered listeners her biggest hit, "Islands In The Stream" with Rogers. He said he had heard three tracks from next year's Backwoods Barbie and that it sounds to be a wonderful collection, especially her country take on the Fine Young Cannibals' "She Drives Me Crazy," the end of which she described as a "hoe down." Speaking of her upcoming appearance later that night on Dancing With The Stars, she revealed that she has been asked in the past she has been asked to serve as a judge on programs such as American Idol but has always turned them down because she doesn't like to judge others, but she said she would be interested in appearing on such a program as a mentor to help coach contestants. She also said she intends to record on her own Dolly Records "from now on" and thanked Garner for his comment that she and Rogers amaze him for being so humble and down-to-earth regardless of the huge degree of fame which life has handed them. She also touched on her quote that she hopes to die on stage (hopefully singing a song she wrote), her Imagination Library literacy program and the upcoming Broadway adaptation of 9 To 5. Ending the interview, she commented: "I'm here, badder than ever!" They often post photos, and sometimes audio, on the show's website here a few days after the guests appear, so perhaps they'll put some Dolly on there soon!

More From Dollywood
The next set of reader-submitted images from the Dollywood Barbeque & Bluegrass Fest opening is now available in that section of the site here. And, yes, there will be even more in coming days! Thanks, Jerail!

Sept. 26:
Dolly, Perez Giving Away iPhone
Dolly's official music website, Dolly Parton Music.net, has teamed up with "Queen Of All Media" Perez Hilton to give away a Dolly-themed 8GB iPhone, complete with Dolly's new single pre-loaded and some personalized greetings from Dolly for the winner. Enter here (and take in a cute Dolly video promoting the contest) through Oct. 29, when the winner will be selected, and see the item on the Perez website about it here. Thanks to the readers who wrote in about this one on Tuesday!

CMT Posts Dolly Footage
CMT.com has posted part of its Insider footage with Dolly from Dollywood's Barbeque & Bluegrass Fest kick-off in its online video offerings, "Loaded." Take a look here. The network also has released a few details about part two of her appearance on the program, airing Saturday. Among the fan-submitted questions they asked and she answered will be what she keeps in her purse and what always breaks her diet plans. And speaking of the festivities, the next set of reader-submitted photos have been added to the galleries in that section of the site here. Still more to come, folks! Thanks, Jeremy and Jonathan!

Dolly 'After Midnight'
Thanks to Chad for alerting me that Dolly was scheduled as Wednesday morning's in-studio guest on the After Midnight With Blair Garner radio program. Broadcasts vary from market to market, so visit the program's website here to see what station in your market broadcasts it (and hopefully you're catching this Tuesday night update in time to tune in on your local station).

Dance With Dolly Wednesday!
And don't forget to tune in Wednesday night at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC to catch Dolly perform "Better Get To Livin'" and "9 To 5" live on the new season's first results show for Dancing With The Stars before what is certain to be one of the year's biggest television audiences. (Monday night's premiere of the program got a 13.4 rating, which should equal about 21 million viewers).

Sept. 25:
First Reader Photos Posted From BBQ Fest
As promised, the reader-submitted shots from the recent Barbeque & Bluegrass Fest opening at Dollywood are now being added to that section of the site here, beginning with some great pics from my friend Solomon. Look for more from other readers in coming days! Thanks!

Dolly On Brazilian TV
Thanks to my Brazilian pal Marcos for alerting me to a recent Dolly appearance on a reality television show in his native land where two local girls traveled to Nashville as part of their attempt to become country stars. While in town, a meeting with Dolly herself was arranged. View a clip of their exchange on You Tube here.

Sept. 24:
Dolly Video At HOF Now Available
Thanks to my friend Aaron at Music City Update and Gospel Music Update for alerting me that the sites over the weekend posted video from Thursday's press conference announcing the new facility for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. See nearly 10 minutes of Dolly laughing it up with reporters! You will find a direct link to the video from the main inside page of either site, and I'm told even more will be coming later this week.

Dolly On CMT
CMT decided to break up Dolly's interview for CMT Insider from the other weekend into two parts: one which aired this weekend and one scheduled to air next weekend. In the first half, she discussed Dollywood's Barbeque & Bluegrass Fest which was starting the day that CMT's crew was on the park grounds to see her. She spoke of her love of food, and a clip of her performing "I Will Always Love You" with Ricky Skaggs was shown. She also discussed Wednesday's upcoming appearance on Dancing With The Stars, the new single and the upcoming album. In the episode premiering next Saturday afternoon, she will answer questions selected from ones which fans posted for her on CMT.com. Meanwhile, some "non-Dolly" photos (those of just Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder and the Kingdom Heirs) from the weekend's festivities have been posted in a gallery on that section of Dollymania here. Look for reader-submitted images to be posted throughout this week! Photo at left is © copyright 2007 T. Duane Gordon/Dollymania.net. May not be reproduced without prior written consent.

Gone Again From Aussie Chart
After a one-week return to the tally Down Under, the compilation collection The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1 this week falls back off the top 20 country chart in Australia, it was announced Sunday. The disc, which fell from No. 19 the previous week, spent 20 weeks on the chart there.

