Dolly Parton Special | Today's Nashville

Welcome to a very special edition of today's Nashville this is faith. Today we take a moment to honor the great Dolly Parton who has graduated to heaven to be with the Lord. We are going to bring you an interview with Terry Squires who sat down with Dolly to talk about her faith and music. We will also have a special segment with Bill Anderson who shares all about his special song and video recording with Dolly. Finally, we will feature Cindy Morgan with her tribute to Dolly as she covers Dolly's song, I will always love you. Kick back, reflect, and enjoy this half hour featuring Dolly Parton on today's Nashville. Let's go. >> [music] >> She rose from rags to riches. Dolly Parton. We know her as the most honored female country performer of all time. A singer, a songwriter, a record producer, actress, author, businesswoman, and [music] philanthropist. Her awards are endless. Eight Grammy awards, two Academy Award nominations, 10 [music] CMA awards, 47 Grammy nominations, and many more. In 1999, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of [music] Fame. Today she continues to inspire others with her smile, faith, and [music] music. This is her story for friends sharing friends. Dolly, it is such an honor and blessing to be here with you today. You have a new CD coming out. It's so exciting. I believe in you. >> Yeah. >> Tell me about it. It's a children's album and I've been writing songs for years for children because I have a program, my literacy program called the Imagination Library where we give books to children from the time they're born till they five years old. So, every time we give books away, I write a song about that subject. And so, through the years, I've accumulated all these songs. Plus, I write for my little nieces and nephews. So, I just had all these songs. And when we found out we were about to give away our 100 millionth book, >> I thought what a perfect time to put this album out and we had uh the code of many colors, the two movies I did uh for yeah for and with all the children in that uh it was just seemed to be like a really really good time. These songs are very positive, very uplifting and spiritual in their way. >> Talking about the code of many colors, tell me about that. Well, the true story of the coat of many colors is a song that's followed me through the years. It's a true story about a little coat that mama made. My mother was very uh very spiritual, very religious. My grandpa being a church god preacher, Pentecostal preacher. So, we grew up in in the church and believing that uh through God all things were possible. And mama just always would read these stories from the Bible and she would give us examples of things. So when she had made me this little coat that I needed for real to make me proud of it, she told me that story about Joseph and the coat of many colors from the Bible. >> So that's kind of how that came along. But the kids didn't think I looked a lot like Joseph and they laughed in my coat and it hurt my feelings. But u there's a song in this CD called making fun ain't funny. And it's kind of based on that idea of making fun of kids and bullying other kids. So this whole album has little things that have good messages for children in them the way my mama used to do. >> What inspired you or or did anybody a certain person inspire you to do the >> CD >> to do the CD? >> The children's well just the whole program itself that I work with children and that you know these children need uh you know messages and just the whole idea that this day and time that was another reason I decided to do it. Now, I just think the world has just got so much craziness and so much darkness in it. I wanted to be able to bring a little light and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do musically as an artist, you know, with as a grown-up artist. And I wanted to do something that was bright and special. And these little songs are actually good for the parents, too. I think the parents are going to get as much out of it as the kids do because all the songs are, you know, kind of like a little message and a little they're singable, but they have something to say. Which song on the CD is closest to your heart? >> Well, the one closest to me is for personal reasons. It's called Chemo Hero. I had one of my little nieces, Hannah Dennis, when she was four years old. She got leukemia until she was nine. We weren't sure that she was going to make it. And so, I used to write all these songs for her to kind of pass the time and fun, positive, uplifting little things where she's my chemo hero. She's 29 now. So she she's definitely made it. And so at Vanderbilt, you know, the hospital here, they took such good care of her. So, uh, that little song special. And there's another one called Brave Little Soldier that I wrote for her as well. But it's about children that are going through things like possibly divorces or just uh any number of things that kids go through, abuse or whatever. This song uh those little songs are good. But the others are just fun. They're teaching songs, you know, about responsibility, friendship, sharing, caring, giving, and they're just bright and and uh lively. >> Well, tell me a little bit about your faith. >> Well, as I mentioned earlier, my grandpa was preacher. So, my grandpa pastored this little church called the House of Prayer. [snorts] And so, he was a very positive, uplifting person. And I learned to love