<p><strong><i>The Superstar Dolly Parton Tops Billboard&#8217;s Top Country Albums Chart For The First Time In The 25-Year History Of SoundScan!</i></strong></p>
<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 30, 2016) – World-renowned singer/songwriter/entertainer <strong>Dolly Parton</strong> has a worldwide #1 album to celebrate this week. The superstar’s new release <i>Pure &; Simple</i> debuts at #1 not only in the U.S., but, also on the national country charts in Canada, U.K. and Australia.</p>
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-657" src="http://www.countrymusicnewsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/dolly-parton.jpg" alt="dolly-parton" width="200" height="120" />Dolly’s 43rd studio recording and the first release of her recently-announced joint venture between Dolly Records and Sony Music Nashville, achieves #1 on <i>Billboard</i>’s Top Country Albums chart with first-week sales of 20,000 units! This marks the first time Dolly has topped <i>Billboard</i>’s Top Country Albums chart in the 25-year history of SoundScan.</p>
<p>The new album which released August 19th on Dolly Records/RCA Nashville lands the #11 slot on the all-genre <i>Billboard</i> 200 chart with a first-week total consumption of 21,000. On <i>Billboard</i>’s Americana/Folk Albums chart, the disc debuts at #1. In the UK, <i>Pure &; Simple</i> enters the all-genre album sales chart at #2, behind Frank Ocean’s <i>Blonde</i>.</p>
<p>Upon hearing the news, Dolly Parton, who co-produced and wrote every song on <i>Pure &; Simple</i>, enth used, &#8220;Boy, it&#8217;s a good day for me. I am a happy girl!&#8221; She continued, &#8220;It feels great to be #1 as it&#8217;s been a long time and it feels so good to still be in the game after all this time.&#8221;</p>
<p>Remarked Doug Morris, CEO, Sony Music Entertainment, “Congratulations, Dolly, for your stunning debut with <i>Pure &; Simple.</i>You put your heart and soul in this album, and we join you in celebrating a long-overdue #1 on the country album chart.”</p>
<p>“I thought it was a magical time back in 1981, when I first started working with Dolly as we set up her <i>Best Little Whorehouse</i> album on RCA, right after her huge hit, ‘9 To 5,’” reflected Randy Goodman, Chairman &; CEO, Sony Music Nashville. “I spent a week with her on the RCA jet visiting radio and retail all over the country.” Goodman continued, “But, to be reunited with Dolly and have a #1 debut is wonderful. Thank you, Doug Morris for bringing Dolly back to RCA.”</p>
<p>CTK Management CEO Danny Nozell said, &#8220;There is nobody more deserving of this tremendous success. Having worked with Dolly for the past 13 years, I have never met any person that works harder than her.” Nozell added, “She is a businesswoman that understands her brand and knows exactly what to do and when to do it, and once again, she proves it with a #1 album.&#8221;</p>
<p>Last week, Dolly Parton made appearances on NBC’s Today and Tonight Show, among other TV shows.</p>
<p>Fans can link to purchase <i>Pure &; Simple</i> and the various versions available by exclusive partners below:</p>
<p>Cracker Barrel: <a href="http://websterpr.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bf141dbbd818f4f933816b13a&;id=1eaaf3dd62&;e=bfb4cc2cdd">smarturl.it/dollycbps</a><br />
<a title="Walmart" href="https://walmrt.us/403RWTj">Walmart</a>: <a href="http://websterpr.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=bf141dbbd818f4f933816b13a&;id=78db152f8e&;e=bfb4cc2cdd">smarturl.it/walmartdolly</a><br />
<a title="Amazon" href="https://amzn.to/3wEOfbC">Amazon</a> Music: <a href="http://websterpr.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=bf141dbbd818f4f933816b13a&;id=c1ceeab197&;e=bfb4cc2cdd">smarturl.it/amzmusicdolly</a><br />
<a title="Amazon" href="https://amzn.to/3wEOfbC">Amazon</a> Physical: <a href="http://websterpr.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=bf141dbbd818f4f933816b13a&;id=3f61caf3cf&;e=bfb4cc2cdd">smarturl.it/amazondolly</a><br />
Apple Music: <a href="http://websterpr.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=bf141dbbd818f4f933816b13a&;id=9b0bb37456&;e=bf b4cc2cdd">smarturl.it/dollypartonps</a><br />
Google: <a href="http://websterpr.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bf141dbbd818f4f933816b13a&;id=e4a65a2cb8&;e=bfb4cc2cdd">smarturl.it/gpdolly</a><br />
Spotify: <a href="http://websterpr.us1.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=bf141dbbd818f4f933816b13a&;id=1224861e18&;e=bfb4cc2cdd">smarturl.it/spotifydolly</a></p>
<p><a title="Walmart" href="https://walmrt.us/403RWTj">Walmart</a>’s special version of <i>Pure &; Simple</i> includes a bonus disc, featuring Dolly’s greatest hits and exclusive tracks. The Cracker Barrel deluxe version contains her <i>Pure &; Simple</i>album complemented by two tracks, the smash hits “Jolene” and “9 To 5” recorded live at Glastonbury Festival, a long with a 48-page ZinePak magazine filled with photos and interviews highlighting memorable stories from Parton.</p>
<p>ABOUT DOLLY PARTON<br />
An internationally renowned superstar, the iconic and irrepressible Dolly Parton has contributed countless treasures to the world of entertainment. All-inclusive sales of singles, albums, hits collections, paid digital downloads and compilation usage during her illustrious career have topped a staggering 100 million records worldwide. Achieving 25 RIAA certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards, Dolly has had 25 songs reach No. 1 on the Billboard Country charts, a record for a female artist. Dolly has garnered 7 Grammy Awards, 10 Country Music Association Awards, 5 Academy of Country Music Awards, 3 American Music Awards and is one of only five female artists to win the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award. Making her film debut i n the 1980 hit comedy “9 to 5,” Dolly earned rave reviews for her performance and an Oscar nomination for writing the title tune, along with her second and third Grammy Awards. Roles in “Steel Magnolias,” “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” “Rhinestone,” and “Straight Talk” followed. Dolly saw a cherished dream become a reality in 1986 with the opening of her own theme park, Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. In 1988, Dolly began the Dollywood Foundation which funds Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library across America and in Canada by giving every preschool child a book each month from the time he or she is born until the child reaches kindergarten. Currently 60,000,000 books are mailed to children in the US, Canada and throughout the UK. In 1999, Dolly was inducted as a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. She has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 2004, the U.S. Library of Congress presented her with their Living Legend Award for her contribution to the cultural heritage of the United States. In December 2015, more than 13 million tuned into “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors” and was the most-watched film on broadcast networks since May 2012. To learn more about this American icon, visit <a href="http://websterpr.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=bf141dbbd818f4f933816b13a&;id=d72850621a&;e=bfb4cc2cdd">DollyParton.com</a></p>