Sept. 22:
More Stories Come From The Hall Of Fame
A lot more came out Friday on Dolly's Thursday appearance to announce the opening of a permanent home for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Several gorgeous photos were posted that morning on Music City Update (access the gallery with a story here), including some close-ups where you can see the pink highlights in Dolly's blonde wig. A video clip of her joking around made its way on Nashville's WKRN from reporter Brad Schmidt here. Additional coverage comes from Country Hound here, the Associated Press here and The Tennessean here.

Irish Chart Updates
After a bit of a resurgence on the charts across the pond, the compilation album The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1 tumbles again in its 21st week on the Irish pop albums charts, it was announced Friday. The collection drops 17 spots to No. 99, while another compilation, Jolene: Her Greatest Hits from Woodford Records, falls off the top 100 pop albums, down from No. 73 on the Emerald Isle in its debut week last week.

Latest From Dollywood
Don't forget to tune in Saturday to catch Dolly on CMT's Insider from last weekend at Dollywood's Barbeque & Bluegrass Fest opening. The episode premieres at 2 p.m. Eastern, with repeats throughout the weekend. In related news, additional photos from the event have been added to your Dollymania coverage in that section of the site here. Photo at left is © copyright 2007 T. Duane Gordon/Dollymania.net. May not be reproduced without prior written consent.

Additional Press On LA Play
Another very positive review came out Friday for the stage play Journey To Dollywood. The Los Angeles Times here says the production is covered with "a coat of many colors of wit" and that even non-Dolly fans will appreciate the show, adding that Dolly's voice over alone is worth the ticket to go see it.

Dolly Talks Up 'Dancing'
A brief interview with Dolly about next week's Dancing With The Stars appearance made The Knoxville News Sentinel on Friday. Read what she had to tell "Tele-Buddy" Terry Morrow here, and don't forget to tune in to the ABC program Wednesday night to hear Dolly perform "9 To 5" and "Better Get To Livin'!"

'CW' Writes Dolly/Reba Record Wrong
There are a few Dolly mentions in the new issue of Country Weekly out this week with Reba McEntire on the cover. The fabulous redhead recounts her oft-told story of how she had to give up one of her songs on her first appearance on The Grand Ole Opry because her idol, Dolly, had stopped in for a surprise performance. The overall interview with her, however, contains one Dolly-related error: the writer's mistaken assertion that McEntire has 56 top 10 country singles and that the feat surpasses Dolly's previous record for a female artist in that regard. On the contrary, McEntire's most recent top 10 a few weeks ago tied her with Dolly's record of 55 (something which McEntire herself recognized at the time, saying how pleased she was to be tied with Dolly because she's her biggest fan). The issue also has a Dolly drawing for the "Draw A Star" section, and the Emmylou Harris boxed set Songbird: Rare Tracks and Forgotten Gems, with several Dolly appearances including two previously-unreleased Trio tracks, gets a four-star review.

Sept. 21:
'Living' Debut Gets Noticed
The new complete charts hit the web from Billboard magazine Thursday, and as was reported in the early chart developments Monday, Dolly's new single, "Better Get To Livin'," debuts at No. 57 on the country singles tally dated Sept. 29. Although it was one of numerous debuts on the chart this week, it was the only country debut to be noted in the magazine's overall story on the week's singles chart activity here, which lists it as her 110th country entry. The debut also makes Fred Bronson's "Chart Beat" column for the week, which notes it is her highest charting solo entry in more than 15 years and extends her chart run to 40 years, eight months and one week since "Dumb Blonde" back in January 1967. He also states that it enlarges her total to 105 country chart singles, the record for a female artist. (The discrepancy between the numbers in the two articles comes from the first story adding in four songs that were double singles, meaning both the A-side and B-side received airplay and were listed at the same chart position on the chart, so that they are counted as eight songs instead of four, and including one song, "Hard Candy Christmas," twice because it charted two separate times in separate years. Bronson only counts double singles as one song instead of two and doesn't include repeat chart entries.)

'16 Biggest' Drops Again
In other chart news, after a one-week return, Dolly's 16 Biggest Hits falls back off the 75-position country albums chart in the Sept. 29 numbers, it was also announced. The CD was down from No. 74 in its fourth week the prior week. Rhonda Vincent's All American Bluegrass Girl, featuring Dolly on "Heartbreaker's Alibi," rises three to No. 9 on the bluegrass albums chart in its 60th week. Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted, including his Dolly duet, "When I Get Where I'm Going," remains steady at No. 8 on the country catalog albums chart in its fifth week since being removed from the main albums list due to longevity rules. In Canada, the album slips three to No. 41 country. Martina McBride's Timeless, with Dolly on "I Still Miss Someone," dips three to No. 73 country in its 100th week. Kenny Rogers's 21 Number Ones, which includes "Islands In The Stream," re-enters the country chart at No. 74 in its 84th week. The Sugar Hill compilation Absolutely Bluegrass Vol. 1, with Dolly's "I'm Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open," falls five to No. 15 in its fifth week on the 15-position bluegrass list. Kenny Chesney's Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates debuts at No. 1 country, No. 3 pop, while Trisha Yearwood's Greatest Hits debuts No. 2 country, No. 22 pop.

