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Sevierville is
the Hometown
of Country Music
Legend Dolly Parton
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Sevierville is well known for many different things. The shopping
capital of East Tennessee, Sevierville borders the most visited
National Park in the United States, Great Smoky Mountains National
Park, and is home to theatrical productions, attractions and
restaurants that run along the parkway making Sevierville a tourist
mecca.
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But Sevierville is also home to internationally known singer,
songwriter and entertainer Dolly Parton. Dolly grew up in
Sevierville, the fourth of 12 siblings. She knew at a young age
that she wanted to sing and entertain for a living. By the age
of 6, Dolly was singing live at WIVK radio station in nearby
Knoxville, Tennessee. She was also making weekly appearances at
Cas Walker’s Grocery Store, which still stands today and now
houses Goodwill Industries on the Parkway in Sevierville. Dolly
attended Sevier County High School and played drums in the
marching band. After graduating in 1964, Dolly packed her music
career hopes and dreams and moved to Nashville to become a star.
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Today, Dolly has written more than 3,000 songs, many of
which are number one hits. Dolly has 25 number one
country singles , 55 Top 10 country hits, 8 Top 40 pop
hits, 26 gold and platinum record awards, 7 Grammy
Awards (and 44 nominations), 11 CMA Awards, 2 Oscar
nominations (Best Song), 5 Golden Globe nominations (3
for acting), an Emmy nomination and more than 100
million records sold.
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In
1986, Dolly wanted to do something for the folks in her
Tennessee mountain home. Partnering with Herschend
Family Entertainment, Dolly opened her
Dollywood family theme park in nearby Pigeon Forge,
Tennessee. This 150 acre park has grown adding new
rides, shows, restaurants and festivals in the past 25
years.
Only two years after Dollywood opened, Dolly cut the ribbon on her
Dixie Stampede dinner attraction, also located in
Pigeon Forge. This dinner and show proved so popular
that additional Dixie Stampede attractions were also
opened in Myrtle Beach, SC and Branson, MO. The show
features a friendly rivalry between the North and South
with 32 magnificent horses plus ostriches, pigs, a herd
of authentic Texas longhorns and, new for 2010, a
lumberjack competition called Rumble in the Treetops.
In 2001, Dolly opened the third of her Dollywood
companies in Sevier County.
Dollywood’s Splash Country instantly received
“splashing” reviews with kids and parents alike. This 35
acre park, filled with slides, a lazy river and wave
pool, is open late May through early September each
year.
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Education and imagination are cornerstones of success.
In 1996, Dolly Parton launched an exciting new
effort to benefit the children of her home
county in East Tennessee, Sevier County. Dolly
wanted to foster a love of reading among her
county’s preschool children and their families.
She wanted children to be excited about books
and feel the magic they can create. Moreover,
she wanted to ensure that every child would have
books regardless of their family’s income.
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With the
introduction of
Dolly’s Imagination Library, Dolly began
mailing a brand new, age appropriate book each
month to every child under the age of five in
Sevier County. With the arrival of every child’s
first book, the classic “The Little Engine That
Could” TM, every child could experience the joy
of finding their very own book in their mailbox.
By the time each participating child entered
Kindergarten, he or she had a 60-volume library
of books. The last book of the collection, “Look
Out Kindergarten, Here I Come,” prepared them
for school.
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Needless to
say, the program has been a success. So
much so that many other communities
clamored to provide the Imagination
Library to their children. Dolly thought
long and hard about it and decided to
help develop a way for other communities
to participate. With Penguin Group USA
as the exclusive publisher for the
Imagination Library, the program is now
replicated in 1,200 communities
throughout the U.S., Canada and the
United Kingdom.
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Dolly has also been a major supporter of
healthcare in Sevier County. She is the
honorary chairperson of
The Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation,
named for the doctor who delivered Dolly
and helped establish adequate healthcare
facilities in Sevier County.
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Appreciation for Dolly can be
seen throughout Sevierville and
Sevier County. Dolly Parton
Parkway is a major thoroughfare
in Sevierville and one of the
most beloved statues in
Sevierville is the statue of
Dolly Parton on the courthouse
lawn. The statue, sculpted by
local artist Jim Gray and
unveiled by Dolly herself on May
2, 1987, features a young Dolly
barefoot strumming a guitar.
Dolly proclaimed the dedication
of the statue as her proudest
moment in a recent
CMT Special.
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For more
information about Dolly Parton- |
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