Last night I was looking for an interesting piece of country news to write about, but nothing I came across interested me. And then there she was, Dolly Parton. The CMT article shares how Dolly Parton has partnered up with NBC to produce TV-movies “based on her songs, stories and incredible life.” The article also says that Dolly hopes to capture a family audience with fun and inspirational themes in her movies. This article got me thinking about how awesome Dolly Parton is; I mean what hasn’t she done at this point?
Her talent never ceases to amaze me. Dolly started performing when she was 13 and since then has had around 42 studio albums. She’s starred in numerous classic movies and TV shows such as my Grandma’s and Aunt’s all time favorite movie, Steel Magnolias (1989); A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986), which my family watches every Christmas; 9 to 5 (1980); The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982); Reba (2005); and even Hannah Montana (2006, 2007, 2010), which I remember watching in 5th grade when it first aired.
Dolly has also been nominated for and won countless awards including 7 Academy of Country Music Awards, 3 American Music Awards, 9 Country Music Association Awards, 4 Peoples Choice Awards, and 8 Grammy’s; and up until recently she and Beyoncé were tied for the most Grammy-nominated women. Dolly Parton has also been inducted into 14 Halls of Fame. In addition to the entertainment awards, she has also received numerous philanthropic awards like the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service and the Partnership Award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Plus, how many people do you know with their own Rodeo Dinner show (1988) AND Amusement Park (1986)?
Dolly Parton made a name for herself at a time when male entertainers mainly dominated country music. Despite any opinions about her personal life, Dolly’s successes as a businesswoman have been (and still are) inspirational to women of all ages. She is a strong face and representation of country music and has influenced many of today’s modern country artists, clearly shown by CMT’s All Time Top 40 list. Dolly finished in the 4th spot with nominations from Kenny Rogers, Luke Bryan, Charley Pride, Jennifer Nettles, Sara Evans, and many more.
Although it is not clearly stated in the article whether or not Dolly or her music will be featured, I can only assume this next project will be great. Her number of accomplishments as an entertainer portray exactly why Dolly Parton kicks butt.
So, I guess it’s pretty obvious that I’m also a fan of Dolly Parton. I bet 8 of the first 10 cassette tapes I owned were her albums. I’ve always been a little ambivalent about her film career, though. On one hand, I think she is great in “supporting” roles in 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias. But on the other hand, she isn’t a trained actress, and I don’t think she does very well outside of her comfort zone. I’ve seen Smoky Mountain Christmas a couple of times, and it always makes me LOL because it’s so terrible. I am curious to see what kind of movies come about as the result of this new deal with NBC.
You are so right! Dolly does kick butt in way more ways than I had even realized. I had no idea that she was nominated for so many Grammies and inducted into so many Halls of Fame. I honestly haven’t listened to as many Dolly songs as I should have, but by fondest memory of her is certainly in Steel Magnolias. I use to go to my grandparents house out in the country and when there was nothing left to climb I would come in the house and watch VCR’s of everything from the Gremlins to Steel Magnolias. Dolly is certainly a role model for me in all that she has accomplished and still doing. I am glad for the extra bit of insight I have gained from your post!
I really liked this post because I never really knew anything about Dolly Parton. I knew she was big in the music world but I mostly knew her from the plastic surgery she has had done over the years. I really enjoyed this because I now understand how influential she has been not only to the country music world but the music world in general. She has received and been nominated for so many awards, which is amazing. I also never knew she was an actress besides being Aunt Dolly in the Hannah Montana movie that came up years ago. This post was very informative on someone that has been such an influence in the country music world.