New Photos Posted
The Dollymania coverage of Dollywood's Barbeque & Bluegrass Fest continues tonight with additional galleries of images from Dolly's Friday appearance posted to that section of the site here. And there are still many more to come, so stay tuned! Photo at left is © copyright 2007 T. Duane Gordon/Dollymania.net. May not be reproduced without prior written consent.

Dolly Announces Songwriters Hall
Reportedly sporting a pink wig, Dolly was in Nashville on Thursday to participate in the announcement that the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame will get its first home, the former Columbia Studio on Music Row. Dolly, who was elected to the Hall in 1986 and is one of just 10 women among its ranks, joined Curb Records founder Mike Curb, who owns the building; Belmont University President Bob Fisher, since the school's Curb College uses the building for its songwriting courses; and Hall of Fame Foundation Chair Roger Murrah. However, she dominated the reporters' questions, fielding inquiries about her upcoming album, her upcoming Broadway musical, upcoming world tour and other projects. Read coverage from The Tennessean here (more is promised from the paper on Friday), CMT.com here and Reuters news service here.

Library Passes 10 Million Books
Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program this month distributed its 10 millionth book to a child since inception, according to a story Thursday about its expansion into St. Cloud, Minn., available from the St. Cloud Times here. A total of 7 million of those books have been mailed to children in the past two years alone, Dollywood Foundation Executive Director David Dotson is quoted as explaining. The piece also adds that it plans to launch in Britain by year's end, although it mistakenly claims that it will also enter Canada for the first time by December as well (in reality, the project's first non-U.S. chapters opened across the border to the north nearly a year ago). In other news, its entrance into McDuffie County, Ga., is profiled this week in The McDuffie Mirror here. Dolly's program mails one free, age-appropriate, hardcover book every month from birth to age 5 to every child whose parents sign up in a participating community.

TV Folks Looking For Biggest U.K. Dolly Fan
A British reality television show production company is seeking Dolly's biggest U.K. fan, producers say. Endemol UK, which helped create the Big Brother and Deal Or No Deal shows, has put out the call for a new primetime series currently in development and is looking for Britain's biggest Dolly fan who knows everything about her and her music. Interested parties are asked to e-mail here a brief outline of what qualifies him or her as a "superfan," a photograph and contact details.

'Dolly Would' Is Back In Texas
The Austin Chronicle this week gives some props to the revival of the dance play Dolly Would, set to Dolly's music and using her wisdom to solve life's problems, at the city's Salvage Vanguard Theater through Sunday. Read about it here.

Sept. 20:
Dollywood Gets High On The Hog
Your Dollymania coverage of the Barbeque & Bluegrass Fest kick-off last weekend at Dollywood continues tonight with a recap and some more photos added to that section of the site here, including some special treats. Look for more photos in coming days, including some reader-submitted images. In other news, The Knoxville News-Sentinel has posted a brief video of Dolly discussing the festival with its celebrities columnist, "Tele-buddy" Terry Morrow, here and a story here focusing on the food. Photo at left is © copyright 2007 T. Duane Gordon/Dollymania.net. May not be reproduced without prior written consent.

Many Would Like Dolly Next Door
Americans would rather have Dolly for a neighbor than most other celebrities, the results of a survey released this week by real estate media company Homes & Land showed. And, overall, women wanted to live next to her more than men. Among women respondents, Oprah was No. 1, followed by Paris Hilton, Dolly, John Travolta and George Clooney. Men preferred those no longer with us, as Elvis Presley and John Wayne topped their lists. Overall, Dolly tied in seventh place with Hilton. Winfrey came in first overall, followed by Presley, Donald Trump, Wayne, Tiger Woods and Clooney.

Paying Tribute To Frances
Dolly was among those sending her well wishes this week to Frances Preston, the former head of performing rights organization BMI, of which Dolly is a longtime member. She, former Vice President Al Gore and producer Clive Davis sent in videotaped tributes to the Music City legend, while Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow, Sam Moore and others were on hand in person in Nashville to toast her. Read more from The Tennessean here.

And Honoring 'The Advocate'
Those wishing LGBT newsmagazine The Advocate their best on the publication's 40th birthday are featured in a special 40th anniversary edition out now, including Dolly's own tribute. Although the several pages of well wishes published in the print edition are not posted on the magazine's website, Dolly's greeting reads: "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to The Advocate, I will always love you!"

Sept. 19:
'Butterfly' Duet Released On iTunes
Although the full CD The Chain doesn't come out for another month, Deana Carter on Tuesday made available for iTunes download a three-song EP from the album. The special release features "Love Is Like A Butterfly," recorded with the song's composer herself, Dolly, and "Help Me Make It Through The Night," also recorded with that tune's writer, Kris Kristofferson. A bonus track, a cover of the Kenny Rogers hit "Lucille," is also included. The full album, which features Carter performing hits on which her guitar-picking father originally played, arrives Oct. 9 from Vanguard Records. Get the full album here, but if you don't want to wait, download the Dolly duet here! Thanks, Stephen!

