This Week With Dolly

The British chapters of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library literacy program celebrated the distribution of their 100,000th tome last week.
“It’s my dream that every child has a library of books which their parents can read to them from the moment they are born,” Dolly said in a press release. “I’m really excited that we’ve now shared 100,000 books with kids in the UK.”
Thomas Donkin, a 4-year-old who resides in Wigtownshire, Scotland, was sent the milestone book that contained a personal letter from Dolly herself in which she told him: “I love books and the adventures they bring; and it is my hope that children everywhere would be able to enjoy the fun that books offer.”
The program began to the U.K. in 2007. It has delivered more than 20 million books in the U.S. since being created in Sevier County in 1995.
On the charts, “ The Very Best Of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1 ” dipped 19 places to No. 79 in its 90th week on the top 100 Irish pop albums chart and holds steady at No. 13 in its 41st week on the Australian top 20 country albums tally. Stateside, Steve Martin's “ The Crow – New Songs for the 5-String Banjo ,” with its Dolly duet, slipped one to No. 3 in its 31st week on the bluegrass albums chart.
Dolly's first million-selling song is about to hit the airwaves again as a single from her upcoming concert DVD/CD, “ Dolly: Live From London ,” it was announced last week. "Here You Come Again" will be sent to radio and a music video sent to television as the first single from the project. Also, it was revealed that the DVD and CD, coming out Nov. 10, will be combined into one two-disc collection with a suggested retail price of $14.99 rather than being sold separately. Intimate interview clips are interspersed between the song performances in addition to several featurettes: "Interview," where fans meet her support staff and hear from them what it's like to work with Dolly; "Soundcheck," where you see her joke with the band before the show, "mapping out the show and hypnotizing everyone with her angelic performance style;" "London Loves Dolly," where British fans share their stories about the icon; and "Meet-N-Greet," where cameras accompany her backstage meeting with fans and guests. The track listing is:
* Two Doors Down
* Jolene
* Backwoods Barbie
* Coat of Many Colors
* Only Dreamin'
* Better Get To Livin'
* Shinola
* Little Sparrow
* The Grass Is Blue
* Do I Ever Cross Your Mind
* Here You Come Again
* Islands In The Stream
* 9 to 5
* I Will Always Love You
* Jesus and Gravity
Dolly was not there in person but provided a videotaped message of thanks to accept her Jim Reeves International Award from the Academy of Country Music at the second annual ACM Honors ceremony last week. Concert hostess Lee Ann Womack provided a medley of Dolly classics: "9 To 5," "Here You Come Again" and "Eagle When She Flies." A video showcasing the international reach of Dolly's career was also screened. Dolly made another video appearance during the evening, recognizing her frequent duet partner Kenny Rogers during his segment for the Pioneer Award.
Another classic Dolly special is heading to DVD for the first time later this year. Shout! Factory will on Dec. 1 send to stores “ Country's Greatest Stars Live Vol. 1 ,” a Country Music Hall of Fame release that captures the January 1978 television special “ 50 Years of Country Music” that was hosted by Glen Campbell, Dolly and Roy Clark. Dolly hosts the second hour of the show, opening with "Here You Come Again," later joining Bill Monroe for "Mule Skinner Blues," soon thereafter offering "The Cowgirl and the Dandy," and then closing her segment with a medley of "The Seeker," "All I Can Do," "Jolene," "Two Doors Down" and "I Will Always Love You." At the end of the third hour, she joins Campbell and Clark for a medley of Hank Williams songs to close out the show.
Sony Music/Legacy Recordings last week began taking orders for its exclusive online bundle of Dolly’s four-CD boxed set “Dolly” coupled with the limited edition, first-ever-on-CD version of her “A Real Live Dolly” 1970s concert from Sevier County High School. It includes seven never-before-released tracks on the boxed set plus two previously unreleased songs from the concert and will be shipped to arrive on its Oct. 27 release date. Get your copy at http://dollyparton.skyroo.com/se/view/music/index.html?&affcode=dpafb2.
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