Original Post | March 2016

As Southern as jonquils, banana pudding, magnolias and boiled peanuts, Dolly Parton oozes charm, hospitality and poofy hair. Under studio lighting, she shines brightly. Not that she needs lighting for I'm certain that even in the darkness, there's a glow. Her smile is simply brilliant; her laugh, contagious. She seems as comfortable sitting in front of cameras and lights as she is sitting in front of her own fireplace.
It's opening day of Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and I am one of the lucky ones. I have been offered a few minutes to pose a variety of questions to this country music legend. I get a whole seven minutes. Now, who would turn that down?
Butterflies are raging in my stomach as Dolly's staff leads journalists into the holding area. First, TV folks; then print folks. I'm reading and rereading my page penciled with questions, knowing full well that there will not be enough time to get them all in.

Which are most important? I try to prioritize, but those pesky butterflies keep reminding me of where I am and where I'm going to be shortly.
The page blurs as I hear my name called. I move to the hot seat, directly across from the legend. She's smiling and looking directly into my eyes.
"Quiet down," she says loudly to those talking and stirring in the background. "We're still interviewing here."
Look at that! She's got my back!

And here we go . . .

Q: Tell me about the Imagination Library.
A: I still love books in my hands, for myself. I love to smell books. I love to feel them, but we'll definitely have to progress in others ways, but we hope to always have the books in the hands of the kids. They also love it to be able to hold the books when they're little. We're really proud of that. They get it in the mail. It's addressed to them personally with their little name on it. It makes it very personal to them. [Register your child to receive a book each month from the Imagination Library. The first book (always) is The Little Engine that Could. They have put over 75 million books in hands of children worldwide.]
Q: What was it like to be part of the remake of the Bristol Sessions?
A: Those old songs, those songs I grew up with, with my mama and daddy singing in these hills. When they asked me to be part of that, I wanted to contribute to do my part. I can't wait to get the whole collection myself. I just love those old songs.
Q: When did you realize you were 'girly'?
A: When I was a kid. It's become like a joke; in fact, I'm going to play that character when i do a sequel to a Coat of Many Colors or I may play the town tramp. When I was little, there was a woman in my home town that, walked up and down the streets in her big yellow peroxide hair, her red nails and her lips colored. i kind of pattered my look after the impression she made on me. In my mind, I just remember when I was a kid, you know we were poor people. They used to send clothes and stuff up to the schoolhouse where we walked to school. People would go through the clothes. I remember this pair of high heels. They look kind of like mine [looking at her feet]. They looked small because they were so high and the arch was, too. I wanted those shoes so bad. I cried they wouldn't let me have them because they were for some grown up. But I longed for those shoes. I dreamed about those shoes. I've written that into the Christmas movie about [when] the town tramp gives me a pair of shoes for Christmas.
Q: You're currently working on the movie script for Jolene.
A: We're trying to figure out who is the best Jolene. We just want to find the most beautiful Jolene in the world. Haven't cast her yet. We're trying to get Allison Janey to play the scorned woman. The guy that wrote the West Wing wrote the Jolene script.
Q: You're pretty popular with the young crowd.
A: Because of my songwriting, I think young people are paying attention to that. Jolene has been such a favorite with so many of the young acts. They record that. They talk about me and that has helped. I think a lot of women appreciate that I've been business minded, that I've run my own businesses and publishing company. They admire that.
Q: You're receiving the Tex Ritter Award for your movie Coat of Many Colors at the ACM awards.
A. Makes me feel older than the hills but I'm glad I'm still here. Glad to be of service.
Q: Tell me about you and Porter Wagner.
A: It was common knowledge that we loved and hated each other. I was with him for seven years, and I had promised to stay for five. It was Porter's show and he was right. I had my own dreams, and I stood up for myself and we fought quite a bit. When we first broke up, it was hard for him and me. That's why I wrote the song, I'll Always Love You. He wouldn't listen to what I had to say, so I'll do what I do best - wrote the song to try to explain how I felt. I'm currently writing a Broadway musical, so I'll be talking about he Porter-Dolly days.
Q: Did the song help him understand?
A: It softened the negotiation. You use every weapon you got.
Q: Would you rather work with a man or a woman?
A: Women just really aggravate me when they get in that mode. They think they know it all. I think I know it all. Men will at least give you a chance and back up a little bit. I can get away with a man more than woman.
Q: Do you own any of the Andy Warhol prints of yourself?
A: My manager at that time commissioned him to paint them. He didn't like them, so he didn't buy them. Andy broke them up and sold them. I ain't spending my money on Dolly Parton!
Q: What do you think about the election?
A: I think this whole election thing is the greatest show on TV!
Q: How long does it take you to do your hair?
A: I don't know. I'm not there!