A Few Pics Posted
As a taste of what's to come over the next several days, a small gallery of shots from Dolly's Saturday parade at Dollywood's Barbeque & Bluegrass Fest opening are available in a gallery here. Look for much more throughout this week and next (and if you took photos and would like to submit them for posting, please e-mail them here)!

'Journey' Review Available
Thanks to my friend Greg for sending in his review of the new Los Angeles production of Journey To Dollywood, a show which opened last week by Jessie McCormack. As Dollymania was the first to report, the show focuses on a Southern small-town diner staffed by a waitress who idolizes Dolly and features Dolly's music throughout as well as a voice-over recorded specifically for the production by Dolly herself. Take a look at Greg's review here. A review was also posted Tuesday by entertainment giant Variety which concluded that McCormack had written a "quirky, likably off-kilter yarn," but the actors didn't quite pull off the show completely. Read that review here. The production continues at The Matrix Theatre on Melrose Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 27. Tickets are available from 323-960-4418 or online here.

'Better' Appearance Plugged
Dolly's official music site, Dolly Parton Music.net, on Tuesday added a little video promoting Dolly's appearance next week on ABC's Dancing With The Stars to sing her current single, "Better Get To Livin'." Take a peek here.

Emmy Set Has Great Photos
My copy hasn't arrived yet, but I'm told that in addition to the two previously-unreleased Trio tracks with Dolly and Linda Ronstadt, the new Emmylou Harris boxed set Songbird: Rare Tracks and Forgotten Gems , which came out from Rhino Records on Tuesday, includes several vintage 1970s and 1980s photos of the singer with Dolly in its 200-page liner notes booklet. Get yours here! Thanks, Al!

Vincent Chats About Dolly
Thanks to Christian at Country Stars Central for alerting me to his interview with close Dolly pal Rhonda Vincent in which she discusses working with her. The two have worked on various tracks on Dolly's records for more than a decade, and Dolly has even appeared on a couple of Vincent's albums as well, most recently singing with her on the recording and in the video for last year's "Heartbreaker's Alibi" from Vincent's CD All American Bluegrass Girl. Take a read here!

Sept. 18:
New Single Makes The Country Charts
It's still nearly two weeks before its official "add date" when radio stations are asked to begin adding the track to their playlists and more than a week before she performs it on Dancing With The Stars, but Dolly's "Better Get To Livin'" has already earned enough airtime to debut later this week at No. 57 on the country singles chart dated Sept. 29, Billboard revealed Monday. Although she's made the charts in recent years with a few duets, including last year's No. 1 smash "When I Get Where I'm Going" with Brad Paisley, this marks her first solo entry on the charts since "Hello God" went to No. 60 five years ago. The song, however, has yet to reappear on the top 100 country downloads chart on iTunes, where it is available as an exclusive download. In related news, thanks to Christian for alerting me that she appeared Wednesday on Chicago's US 99 radio station to talk about the song (and deny tabloid rumors that she and elusive husband Carl Dean are divorcing). Take a listen in the station's podcasts here, and download the song here!

And '16 Biggest' Is Back
In other chart news, there was some Dolly movement on last week's tallies, too, with her 16 Biggest Hits getting a fourth chart week as it re-entered the 75-position country albums tally in the Sept. 22 Billboard numbers at No. 74. Rhonda Vincent also saw her All American Bluegrass Girl, with Dolly on "Heartbreaker's Alibi," re-enter the 15-position bluegrass albums list for a 59th week at No. 12. Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted, with the Dolly duet "When I Get Where I'm Going," slipped one to No. 8 on the country catalog albums chart in its fourth week since being removed from the main albums list due to longevity rules. In Canada, the album fell three to No. 38 country. Martina McBride's Timeless, featuring Dolly on "I Still Miss Someone," dipped six to No. 70 country in its 99th week. The Sugar Hill compilation Absolutely Bluegrass Vol. 1, which includes Dolly's "I'm Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open," rose three to No. 10 in its fourth week on the bluegrass side. Teddy Thompson's Upfront & Down Low, with his cover of Dolly's "My Blue Tears," fell off the 75-position country tally, down from No. 70 in its sixth week. Taylor Swift's self-titled debut CD remained steady at No. 1 country and gained two to No. 13 pop in its 46th week, while Paisley's 5th Gear rebounded two to No. 2 country and No. 35 pop in its 12th week.

Overseas Movement Seen, Too
There were also positive chart developments in foreign markets. The Australian charts on Sunday announced the return of The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1 to the top 20 country albums at No. 19, giving it a 20th week Down Under. In Ireland, the collection rose eight to No. 82 pop for a 28th chart week, while another compilation, Jolene: Her Greatest Hits from Woodford Records, debuted at No. 73 pop on the Emerald Isle.

