This week with Dolly

news@theheraldnewspapers.com

A new book will be hitting stores later this summer which is slated to include a good bit of native daughter Dolly Parton. The book was written by her friend Larry Ferguson, who works as manager to another friend of hers, gospel legend Dottie Rambo.
The book, “Driving Ms. Dottie,” will contain many stories and photos from Rambo’s life on the road and at home over the years, including several which feature Dolly, who was so touched by an early manuscript of the project that she wrote a quote for the book cover: “I am very honored to be included in his book, “Driving Ms. Dottie.” “I, too, love Ms. Dottie!. Larry has done a wonderful job, and I’m sure you readers will enjoy it.”
Many of Ramboís other famous friends will be included in the book as well, such as Lily Tomlin, Tammy Faye, Vince Gill, Amy Grant and another Sevier County native, Stella Parton. Also, those who reserve a copy from Rambo’s website (www.dottierambo.net) before the book’s release date not only receive a special edition keychain and photo to commemorate its publication but will also be entered in a contest for an autographed Dottie Rambo Kentuckian guitar.
After just two weeks on the chart, the DVD release of the film “TransAmerica,” which features Dolly’s Oscar-nominated track “Travelin’ Thru” at the end of the film as well as the song’s video and a behind-the-scenes featurette on the tune, fell out of the DVD sales chart last week. The disc had debuted on the nationwide “Billboard” tally at No. 8 for sales in its first week but fell to No. 36 in its second before dropping off the 40-position chart.
The video for “When I Get Where I’m Going” by Brad Paisley and Dolly slid another eight spaces to No. 14 last week on the fan-voted Great American Country (GAC) “Top 20 Countdown.” The video had previously peaked at No. 1 for two weeks.
The Jordanaires, the gospel group which became Elvis Presley’s background singers and performed with Dolly on “Save The Last Dance For Me” more than two decades ago, have reportedly recorded a song in her honor. “The Tennessean” last week reported on minister and songwriter Olan Bassham’s new CD with the legendary quartet, “Take God’s Hand,” which is raising funds for the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort, and the article noted that Bassham and the Jordainares in the past couple of weeks have recorded a tribute song devoted to Johnny Cash and one devoted to Dolly.
Dolly will serve up the final track on a four-CD, 81-song boxed set honoring the 25th anniversary of Sugar Hill Records, the label has announced. Titled “Sugar Hill: A Retrospective,” the collection will hit stores Sept. 12. Dolly’s contribution is the Lester Flatt classic “I’m Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open,” which she recorded for her first album on the indie powerhouse, 1999’s “The Grass Is Blue.” In an extensive liner note booklet, label founder Barry Poss discusses each song in the set, and about Dolly’s track he explains how she came to be brought to the label and what joy she brought to the recording studio on that first project. He concludes the notes by saying: “For more than a quarter century, Sugar Hill has fostered roots-based contemporary music by a select roster of prestige artists. This, too, is the domain of Dolly Parton. I could not ask for a more satisfying way to mark the end of one glorious period in the label’s history, and the beginning of the next.”
Great American Country (GAC) viewers should keep an eye out for Dolly in an interview on its “Country Across America” program which premiered Thursday night and repeats throughout the next two weeks. Also, for those who missed last Thursday’s “Access Hollywood” broadcast on Dolly at KidsFest at Dollywood, Iím told the syndicated program will repeat the segment on its July 4th episode.
Speaking of Dollywood, don’t forget to visit the park’s site devoted to its ride for next year, the Mystery Mine, at www.mysterymine.com, on Friday to see the final of the five episodes on the ride’s backstory which were released online prior to its official announcement next month.
Finally, be sure to drop by Dollymania.net: The Online Dolly Parton Newsmagazine for complete coverage of this month’s KidsFest opener at Dollywood. The section of the site dedicated to the events earlier this month added content daily over the past couple of weeks and now has a recap story, complete transcripts of both of Dolly’s appearances and nearly 150 photographs posted in 18 separate galleries.