Home In Dollywood

Turn right off the main strip that divides the town of Pigeon Forge and make your way toward the misty blue mountains. It doesn't take you long to understand that you're in Dolly Parton country as you begin to see the signs everywhere. First, there's Dollywood, a theme park, not an amusement park as Dolly will quickly correct, which opened in 1986 and is home to the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame, and that's just the beginning. Then, there's Splash Country, where water soothes the heat of the South. And beyond those two, her newest expansion, DreamMore Resort, a 100-acre, 300 room beauty with a down-home atmosphere catering to families and the idea of being home. It has Dolly written all over it. From the white rockers on the 'front porch' to the 'watering hole' out back, DreamMore provides the comforts of home while spritzing touches of glamor here and there.

It's all about dreaming at DreamMore Resort. The hallways, the bed linens, the lamp beside the bed. All encouraging those who visit the beautiful Smoky Mountains to dream big.

Throughout the park, visitor's discover an electricity and a warmth not found at most. From a gal that's really not a theme park enthusiast, I came away with a new perspective. From the greeters like Thomasina (lower left) who addresses you like family to the wonderful Gem Tones, a 50-60s a cappella music group who pops up all over the park. Today, there was a perk associated with their job: they got to introduce Dolly.

All of the people who work at Dollywood seem to be as excited about being at the park whether or not Dolly makes an appearance or not. They rarely get to see her, other than passing, but they share her love for the park, East Tennesee and the Great Smoky Mountains. One of the unusual spots within the park is a clothing shop. Not your average t-shirt, water bottle logo shop, but there's dresses, boots, jewelry - it's Dolly's Closet. I met Debbie Hansard of Sevierville inside. It's her first day of work; she recently retired after 38 years with Citizens National Bank. She always said, "When I retire, I want to work at Dollywood. I don't care where they put me. It's always a holiday."

It's the 31st year (2016) that Dolly Parton has been part of opening day at Dollywood. She's there, just as bold and beautiful as one would expect. She takes the stage for the media and for the few guests who took a chance and believed (that's the theme running through this place) she MIGHT make an appearance. She shares herself with the audience and it doesn't take anyone long to realize why America and the world will always love Dolly Parton.

Lines from the Sit-Down

"I’m considering running for president. I've got the hair, it's huge. We don't have enough boobs running, right?"
"This is the greatest place on earth. I'm proud to be a Tennessee girl. I've been everywhere in the world, but this is the prettiest."
"I don't ride 'em [roller coasters]." She quickly giggles her signature pitched laugh and says she might not come out with everything she started with.
"I'm as proud of the Imagination Library [as anything I've ever done]. In honor of dad who never learned to read or write
because he's from a big family and they had to go to work in the fields. It's for all kids; not just poor kids."
"I make jokes about the fact that it was a story [Jolene} about my husband, well it was true that he was flirting with this beautiful red-headed girl at the bank shortly after we got married. I put a stop to that, obviously."
She continues, "There's always a Jolene in our lives."
"We will have been married 50 years next month [April 2016]. We're going to get married again.
We'll take pictures and sell pictures [to benefit the Imagination Library]. I want a long, flowing wedding gown and I've picked him [Carl] out a suit."
"There nothing real about me but my heart."

The Time I Sat Face to Face with Dolly

And here we go . . .

Home In Dollywood

Lines from the Sit-Down

A Walk to Remember

Planes, Trains & Automobiles