Dolly Gives Away Aunt At Wedding
Dolly was walking down the isle back home Sunday, but it was to give away her beloved Aunt Dorothy Jo, co-writer of several of her songs, including the hit Porter Wagoner duet "Daddy Was An Old Time Preacher Man," based on her grandfather. Dorothy Jo, who has performed in the Kinfolks Show at Dollywood and is a practicing ordained minister, is 78 years young and a blushing bride. She wed over the weekend in a ceremony complete with Dolly escorting her down the isle to give her away on behalf of the family. "We all gave her away, when they said 'who gives this bride,' I said 'we all do,'" Dolly told Knoxville's WBIR here. Congratulations to the happy couple!

Library Week In Tenn.
Thanks to a proclamation from Gov. Phil Bredesen (D-Tenn.), Sept. 16-22 is officially Imagination Library week throughout Tennessee, celebrating Dolly's literacy program which brings millions of free books to children across the U.S. and Canada each year. Read about the citation from The Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro here.

More To Come From BBQ Fest
Please bear with me as I get back into the normal swing of things after having been out of town for several days. I am still working to catch up on updating various parts of the site that have seen developments in recent days and plan to also add more coverage from Dollywood's Barbeque & Bluegrass Fest for your enjoyment over the coming week and probably into next week, too!

Sept. 17:
Dolly BBQs Ricky's Face
Dolly Parton made Ricky Skaggs blush when the two were in Sevier County last week celebrating the annual opening of Dollywood's Barbeque & Bluegrass Festival. Asked at Friday's concert if the two might collaborate on a future project, both said they would be interested in doing so. Dolly asked him if he wanted to "do something" with her, to which he answered yes, then she asked if he wanted to sing with her instead – eliciting laughter from the crowd and turning Skaggs' face turn red. The pair offered the audience two songs – "Uncle Pen" and "I Will Always Love You." Unfortunately, rains forced the postponement of her scheduled 4:30 p.m. parade through the park, which was rescheduled for 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Also on Saturday morning, she popped in for the Kingdom Heirs show at the park to join them on "The Seeker" and "Peace In The Valley." The bandleader decided to play a little "9 To 5" for her exit from the stage, so she decided to start singing it and led the audience in most of the song before leaving the stage. Look for complete coverage of the event here over the next several days. Click on each image for a larger view. Read coverage from The Mountain Press here. Photos are © copyright 2007 T. Duane Gordon/Dollymania.net. May not be reproduced without prior written consent.

TV Station: Dolly For Concert Next Sept.
According to Colorado television station KWGN, Dolly is among the confirmed guests performing at next year's second annual Parade of Honor and Concert in downtown Denver. The event honors police officers, firefighters and military veterans and premiered in the city over the weekend. Others which organizers have announced as singing include The Oak Ridge Boys and Alabama. Read more here.

Sept. 13:
Dolly Talks Up 'Better'
Dolly gave an entertaining interview Wednesday morning on Seattle radio station KMPS. The DJ for the station's morning show raved about her new single, "Better Get To Livin'," saying "I absolutely love it!" He also spoke of the tremendous listener response which the song received when played earlier in the day. Dolly spoke of her songwriting, her outlook on life, her bright personality and even her depression in the 1980s. Take a listen to the complete interview posted on the radio station's website here. Thanks, Chad!

Hooray For Dollywood
Just a reminder that Dolly will be on the grounds of Dollywood Friday to kick off the second annual Barbeque & Bluegrass Fest. Her only announced appearance is a 4 p.m. tour of the park, weather permitting. Last year, though, she also made an appearance earlier in the day at a cooking demonstration with one of the guest chefs at the stage over the Market Square fountain and popped in for one of Ricky Skaggs' shows to sing "I Will Always Love You." (Although no details on any other Dolly appearances for this year have been revealed, the visiting chefs are back at the fountain, and Skaggs is back as headliner again as well for Friday and Saturday performances.) As your webmaster will be in town covering the festivities, updates for the next several days could be a bit sporadic. Thanks in advance for your patience.

Praise For Emmy's Boxed Set
News and entertainment blog Monsters & Critics raves this week about Songbird: Rare Tracks and Forgotten Gems , the Emmyou Harris boxed set coming out on Rhino Records next week. The collection features two previously unreleased Trio tracks with Dolly and Linda Ronstadt. The publication notes that the compilation "reveals new dimensions of Harris's languid, elegant music and explores more deeply her work as a pioneering singer and songwriter." Read more here, and reserve your copy here!

Randy Plans Library Benefit
Dolly's brother Randy will in October host a special concert benefiting Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program, it was announced Wednesday. The aim of the Oct. 21 concert as part of the Pig Pickin' Festival in Kingstree, S.C., is to raise money and awareness for the South Carolina chapters of the program. Entertainers include Randy, his daughter Heidi Lou, Jacob Timmons, Ryan Morris and The Moonlight Bandits. Dolly won't be present, but she will offer a special video remote appearance. Although the performance will be free, attendees are encouraged to make donations to the program's Williamsburg, S.C., chapter. The event is sponsored by the Randy Parton Theatre in Roanoke Rapids, N.C., and S.D. Professionals LLC, the developers behind the Library's website and Dolly's overall official website set to launch next year. Read more here.