Jesus. and Jesus learned that Jesus loved me when I was a little bitty kid and all those things that mama used to say, you know, that through God all things are possible. I kept all those things kind of tucked away into my subconscious mind and in my heart and those are the things that have helped me through the years. I never do anything that I don't pray about it. >> And I always ask God to lead me and to show me and direct me into what I'm doing and to bring all the good and the right people into my life. and to take all the bad and good things out and just to kind of guide me to to do things that would glorify him and to uplift mankind. That's my mission. >> And you've done this so much to help people with the the fires and just giving so much of your >> Well, we should do that. You know, I'm certainly no angel. Lord knows I'm not. I mean I but I believe in in something greater than myself and I do believe in prayer and I do believe in forgiveness and I do believe that uh God is there for us and like a you know we all need to believe in something you know bigger than us and I believe uh that there is and I I depend on that. So if somebody was listening, and I know a lot of people will be listening to this, what would you say to them to encourage them and inspire them? >> Well, I would just say you just need to try to find all the good in life, you can. You see something wrong, try to make it right. If you see something bad, try to make it good or at least kind of throw some sort of light on whatever darkness that you you see. Just try to make things a little better. Treat people a little nicer. Love a little more. pray. Pray a little harder. >> And I just think we should just try a little more to to be better people, especially this day and time. >> Yeah, there's a lot going on. >> We're all God's kids. >> And you have one song on there about bullying, right? >> Yeah. That's the one called making fun ain't funny. And that was kind of based to off of the code of many colors, knowing that, but also because of all the bullying going on this day and time. Even online, little kids are being so bullied, they're committing suicide, you know, they're just but just the bullies are just not good. But you have to teach them. They're just children, too. You know, the little bullies in the world, they've never learned evidently that they're not supposed to do that. So, that's what some of these songs are trying to teach them, that it's that's not okay. There is a better way. And here's what you you know, here's what you need to do to love the difference in in each other. and you know, love everybody for who and what they are because we're not all the same. And that's what makes life good. That's what makes life special is that things are different. If everybody was alike, what a boring old world that'd be. >> Tell me u what's next for you. >> I don't really know for sure. I'm actually been doing some TV things, producing, probably maybe do some more of that. I hope to write some more. I've been hoping to write for with some other artists and I've got a musical of my life story that I'm trying to put on its feet and so I'm going to be doing that and eventually I want to have cosmetic wigs, makeup, clothes line and uh do some more children's things hopefully. >> Thank you so much for being with us today. >> Well, thank you for having me. My friends, I want to encourage you that God has a plan and a purpose for your life and he wants you to share your talents and gifts with [music] others. I hope you enjoyed that interview with Terry and Dolly. Next, we bring you an interview with Bill Anderson discussing the song duet he recorded with Dolly and the music video entitled Someday It Will All Makes Sense. Let's take a look. >> Let's talk about some of your successes because I mean it's still going on. >> Well, I just got nominated for a Grammy award. I didn't win, but >> I know I you know, I was trying to get you on my show and it's like where is he? And we turned on the TV and my husband said, "Well, he's at the Grammys." So, [laughter] >> yeah, I got to go out there. Dolly Parton and I did a duet together of a song called Someday It'll All Make Sense last year and we got a Grammy nomination. >> Let's talk about that because I saw the video. I love First of all, I love the song. >> Thank you. >> And I love the video. I mean, it was it's just beautiful. >> Thank you. >> Did you write that song? >> I wrote it with with two other guys. I got into co-writing after I kind of got back into music a little bit a few years ago and I do a lot of songs with other people. I wrote Someday It'll All Makes Sense with the Bobby Tombberlin and Ryan Lkins and Dolly heard it. It it was amazing because Bobby Tamberlain, one of the co-writers, was good friends or is good friends with a lady named Cheryl Riddle who was a dear friend of mine as well as Dolly's hair stylist. And Bobby played Someday It'll All Sense. I cut it by myself to start with and he played my version of it for Cheryl and Cheryl says, "Dolly's got to hear this." And she took it to Dolly. Next thing I knew, Dolly put her voice on it and sent it back to me and it was just like an angel from heaven. I mean, you talk about an answered prayer. I didn't even dare to pray for something like that and it happened. Anyway, >> what's the song all about? >> Well, basically what it says is kind of summed up in the title. No matter what we go through in life, we don't understand it. I mean, it