'Hello, I'm Dolly'

Dolly releases first full-length solo album, ‘Hello, I’m Dolly’

Dolly’s first full-length solo album was released on Feb. 13, 1967, by Monument Records. Though she had already been featured on the 1963 Kitty Wells/Patsy Cline tribute album, ‘Hello, I’m Dolly’ was the first studio-recorded solo album that Dolly could call her own.

Two hits from the album, including ‘Dumb Blonde’ and ‘Something Fishy,’ reached No. 24 and 17, respectively, on the U.S. country singles charts, while the album itself peaked at No. 11. Both feats were quite significant at the time, considering Dolly was largely an unknown female artist.

The album, which caught the attention of Porter Wagoner, is credited with bringing Dolly more mainstream popularity when Porter invited her to join his popular weekly television show ‘The Porter Wagoner Show‘ in late 1967. She was later signed to Porter Wagoner’s organization and became his labelmate at RCA Victor.

Dolly and her Uncle Bill Owens, who was instrumental in getting her career off the ground, wrote ‘Put It Off Until Tomorrow,’ a chart-topping hit in 1966 for country artist Bill Phillips who featured Dolly as the background vocalist on his recording.

'Hello, I'm Dolly'

The Band Perry Added to Dollywood’s Showcase of Stars

Joining the list of artists appearing at Dollywood’s Showcase of Stars is Tennessee’s own, The Band Perry

Dollywood hosts The Band Perry in concert as part of the Showcase of Stars concert series benefiting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. One of the most dynamic acts in music today, the sibling trio proved to be a powerful new force when they delivered their platinum self-titled debut: “The Band Perry,” which offered up five hit singles, including the quintuple-platinum chart-topper “If I Die Young.”

In recent years, the band has earned multiple awards from The Academy of Country Music, The Country Music Association, CMT Music Awards and The American Country Awards including a 2014 ACM award for Vocal Group of the Year. This is the first time the group from nearby Greeneville, Tennessee has performed at Dollywood.

The Band Perry will appear on Saturday, Sept. 19. Tickets are currently available to Dollywood season passholders only.

"Jolene" Next NBC Television Movie

Image by Curtis Hilbun

Dolly and NBC announced “Jolene” will be the next television movie in their series about Dolly’s life and songs

The news was shared at the NBCUniversal Television Critics Association Summer Tour held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Dolly and members of the cast of “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors” were on hand discussing the first film of the series, set to air during upcoming 2015 holiday season.

The song, “Jolene” was first released in 1973 as the first single to the 1974 album of the same name. It became her second No. 1 country single and went on to become one of her signature hits.

In live shows, Dolly oftenly tells fans she wrote the song after her husband started spending a lot of time at the bank talking to a red haired teller with green eyes. Dolly says with a laugh,

“I knew my husband was spending more time at the bank than we had money.”