9 The Living Legend

Chapter 9 The Living Legend The Living Legend Award from the Music City News had been given to many of Dolly's heroes like Johnny Cash and Tammy Wynette. In 1994, Dolly won it! That same year, while still making hit records, she published an autobiography, a children's book, and started her own recording label, Blue Eye Records! She worked with other stars, young and old such as Loretta Lynn, Neil Diamond, and Billy Ray Cyrus, whose daughter, Miley, is Dolly's goddaughter.

Dolly is never afraid to try something new. She has worked with non country artists like Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Norah Jones. She did an album of patriotic songs called For God and Country. She also did albums that included sixties hits like John Lennon's "Imagine." Dolly went back to her roots again and made very successful bluegrass albums. She even sang a bluegrass version of Carl's favorite Led Zeppelin song, "Stairway to Heaven," though Carl was honest and told her he didn't like it. Between recording sessions, Dolly and Carl

sometimes got away with their dog in a camper van, staying in motels and eating in diners. Dolly would go in disguise... she wore no makeup! However, even when she wasn't working, Dolly couldn't stop being creative. On one three-week "vacation," Dolly wrote thirty-seven songs! In 1999, Dolly was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Usually, the award is given to people at the end of their career, but not Dolly! She was only fifty-six, and she was just getting rolling! In her acceptance speech Dolly joked, "I thought you had to be ugly or dead to get in."

Sadly, a short time later, Dolly's father, Lee, died at age seventy-nine. She said he was the "best daddy a bunch of kids could ever have." Dolly dedicated an album to him, Little Sparrow. Only three years later, Dolly's mom, Avie Lee, died and was buried next to Lee. How wonderful that her parents lived long enough to see Dolly's big dreams come true. Far more than a popular performer, Dolly has come to be valued as a national treasure. In 2004 Dolly received her second Living Legend award, a medal from the US Library of Congress. It honors people who have made America a better place, like children's book author Maurice Sendak, astronaut Sally Ride, General Colin Powell, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and entertainer Bill Cosby. Then in 2005, Dolly was invited to the White House, where President George W. Bush would present her with the National Medal of Arts. In the United States, it's the highest award an artist can receive. But

Dolly had to pick up her award later... she was doing a concert in Oklahoma and, as always, performing for her fans came first. HOW DOLLY MAKES AN ALBUM

FOR A NEW ALBUM, DOLLY MAY COME INTO THE RECORDING STUDIO WITH ABOUT TWENTY-FIVE NEW SONGS. SHE WILL SING AND PLAY THEM ON GUITAR. WITH THE HELP OF PEOPLE IN THE STUDIO, SHE NARROWS THE NUMBER OF SONGS DOWN TO TWELVE OR SO. A PRODUCER THEN WRITES OUT THE SONGS FOR THE STUDIO MUSICIANS. DOLLY WILL SING FOR THEM SO THEY GET THE IDEA OF WHAT SHE WANTS. THEN THE MUSICIANS ADD THEIR OWN IDEAS AND REHEARSE FOR ABOUT A WEEK. FINALLY, DOLLY AND THE MUSICIANS ARE ABLE TO RECORD TOGETHER... SOMETIMES TWO SONGS IN A DAY. MAKING AN ALBUM DOESN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT!