Huge Dolly Parton News: Singer Announces Double Album and Concert Tour
We’re thrilled to report that Dolly Parton will be bringing her fans lots of music in 2016! Our favorite country star recently announced that she will be releasing a double album this year. As if that wasn’t enough, Dolly also revealed that she will be going on her largest tour in 25 years. Read on for everything you need to know about the latest Dolly Parton news.
Update: Pigeon Forge Show Announced
Dolly will be making a stop in Pigeon Forge during her upcoming tour! Parton will play at the LeConte Center at 7 p.m. on November 15, 2016. Pre-sale tickets will be available to Dollywood Season Pass holders beginning June 15. Tickets go on sale to the general public on July 1st and will be sold through Dollywood.com. You can see all of Dolly’s tour dates on her official website.
Dolly Pure & Simple
The idea for Dolly’s new album and tour came from a couple of benefit concerts she performed last year at the Ryman Auditorium and Dollywood. In these special concerts, Dolly abandoned her usual theatricality for more stripped down performances. Reflecting on the success of these shows, Dolly told The Tennessean newspaper, “People really liked it. They could hear good. They could see good.”
Expanding on this concept, Parton has planned a tour entitled “Dolly Pure & Simple”. Fans will hear their favorite songs in a whole new way: with acoustic arrangements and no distractions. Dolly notes that these simple versions of her hits will be closer to the way she originally wrote them. Summing up the concerts, Parton explained,“I’m doing a lot of songs that are really scaled down and I’m doing a lot of talking. What else would I do?”
The Pure & Simple tour will take Dolly all around North America with over 60 concerts. While the official schedule hasn’t been released yet, Parton mentioned that there will definitely be stops in North Carolina, Texas, California, New York, Minnesota, and Canada. The tour will begin in May and run through December.
To complement the tour, Dolly will also release a double album: “Pure & Simple with Dolly’s Biggest Hits”. The record will combine new songs with stripped down versions of the chart topping songs that made Parton a megastar. Fans can expect the new album this summer.
More Dolly Parton News
Dolly Parton never slows down! Here is a quick look at everything going on with our Smoky Mountain hometown hero:
- The brand new Lightning Rod roller coaster will open at Dollywood this March. Reaching speeds of up to 73 miles per hour, this hot rod themed ride will be the fastest wooden coaster in the world!
- The hit TV movie “Coat of Many Colors” will be released on DVD on May 3. With over 15.9 million viewers, the program was the most-watched movie on broadcast television since 2012.
- Dolly is currently executive producing another TV movie for NBC inspired by her hit song “Jolene”. The movie will be written by Jon Scaret Young, an Emmy winner known for his work on The West Wing.
- A Broadway musical based on Dolly’s life is in development. Dolly is no stranger to Broadway: the 2009 adaptation of her movie “Nine to Five” was nominated for four Tony Awards.
- Dolly and her husband Carl Dean will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in May. The couple will observe the occasion with a special vow renewal ceremony at their beautiful estate in Brentwood, TN.
Be sure to check our blog for all of the latest Dolly Parton news throughout the year!