Sept. 12:
CMT Takes Questions For Dolly
CMT has announced that the network is accepting questions from fans to be submitted to her for an interview on a CMT Insider program slated to air later this month. Visitors to the cable channel's website are asked to submit their questions, complete with their first name and city where they live, in a topic available here in both the Dolly message board or the television show's message board. Dolly will be asked selected questions, the answers for which are scheduled for broadcast on Sept. 22 in the episode premiering at 2 p.m. Eastern with repeats throughout the weekend.

'Better' Falls Off iTunes Chart
Two weeks after its release as an iTunes exclusive download, Dolly's new single, "Better Get To Livin'," on Tuesday fell off the retailer's chart of the 100 most popular country songs, as was predicted here. I would expect a strong re-appearance on the tally, though, after she performs it later this month on Dancing With The Stars and it is added for airplay at radio. The song is the lead single off next year's new CD, Backwoods Barbie. Download the track here!

'Dancing' To Air In U.K.
Several British readers of the site have been asking whether ABC's Dancing With The Stars will be airing overseas this season, since the fourth season was broadcast in the U.K. and Dolly will perform her new single on the third installment of this season's show, the episode airing Sept. 26 in the States. Well, the announcement came this week that UKTV Gold has picked up the series this year. Digital Spy reports here that rather than the U.S. three-nights-a-week one-hour broadcasts, the program will likely be shown across the pond starting at the end of September in Friday night three-hour airings, which would put Dolly's appearance there on the first night of broadcast instead of third.

Dolly Night In Arizona
A local production of Pump Boys and Dinettes, a musical which features the tongue-in-cheek number "The Night Dolly Parton Was Almost Mine," honored the song with its own Dolly look-a-like contest, reports The Arizona Republic. Check out the competition here.

Sept. 11:
Rambo Added To Songwriters Hall Of Fame
Close Dolly friend Dottie Rambo, with whom she shared her first Dove Award nomination in 2004 thanks to their duet, "Stand By The River," has been selected for induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, it was announced Monday. Rambo joins this year's other inductees: Hank Williams Jr., Flatt & Scruggs, Mac McAnally and Bob DiPiero. Rambo wasn't a regular nominee for induction this year; instead, she was chosen by special action of the Hall's Board. Dolly herself was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986, and she and Rambo are among only 10 women in the 162 members chosen for its ranks in the organization's 38-year history. The awards will be presented in a ceremony Oct. 14 at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville. A limited number of seats are available to the public for $200 each and may be purchased via e-mail at hoftix@nashvillesongwriters.com or by phone at 615-256-3354. Image of Dolly and Rambo in the studio by Mark Burgess Images. Courtesy Dottie Rambo Ministries. Used with permission.

Park Notes Dolly Parade Friday
Dollywood has publicly announced one of Dolly's appearances for when she is on hand Friday to open the second annual Barbeque & Bluegrass Festival. The park revealed here that, weather permitting, she will offer her usual tour through the grounds at 4 p.m.

Source: Radio Appearance Wednesday
I haven't received independent confirmation, but a usually reliable source tells me that Dolly is scheduled to be a call-in guest Wednesday for the "Ichabod Caine & The Waking Crew" morning show on Seattle country station 94.1 KMPS. The station features online streaming audio of its live broadcasts here. She will be talking about her new single, "Better Get To Livin'." Thanks! (On a related note, the song dropped to No. 100 Monday on the chart of the 100 most popular country downloads on iTunes, so it could fall off the chart on Tuesday.)

Sept. 10:
'Better' Continues Tumble
Although I would fully expect a surge, possibly back into the top 10, of most popular country downloads on iTunes following Dolly's performance of her current single, "Better Get To Livin'," on Dancing With The Stars a week from Wednesday, it is looking more and more likely that it will soon fall off the retailer's chart in the meantime. The tune, which had peaked at No. 10 and hovered in the top 15 for several days after its initial release late last month, had steadily fallen over the past several days: to No. 40 on Thursday, No. 52 on Friday, No. 72 on Saturday and No. 85 on Sunday. At this rate, it could likely be out of the top 100 in the next few days. The song is available for exclusive iTunes downloading here.

Sept. 8:
Dolly Teases Official Website
Dolly Parton.com, Dolly's official website, kicked off a teaser period on Friday, promoting that it will launch fully in 2008. The preview includes a very cute introductory video from Dolly welcoming folks to the site after her name lights up in shimmering glitter. Presently, the site features only links to her other websites and a sign-up form for her mailing list. When active, the site will serve as her overall official website and is separate from the previously-announced Dolly Parton Music.net, which is being developed by Ticketmaster subsidiary echomusic and will launch toward the end of this month to serve as her official music website, much like how Imagination Library.com is her official charitable foundation website. Take a look at the new site here!

