In 1988, Parton founded the Dollywood Foundation. In the early 1990s, the foundation promised $500 to every Appalachian Tennessee region students who graduated from high school. In doing so, she decreased the dropout
rate from 35% to 6%. Today, the initiative has morphed into serving many different causes, including Parton's Imagination Library, which has provided hundreds of millions of free books to children around the world, including Australia.
Also in 1988, Parton was inducted into the Songwriters HoF. Parton’s career scaled another peak when "Trio", recorded with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, won a Grammy for best country album in 1987. However in the same year,
her "Rainbow" album resulted in her deepest plunge yet into mainstream pop, although 1989’s more countrified "White Limozeen" (produced by Ricky Skaggs) retained or regained the loyalty of her grassroots following, highlighted by the
# 1 hit, 'Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That'.
Though the song was written by 2 men, Bob Carlisle and Randy Thomas, - as obviously it's usually men who sing about women who can stop traffic during a night on the town, Parton flips the script - and gets to show off her renowned wit and humour this time in song. It’s a fun, lighthearted ode to jealousy in a way that is distinctly Dolly. With its upbeat, cut-time drive and bouncing fiddle, it perfectly combines all of Dolly’s strengths - storytelling, an uptempo dance beat, and pure country sound - mixed with a dose of campiness and introducing the phrase “painted-on jeans”. The song also features one of Parton's funniest music videos, a reality show-style audition series that allows Dolly to show off her by now well honed comedic acting chops -
In 1991, Parton tapped country music veteran, Van Shelton for a duet of 'Rockin' Years' off the album "Eagle When
She Flies", earning Parton another # 1 hi - her 22nd. This is a sweet, nostalgic song where (then aged 45) she talks
about being much older, sitting in a rocking chair and reminiscing about all of the things that she has done throughout
her life. She speaks of some of the struggles that most people can identify with throughout their own lifetime, but also
of the joys. She also sings about the joys outweighing those struggles when it’s time to sit back in the twilight of one’s
life and look back at everything that’s happened. It plays like a pitch perfect throwback to Parton's early days singing duets with Porter Wagoner -
In Parton’s songwriting, faith and family recur frequently as repositories of strength in difficult times. Of all her series of "Tennessee songs", 'Smoky Mountain Memories', from her album, "Heartsongs: Live From Home", is perhaps the most soulful. A song reminiscent of Bobby Bare's great hit 'Detroit City' (see post # 464), it reflects on the hardships faced by several million poverty-stricken southern workers who travelled north in search of work and fortune after WW2, Parton routinely dedicates the song to the memory of her father, who lasted all of 2 weeks in the northern city before heading back to his mountain home - as she describes in the first 2 minutes of this clip before she sings one of her most personal songs about her childhood and family -
'Before The Next Teardrop Falls' was originally a classic recorded by Country-Tejano (Tex-Mex) great Freddy Fender in 1974. Parton covered it a little more than 20 years later, in 1996, including it on her covers album "Treasures". Parton's version featured vocals by David Hidalgo, who sang the Spanish lyrics. It's of the timeless country theme of a love lost to another and the bittersweet sentiments that go with still being in love with her and wishing her the best - with a proviso. It is quite the tear-jerker in its own right, something that Dolly Parton has become synonymous with - but notice how it also pays homage to the songs original bi-lingual Tejano origins -
Along the way through the 1990's, despite her never fully abandoning her country roots, as we've just seen with these selections, Dolly, by continuing to also record and pop lots of (increasingly dated sounding) pop stuff, ultimately lost much of her core country audience (as well as the ever shallow and fickle pop fans) to the point that in 1997 she dissolved her fan club, which had once been one of the staunchest in country music. But Parton’s career - and her appeal to fans of hard-core country - proved to far from over, as she changed direction again. Beginning in 1999 she returned to the
music of her youth and began rebuilding a tradition-minded fan base with a series of critically acclaimed bluegrass albums, starting with "The Grass Is Blue". It was named Album of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association and won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. The same year, 1999, Parton was inducted into the
Country Music HoF.
The series of bluegrass albums reinvigorated Parton's career and her audience. "Little Sparrow" from 2001, in a similar style to "The Grass Is Blue", but even better, marked Dolly's return to pure country music after her long tango with pop material. Also the title of her second bluegrass album, 'Little Sparrow' has a soulful, acoustic style that echoes Dolly's Appalachian roots, saying on its release - "These are the songs I came out of the mountains singing and moved to Nashville and tried to make a living with. You can't make much money with this music, but it feels good to be back
singing it". But contrary to her prediction, she ended up making a lot of money with this music -
Tomorrow will see Dolly Parton's career continue into the 21st century with her return to authentic country music - and still able to chart despite the mainstream country music market being mostly taken over (thanks to dishonest marketing by major recording companies) by insipid pop music, creating a record no other artist has matched.
rate from 35% to 6%. Today, the initiative has morphed into serving many different causes, including Parton's Imagination Library, which has provided hundreds of millions of free books to children around the world, including Australia.