starts off with the the singer being angry. He said, "I was was angry. I was shaking my fist at at the heavens. You know, I was doesn't say what he was angry about, but he was angry." And then and then suddenly this this voice speaks to him and says, you know, don't worry about it. Someday it'll all make sense. It's kind of a modern-day version of the old song called Farther Along. Farther along we'll know all about it. Farther along we'll understand why. And this one just says uh someday the picture will come into focus and we'll see it all plain and clear. So it talks about faith, you know, when we come together in the place he has for us where the pain and the hurt disappear. >> So that's what it's about. And Dolly and I both felt this song very strongly. She's a person of of great faith as you know. >> Yeah. I had the privilege to interview her years ago uh just for a little she wasn't on the show but I just loved her faith too. >> You know what I love about Dolly and I've told people this since we did the record and since the video came out Dolly takes what she does her work her craft very seriously. But Dolly doesn't take Dolly very seriously. Dolly cuts up and has more fun. We were in the studio doing this very serious song and she's cutting up and cracking jokes and entertaining everybody that's on the set and then when it comes time to be professional and to do her part then she knows how to do that. I admire that so much. >> Yeah. I Everybody loves Dolly. >> Yeah. >> Everybody loves Bill too. Oh, [laughter] >> but I do the the song is very touching and I think a lot of people really don't understand sometime and they get angry and they you know even tragedies that we have seen this week we don't understand why why is this happening. >> Yeah. >> But someday you know >> it'll all make sense. Well that's that's faith. That's not just believing that he can. It's knowing that he will. I stared at the heavens, my heart full of anger, so mad. I was shaking my fist. Went out of [singing] the darkness. [music] A voice soft and tender said, "Someday it'll all [music and singing] make sense. Right now I've got questions without [singing] any answers. my faith out there [singing] riding the fence. But I've got to [music] believe in what I can't [music] see. Someday it'll all [music] make sense. Someday the picture will come [singing and music] into focus and we'll see it all plain clear. When we come [singing] together >> in the place he [music] has for us where the pain and the hurt disappear. Someday we'll laugh at these roads that we've traveled. I am [singing] completely convinced that [singing] hope never dies or goes [music and singing] out of fashion. Someday it'll [singing] all make sense. >> [music] >> Someday the picture will [singing] come in focus and we'll [music] see [singing] it all plainly clear. When we come [singing] together in the place he has [music and singing] for us, >> where the pain and the hurt disappear. Someday [music] we'll laugh at these roads [music] that we've traveled. I am [singing] completely [music] convinced that hope never dies or goes [singing] out [music] of fashion. Someday it'll [singing] all make sense. It'll [singing] all make sense. What a beautiful story and amazing song. It truly is just like they sang. There are many things in life we can't understand. But hold on to hope that one day we will see them clearly. The pains we have suffered and the sacrifices we have made will pale in comparison to that glorious home our Dolly is now in. It is the impact of a life that will make a difference for the kingdom of God. And Dolly made a difference with her 80 years on this earth. We celebrate her life and ask you one question. Can you take what Dolly lived and be a little kinder, love a little harder, and spread God's light to humanity? Just look to heaven, hear the call, and do what God inspires. As we close this special time together, we bring you Cindy Morgan singing one of Dolly Parton's best known songs, I will always love you. Thanks for watching us on Cornerstone, and we celebrate the impact Dolly had for the kingdom of heaven. [applause] >> [applause] >> Thank you. Okay, so um I would love to do a song by another writer, probably one of my favorite songwriters of all time and really just one of my favorite artists and uh she's my East Tennessee girl, Dolly Parton. Um, and I got my start at Dollywood. Um, the first year that Dollywood was Dollywood, it used to be, uh, silver silver dollar city, but the first year that it became Dollywood, um, Dolly had this big talent contest. And so, and I sang Holy Ground and I go to the Rock. And, uh, and I ended up winning her contest, which won um, a contract to sing at Dollywood. And and so I wanted to do one of her songs that I can almost guarantee every one of you guys here know [singing] I would only [singing] be in your way. So I go, [singing] but I know I think of you every step of the way. And I will [singing] love you. will always love you. Bitter sweet memories. [music] That's all I am taking with me. [singing] >> [music] >> So I go, but I [singing] know I'll think of you and I'm not what you need. And I will love [singing] you. We'll love you. And I hope life treats you [singing] kind. And I hope you have [singing] all you dreamed of. [music] And I wish you joy. and happiness. But above all else, I wish you love [singing] and will [singing] love you. We'll [singing] always love you. We'll [singing] love you. [applause]