Dolly Parton photo courtesy of Sugar Hill Records
April 6, 2007 — Dolly Parton is about to get another accolade, as she has been selected by the Songwriters Hall of Fame to receive this year's Johnny Mercer Award. The honor is presented to a songwriter "whose body of work is of such high quality and impact that it upholds the gold standard set by the legendary Johnny Mercer."
Dolly is already a member of the Hall of Fame, but the Mercer Award takes her stature up another notch, recognizing the high quality and impact of her songs. She will be honored June 7 at the annual awards dinner in New York. Previous recipients include Kris Kristofferson, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Hal David and Burt Bacharach.
"Dolly Parton exemplifies the term 'songwriter's songwriter,'" Hall of Fame officials said in their announcement. "She is greatly respected and admired by her peers and fans alike, both for her talent and her famously witty personality. Her songs have a straight-from-the-heart appeal combined with homespun poetry."