Dolly Parton Receives Kennedy Center Honor

Dolly Parton photo courtesy of Sugar Hill Records

December 5, 2006--The Tennessean reports that Dolly Parton was celebrated as a groundbreaking icon of the American arts last Sunday night during the 29th annual Kennedy Center Honors program. Dolly, 60, joined singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson, film director and producer Steven Spielberg, musical theater composer and producer Andrew Lloyd Webber and conductor Zubin Mehta in receiving the nation's highest arts award.

Actress Reese Witherspoon, a Volunteer State native, spoke in Dolly's honor, noting that she'd always felt a kinship with the writer and performer of songs including "Jolene," "I Will Always Love You" and "Coat of Many Colors."

"She was blond, I was blond," Witherspoon said. "She was from Tennessee, I was from Tennessee. She had an amazing figure ? I was from Tennessee."

Although Dolly recently described her rise from humble East Tennessee roots to superstardom as a trip "from grindstone to rhinestone," Reba McEntire talked of Dolly as "the diamond in a business filled with rhinestones."

"Once, a woman in Nashville was told what song to sing, in what clothes and just how to sit on the stool while singing it," McEntire said.

"Because of Dolly, we're here writing, producing and singing our own music ? not to mention finding ourselves in movies and starring in our own television shows."

Kenny Rogers and CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Carrie Underwood sang together on a reinvention of "Islands In The Stream," a smash for Kenny and Dolly more than two decades ago.

Alison Krauss formed a trio with Suzanne Cox and Cheryl White in singing "Jolene" and "My Tennessee Mountain Home." Alison then contributed harmony vocals on Shania Twain's version of "Coat of Many Colors."

The biggest musical surprise of Dolly's session came when pop starlet and reality star Jessica Simpson offered her breathy take on Parton's movie theme "9 To 5," while the set's emotional highlight came on Vince Gill's soaring "I Will Always Love You."

When Vince finished, the audience stood to applaud and Parton spread her arms wide, smiled and bowed, accepting an ovation that came without her having to sing a note.

Faith Hill was not a part of Sunday night's celebration, but she weighed in several weeks ago on Dolly's influence. "If you considered her only as a songwriter, she's done enough there to be a legend," Faith said. "I mean, what if it was only one song? What if she'd only written 'Coat of Many Colors'? That would be enough, but she's done so, so much more than that."

In an afternoon reception at the White House, President Bush praised Dolly and the other honorees for "enriching the cultural life of our country."