When Irish Charts Are Fallin'
Once again nearing the bottom of the top 100, Dolly's very successful overseas compilation disc, The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, loses more ground across the pond in Ireland this week, it was revealed Friday. The collection slips 29 points to No. 90 on the Irish pop charts in its 27th chart week.

Dolly Donates Cookbook For Charity
Want an autographed copy of Dolly's cookbook, Dolly's Dixie Fixin's? Well, you can get one and help a good cause, too! Dolly has donated a signed book for the National Press Club's 10th annual charity auction to benefit its Ellen Persina Scholarship Fund for Diversity. Items from the auction remain available for bids here through 6 p.m. Eastern Sept. 14. As of press time Friday, Dolly's entry stood at $115. Read a press release about the auction here.

Guests Celebrate At Dollywood
Terry Morrow of The Knoxville News-Sentinel reported Friday that there were some famous faces hanging out at Dollywood over Labor Day weekend. Grindhouse director Robert Rodriguez made his way there with actress Rose McGowan (she was the girl who had a gun for an artificial leg in that film) to celebrate her 34th birthday because she had always wanted to visit Dolly's park. Morrow wrote that they rode all of the big rides and enjoyed the park just like all of the not-so-famous folks there for the weekend, even buying some Dolly souvenirs on their way out. Read his column here.

Library Books Recycled In Texas
What happens when a child enrolled in Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program moves but his or her parents don't notify anyone of the change of address? Well, in north Texas, the Post Office holds the books for the program's local sponsor, the United Way, to pick up for redistribution to community charities. Read about the innovative way of turning a problem into a productive solution in a story from Wichita Falls TV station KAUZ here.

Sept. 7:
Bye-Bye '16 Biggest'
After three weeks on the country albums chart, Dolly's installment in the Sony BMG 16 Biggest Hits series falls off the 75-position tally in the Sept. 15 numbers from Billboard magazine, it was revealed Thursday. Pals Rhonda Vincent and Kenny Rogers are also gone, with Vincent's All American Bluegrass Girl, featuring Dolly on "Heartbreaker's Alibi," missing from the 15-position bluegrass albums list, down from No. 6 in its 58th week, and Rogers's 21 Number Ones, with "Islands In The Stream," dropping from the country chart, down from No. 70 country in its 84th week. Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted, with his hit Dolly duet "When I Get Where I'm Going," remains steady at No. 7 on the country catalog albums chart in its third week since being removed from the main albums list due to longevity rules. In Canada, the album gains nine to No. 35 country. Martina McBride's Timeless, including Dolly on "I Still Miss Someone," loses nine to No. 64 country in its 98th week. The Sugar Hill compilation Absolutely Bluegrass Vol. 1, featuring Dolly's "I'm Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open," loses two to No. 13 in its third week on the bluegrass side. Teddy Thompson's Upfront & Down Low, with his cover of Dolly's "My Blue Tears," rises five to No. 70 in its sixth week on the country albums chart. Taylor Swift's self-titled debut CD remains steady at No. 1 country and gains one to No. 15 pop in its 45th week, while It's Not Big It's Large by Lyle Lovett And His Large Band debuts at No. 2 country, No. 18 pop.

Roller Coasters, Stage Shows, Fair Food & God
Thanks to Sharon for passing along a great little profile of Dollywood's full-time park chaplain, certainly a rarity in the amusement and theme park world. The article, available here, appears on the website of Rev. Charles F. Stanley's In Touch Ministries.

More DVD Details
CMT.com's Chet Flippo reveals in his weekly "Nashville Skyline" column that one of the appearances of Dolly in the recently-released DVD Shakespeare Was a Big George Jones Fan: Cowboy Jack Clement's Home Movies is a performance at the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum by Porter Wagoner and Dolly of their hit version of Clement's classic "Just Someone I Used To Know," a song which garnered Dolly her first-ever Grammy nomination. Read the full column about the documentary here.

Sept. 6:
Producer: Dolly Doing Song For Movie
Dolly will be contributing a song to an upcoming holiday film, it was announced Thursday. The yet-to-be-identified track will be used in the movie The Road To Christmas, a release date for which has not been revealed. The film is being made by Big Screen Entertainment Group, a production company headed by actress Kimberly Kates, who appeared as Thelma Russell in Dolly's telefilm Blue Valley Songbird. The news came in a press release, available here, about projects which the company plans to release in 2008 and 2009. The film follows two young orphans on the streets of New York who are befriended by a homeless woman and two very small "people" who pop up and help them out of jams as they are led further and further north as Christmas approaches. Dolly's most recent musical outing for a film garnered her an Oscar nomination for "Travelin' Thru" from TransAmerica.

Slipping On iTunes
In the top 15 country downloads on iTunes since its release more than a week ago, Dolly's new single, "Better Get To Livin'," on Wednesday tumbled another 11 places to No. 25. Download it here.

