Back in 1973, there was a girl from Tennessee

February 19, 2018 12:56 AM

'Dolly Said No To Elvis' by Mark Nevin (ex Fairground Attraction), animated by Heather Colbert ... being the true story of the time a certain singer songwriter turned down The Colonel. It proved to be the right decision.
posted by fearfulsymmetry (11 comments total)

My hope for Dolly is that as our culture develops a greater measure of respect for women, time will also improve our perspective on her work. That way, more folks can look past her joking, winking persona and pay her the proper due as one of our living legends. She's a prodigious talent.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:54 AM on February 19, 2018 [22 favorites]

Dolly's version from 1974.
posted by Catblack at 8:05 AM on February 19, 2018 [3 favorites]

Helluva songwriter, and I always stump for her extraordinary Imagination Library childhood literacy project. (Started in Tennessee in 1995, now in other states as well as in Canada, the UK, and Australia; mails more than 1 million free books each month.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:06 AM on February 19, 2018 [10 favorites]

Dolly's version from 1974.

Dolly re-recorded the song for the soundtrack of the film "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ_dn3swCVU

The track was again issued as a single and topped the U.S. country charts in September 1982, making Dolly the first artist ever to earn a number one record twice with the same song.
posted by MrJM at 11:10 AM on February 19, 2018 [6 favorites]

I think it was re-issued in 1982 because she was singing it regularly on her network variety show.

Side note: can we get Dolly a new network variety show? kthxbye.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:43 AM on February 19, 2018 [3 favorites]

"...making Dolly the first artist ever to earn a number one record twice with the same song."

Don't forget about Chubby Checker's "The Twist"!
posted by frodisaur at 11:56 AM on February 19, 2018

I heard Dolly talk about this during a concert I was lucky enough to see a few years back. I always loved this song, and when I found out that she wrote it to Porter Wagoner after their professional partnership split it made me love it even more. It's a song that always hits me right in the feels. (And speaking of feels, this acoustic version by Chris Cornell certainly hits hard.)

Dolly is a national treasure.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 11:58 AM on February 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Here’s a link to (frustratingly only the second part of) the Drunk History episode about Dolly Parton and “I Will Always Love You”.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:01 PM on February 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Side note: can we get Dolly a new network variety show? kthxbye.

I'd be wary of any variety show by Dolly Parton, considering she still happily leaves her name on the Dixie Stampede.
posted by xyzzy at 2:20 PM on February 19, 2018

It’s just called Dolly Parton’s Stampede now. They may be changing the show...in some way.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 3:55 PM on February 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

Dolly Parton also said no to Peter Gabriel, but not because he wanted to sing one of songs. Instead he sang "Don't Give Up" with Kate Bush.

I still wonder what that duet would have been like.
posted by grimjeer at 5:55 PM on February 19, 2018 [2 favorites]