By Duane Gordon
     Efforts to promote the “Dolly: Live from London” release in Europe on Monday ramped up a bit in the days leading up to the shelf date. Reviews appeared in several major newspapers over the past week, and interviews were placed with several publications, including the venerable Times of London.
     Sony Music, which is distributing the project in the U.K. for Dolly Records, even released a television advertisement to plug it.
     Stateside, the CD/DVD combo slipped some on the U.S. country albums list last week, dipping six to No. 67 in its 10th week. Brad Paisley's “Time Well Wasted,” with Dolly on "When I Get Where I'm Going," fell back out of the top 50 country albums in Canada, down from No. 47.
     Steve Martin's “The Crow – New Songs for the 5-String Banjo,” with its Dolly collaboration, remained steady at No. 1 U.S. bluegrass albums in its 48th chart week. And after a couple months' absence, “The Very Best of Dolly Parton, Vol. 1,” a 2007 overseas compilation disc, re-entered the top 20 Down Under at No. 20 on the Australian country albums chart.
     A recent water main break in Nashville due to some bitterly cold temperatures flooded the lower level of the building which houses Dolly's recently-opened Second Avenue retail store, damaging the property owner's boots shop downstairs, but the waters spared Dolly's wares, media in Music City reported last week.
     The city has denied responsibility for the 100-year-old water mains bursting.
     Dolly's management celebrated her 64th birthday last week by releasing an "Ask Dolly" video where she answered fan questions that had been submitted over the course of several months via her record label Web site. The video is available on YouTube.
     Working once a week to enroll children in Dolly's Imagination Library earned one family a Disney vacation to Florida.
     The Bakers, a family of six, have logged nearly 500 hours of community service over the past three years in Juneau, Alaska, for their efforts with Dolly’s literacy program, which resulted in their winning the title of 2010 State Volunteer Family of the Year and a vacation to Disney World.
I wonder if a trip to Dollywood would have been more appropriate.
     And finally, some new gospel goodies will be heading to Sevier County.
     The Singing News Fan Awards will be moving to Dollywood, the Southern gospel music magazine announced last week.
     The event, to take place in DP's Celebrity Theatre on Sept. 29, will be combined with the annual Southern Gospel Music Association's Hall of Fame induction ceremony starting this year.
     To keep up with all things Dolly, read the nightly news updates on Dollymania.net: The Online Dolly Parton Newsmagazine!

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