Sunday Morning Country Classic Spotlight To Feature Dolly Parton

Join me for the Sunday Morning Country Classic Spotlight on September 7th.  We'll be featuring the life and music of Dolly Parton at 11 a.m.  The Country Classic Show kicks off at 9 a.m.

With their strong feminine stance in the 1960's and 1970's, Dolly Parton, along with fellow pioneers Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette, revolutionized the world of country music for women performers.

Dolly grew up poor in rural Appalachia as one of 12 children.  Her childhood figured very strongly in her ambition to escape her circumstances.  After high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue music.  She has won a number of country music and Grammy awards, and starred in the hit films, '9 to 5' and 'Steel Magnolias.' She opened Dollywood theme park in 1986 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000.

Dolly's singing career really started to take off in 1967 when she partnered with Porter Wagoner on the Porter Wagoner Show.   They became a very popular duo and the pair recorded several country hits together.  Parton reached the top of her mainstream success in the 1980's.

She starred in the 1980 hit comedy '9 to 5,' which not only marked her film debut but she also contributed to the soundtrack.  The title song became a number one hit for Parton on several charts and earned her an Academy award nomination.

She starred in 'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' in 1982 which helped introduce a new generation to her song, I Will Always Love You.  In 1983 she scored another major smash with her duet with Kenny Rogers, Islands in the Stream.

Make sure to mark this on your calendar, it's a must see. Great Theatre Company presents '9 to 5: The Musical' now through September 21st at the Paramount Theatre in downtown St. Cloud.  This hilarious new musical is the story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era.