Dolly Parton initiated the "Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund". It is a musical telethon that will be aired on Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. ET via Great American Country (GAC) network. The show aims to gather funds, which will go directly to the Dollywood Foundation My People Fund, which would provide $1,000 each month to the families of Sevier Country, East Tennessee. The musical telethon will showcase the performances from Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers, Alison Krauss, and Dolly Parton.
Dolly Parton will also be joined by more famous artists like Chris Stapleton, Chris Young, Big & Rich, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, LoCash, Chris Janson and Montgomery Gentry. Furthermore, the three hour live national musical telethon will be broadcasted through NASH Nights Live, iHeart Media digital and terrestrial stations as well as in TuneIn's Country Roads channel.
Last Dec. 9, 2016, the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and ACM Lifting Lives, a charitable organization together with the "I Don't Want To Live Forever" singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift have donated $200,000 to Dolly Parton's foundation. Also, the "Setting The World On Fire" country singer, Kenny Chesney and the Country Music Association (CMA) have also contributed $500,000 to the Dollywood Foundation.
Dolly Parton grew up in Sevier County, Tennessee. She began her career at a young age by singing on local radio and television programs in Eastern Tennessee. She also put up many business ventures such as the Dollywood theme park, Imagination Library, Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, and Dollywood's Splash Country waterpark in Pigeon Forge at the Smoky Mountain.
The 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires are caused by Chimney Tops 2 Fire and Cobbly Nob blaze, which have claimed 14 lives, injured 145 people, and destroyed 2,400 buildings. Dolly Parton feels blessed that her businesses have been sparred from the wildfire.