Stampede Helps Hometown Hero
Fans traveling to see Dolly's appearance at Dollywood a week from Friday will want to check out a special night at her famous Dixie Stampede dinner theatre to help out a good cause. Admission for the Thursday, Sept. 13, 8:30 p.m. performance has been discounted by more than 50 percent to $19.99 for adults ($11 ages 4-11) before tax with all ticket proceeds going toward medical bills of Pigeon Forge Police Lt. Steve Helton. A member of the local force for nearly two decades, Helton remains in critical condition at the University of Tennessee Medical Center following an Aug. 29 motorcycle accident. Local bluegrass performer Jimbo Whaley will also sit in with house band Wild Oats during the night's 7:30 p.m. Carriage Room pre-show. The establishment plans to donate at least $15,000 from the event, tickets for which are available by phone at 865-453-4400 or 1-800-356-1676 and in-person at the venue box office.

Library Supporter Recognized
The Tennessean gave kudos Thursday to 15-year-old Cassidy Starks as the first in Davidson County to be inducted into the League of Extraordinary Teens, an honor bestowed by the state's governor on youths who excel in volunteer efforts to support their local community chapters of Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program. Read about her here.

Connie On Dolly
Thanks to Christian at Country Stars Central for alerting me to a new interview with Connie Smith on his site in which she talks about how much she loves Dolly. Read it here.

Sept. 5:
Fan Videos For 'Better' On YouTube
Internet video sharing service YouTube has seen the debut of videos for Dolly's new single, "Better Get To Livin'," but they're not traditional releases from Dolly's record label. Instead, the relatively new song has already spawned a couple of fan-created videos on the Web. One, available here, is a dance remix of the tune over a few images of her on stage, while the other (here) plays over a slideshow of photos from throughout her career. Thanks, Brian and David for letting me know about these! And thanks to Amanda for alerting me that voting has ceased for San Jose station KRTY's best new country single of the week contest, and in the final few hours of voting after the poll was posted here, Dolly shot up 32 points to take the lead at 52 percent, followed by "More Than A Memory" by Garth Brooks at 20 percent and "Everybody" by Keith Urban at 11 percent. (On a related note, "More Than A Memory" will debut at No. 1 on the new country singles chart, Billboard announced Tuesday; since it is an airplay-only chart and Dolly's song won't be released to radio for airplay until toward the end of the month, her song can't chart on it just yet.) In other news, the single gets a plug on country review blog Coquet-Shack here, which calls the song "brilliant" and predicts it "may make the charts." Finally, on Tuesday the track fell again two points on the iTunes top country downloads, dipping to No. 14 for the day. Download it here!

Website: No Dolly For Tammy Faye
Dolly apparently won't be playing famed televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker anytime soon. Although she won hands down in a poll on gossip site Janet Charlton's Hollywood of who should play the eyelash batting personality with 78 percent of the vote, the website reports this week that former Dallas star Charlene Tilton has acquired the rights to Tammy Faye's story. Read more here.

Library News
The Arkadelphia Siftings Herald in Arkansas this week reports on celebrations for the United Way of Clark County there having signed up its 500th child in less than a year to participate in their local chapter of Dolly's international literacy program, the Imagination Library, which provides one free, monthly, age-appropriate hardcover book to any child birth to age 5 in a participating community whose parents sign up. The program is expected to distribute more than 5 million books this year alone. Read about the Clark County efforts here.

New DVD Out
I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but a DVD which supposedly has some Dolly footage made its way to stores on Tuesday. Shakespeare Was a Big George Jones Fan: Cowboy Jack Clement's Home Movies shares a selection from the famed Nashville producer's personal home movies with his famous friends, reportedly including never-before-seen footage of many legends such as Dolly, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones and others. When shown at the Nashville Film Festival two years ago, the film took home the Audience Choice Award and Tennessee Independent Spirit Award. Get the DVD here!

Sept. 4:
'Better Get To' Downloading!
Dolly's new single, "Better Get To Livin'," dipped another spot Monday on the iTunes chart of most popular country downloads, dropping to No. 12. However, her recent LA listening party for the upcoming album got a mention in Hazel Smith's weekly CMT.com column here, and San Jose station KRTY is polling listeners for the best new singles, and as of press time Monday night, Dolly was in second place with 20 percent of the vote to 32 percent for Garth Brooks with "More Than A Memory" and 19 percent for Keith Urban's "Everybody." Visit their site here and scroll to the bottom left to vote. Thanks, Chad! And be sure to download the song from iTunes here!

Sept. 3:
'Very Best' Gone Down Under
After 19 weeks on the chart, the hit overseas compilation The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1 this week falls off the top 20 country tally Down Under, it was revealed Sunday. The collection dropped from No. 20 last week in Australia, where it had peaked at No. 3 country, No. 38 pop.

'Better' Slips On iTunes
Dolly's current single, "Better Get To Livin'," also lost a little over the weekend. After several days at No. 10 on the chart of the most popular country downloads on iTunes, the music seller's exclusive track slipped one on Sunday to No. 11. Download it here!

Sept. 1:
Hanging On In Ireland
Dolly's wildly successful overseas greatest hits set, The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, is still holding up well in Ireland. The CD dips three to No. 61 pop on the Emerald Isle in its 26th chart week, it was revealed Friday.