Also in 1988, Parton was inducted into the Songwriters HoF. Parton’s career scaled another peak when "Trio", recorded with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, won a Grammy for best country album in 1987. However in the same year,
her "Rainbow" album resulted in her deepest plunge yet into mainstream pop, although 1989’s more countrified "White Limozeen" (produced by Ricky Skaggs) retained or regained the loyalty of her grassroots following, highlighted by the
# 1 hit, 'Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That'.
Though the song was written by 2 men, Bob Carlisle and Randy Thomas, - as obviously it's usually men who sing about women who can stop traffic during a night on the town, Parton flips the script - and gets to show off her renowned wit and humour this time in song. It’s a fun, lighthearted ode to jealousy in a way that is distinctly Dolly. With its upbeat, cut-time drive and bouncing fiddle, it perfectly combines all of Dolly’s strengths - storytelling, an uptempo dance beat, and pure country sound - mixed with a dose of campiness and introducing the phrase “painted-on jeans”. The song also features one of Parton's funniest music videos, a reality show-style audition series that allows Dolly to show off her by now well honed comedic acting chops -
In 1991, Parton tapped country music veteran, Van Shelton for a duet of 'Rockin' Years' off the album "Eagle When
She Flies", earning Parton another # 1 hi - her 22nd. This is a sweet, nostalgic song where (then aged 45) she talks
about being much older, sitting in a rocking chair and reminiscing about all of the things that she has done throughout
her life. She speaks of some of the struggles that most people can identify with throughout their own lifetime, but also
of the joys. She also sings about the joys outweighing those struggles when it’s time to sit back in the twilight of one’s
life and look back at everything that’s happened. It plays like a pitch perfect throwback to Parton's early days singing duets with Porter Wagoner -
In Parton’s songwriting, faith and family recur frequently as repositories of strength in difficult times. Of all her series of "Tennessee songs", 'Smoky Mountain Memories', from her album, "Heartsongs: Live From Home", is perhaps the most soulful. A song reminiscent of Bobby Bare's great hit 'Detroit City' (see post # 464), it reflects on the hardships faced by several million poverty-stricken southern workers who travelled north in search of work and fortune after WW2, Parton routinely dedicates the song to the memory of her father, who lasted all of 2 weeks in the northern city before heading back to his mountain home - as she describes in the first 2 minutes of this clip before she sings one of her most personal songs about her childhood and family -
'Before The Next Teardrop Falls' was originally a classic recorded by Country-Tejano (Tex-Mex) great Freddy Fender in 1974. Parton covered it a little more than 20 years later, in 1996, including it on her covers album "Treasures". Parton's version featured vocals by David Hidalgo, who sang the Spanish lyrics. It's of the timeless country theme of a love lost to another and the bittersweet sentiments that go with still being in love with her and wishing her the best - with a proviso. It is quite the tear-jerker in its own right, something that Dolly Parton has become synonymous with - but notice how it also pays homage to the songs original bi-lingual Tejano origins -
Along the way through the 1990's, despite her never fully abandoning her country roots, as we've just seen with these selections, Dolly, by continuing to also record and pop lots of (increasingly dated sounding) pop stuff, ultimately lost much of her core country audience (as well as the ever shallow and fickle pop fans) to the point that in 1997 she dissolved her fan club, which had once been one of the staunchest in country music. But Parton’s career - and her appeal to fans of hard-core country - proved to far from over, as she changed direction again. Beginning in 1999 she returned to the
music of her youth and began rebuilding a tradition-minded fan base with a series of critically acclaimed bluegrass albums, starting with "The Grass Is Blue". It was named Album of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association and won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. The same year, 1999, Parton was inducted into the
Country Music HoF.
The series of bluegrass albums reinvigorated Parton's career and her audience. "Little Sparrow" from 2001, in a similar style to "The Grass Is Blue", but even better, marked Dolly's return to pure country music after her long tango with pop material. Also the title of her second bluegrass album, 'Little Sparrow' has a soulful, acoustic style that echoes Dolly's Appalachian roots, saying on its release - "These are the songs I came out of the mountains singing and moved to Nashville and tried to make a living with. You can't make much money with this music, but it feels good to be back
singing it". But contrary to her prediction, she ended up making a lot of money with this music -
Tomorrow will see Dolly Parton's career continue into the 21st century with her return to authentic country music - and still able to chart despite the mainstream country music market being mostly taken over (thanks to dishonest marketing by major recording companies) by insipid pop music, creating a record no other artist has matched.