Country Music Hall of Fame announces new Dolly Parton exhibit
Why it matters: The song went on to become an all-time classic, making those papers a part of music history. Music fans will be able to see them and many other priceless artifacts from Parton's career at a new exhibit coming soon to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
State of play: "Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker" opens on May 20, the museum announced Wednesday. It will revisit turning points in Parton's 60-year career, like her first Grand Ole Opry appearance at 13 years old, her pop crossover and her star turn in the 1980 film "9 to 5."
What she's saying: Parton said the exhibit and its name summed up her unrelenting approach to music, professional endeavors and her personal life.
"I have always been a seeker in every way," she said in an announcement video.
"I'm always trying to find another mountain to climb."
Zoom in: Items in the exhibit include Parton's Kennedy Center Honors medallion, a 1930s Gibson guitar she received as a gift from her brother Floyd and the tape recorder she used while writing "Jolene," "I Will Always Love You" and "The Seeker."
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San Francisco Chronicle
7 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Lynn Ludlow, award-winning journalist and S.F. State professor, dies at 91
Longtime San Francisco journalist Lynn Ludlow loved newspapers. He loved writing for them, editing them, composing editorials for them, and making them better. And he loved showing generations of college journalism students how to do the same. He was a historian of the Old West, a lover of opera, a basketball fanatic and a mandolin player. He was as good at plinking out a tune from his vintage Gibson mandolin as he was at coaxing eloquence from his vintage Royal typewriter. And he loved telling stories about newspapers. He loved telling stories about anything. Most of the stories were long stories. Ludlow died of cancer on July 28 in his Bernal Heights home, just days after playing old tunes with old friends in his backyard. He was 91. Ludlow was born on Nov. 5, 1933, on a sugar beet farm in the Bitterroot Valley near Corvallis, Mont. His family moved in 1942 to San Francisco, where he grew up in North Beach, later moving to Mill Valley. Among the many lessons he taught his five children was to pick up the bill whenever possible, never turn your back to the ocean, and never, ever cross a picket line. 'What a writer, storyteller, musician and human,' said former San Francisco Examiner reporter Carol Ness. 'He always gave a hand up to younger journalists, and he always had time for people.' 'He was an ink stainer to the very end, and a terrific wordsmith,' recalled former Examiner reporter Corrie Anders. 'Lynn was a truly great writer and a warm, fun guy,' said his friend and fellow Chronicle staff member Kevin Fagan, who began playing tunes with Ludlow in 1985. 'He's never been anything less than a gentleman and preeminently good human being.' Most of Ludlow's journalism work was for the old Examiner, where he was a reporter and editor for four decades. As a general assignment reporter, he could be asked to cover anything — the shootings, ribbon cuttings, heists and fires that make up the grist of a daily paper. But he drew his share of big stories — Ludlow accompanied the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on his historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., covered the Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley and the assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, and interviewed the Beatles before their final concert as a touring band, at Candlestick Park in 1966. In 1989, he reported on the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake, writing the lead story during a power failure, using a borrowed headlamp so he could read his notes. 'The temblor struck at 5:04 p.m.,' Ludlow wrote, 'before the third game of the dream Bay Area World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's. With about 30 seconds of jolting, lurching and a kind of hopping motion, the dream dissolved into irrelevance.' A pair of his investigations — a probe of shady real estate practices in the sale of near-worthless lots and a 1976 look at abuses by corporate Central Valley farms of legislation designed to help small farmers — led to changes in state law. Ludlow kept a framed copy of three bills passed by the Legislature, and signed by Gov. Ronald Reagan, that permanently ended boondocks lot-sales flimflams in California. 'To Lynn Ludlow, whose brilliant journalism made these laws a reality,' read an accompanying note signed by Assembly Speaker Leo McCarthy. His assignments took him far afield: to Saigon after the Tet Offensive, to Ireland following the death of Bobby Sands, to Mexico during an economic crisis, and to an ancient battlefield in the Jezreel Valley in the Middle East. The article began, 'Things are quiet here in Armageddon …' As a beat reporter, rewrite man, investigative reporter, editorial writer and opinion editor, he won awards from the San Francisco Press Club, Scripps-Howard, the Associated Press, Consumer Action, the National Wildlife Federation and the American Political Science Association, among others. His passion for the outdoors and for the workings of San Francisco infrastructure led to a memorable series where Ludlow and artist Don McCartney followed the path of a drop of water from above the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park down the Tuolumne River to an ordinary faucet in a San Francisco home. The reporting — which involved hiking, canoeing and helicoptering — examined the tangled history of Northern California water politics along with the grandeur of the droplet's path through the Sierra and the small towns and local lore along the way. He kept a jar of the Tuolumne River on his desk for the rest of his life. After the 2000 merger of the Examiner with the San Francisco Chronicle, Ludlow joined the Chronicle, writing editorials and editing opinion pieces. To the issues of the day, he brought his characteristic insight and common sense, qualities often in short supply. 'Lives and careers were made better by this wonderful journalist and friend,' said former Examiner reporter and editor Stephen Cook. 'Young newsies at the Ex were blessed to have Lynn as a mentor and model.' For decades, Ludlow taught writing and editing at San Francisco State University, where he had once edited the student paper as an undergrad. He brought the sensibility of a working reporter into the classroom, served as adviser to the Phoenix student newspaper and co-founded the regional press review Feed/back. He taught at Columbia University and Dominican University, and helped organize a minority intern program at the Examiner in the 1970s and '80s. He saw it as part of his duties to find jobs for promising students, many of whom became lifelong friends. 'I owe him a lot as a teacher, mentor and friend,' recalled ex-student Leonel Sanchez, a former reporter at the San Diego Union-Tribune. 'People throw around words like 'beloved,' but Lynn really was beloved at San Francisco State,' said his friend of 60 years, Chronicle reporter and columnist Carl Nolte, who taught alongside Ludlow. 'Lynn loved his students, and they loved him. He was a super mentor. Besides being a terrific reporter, he had a social conscience.' Even after he retired in 2003, Ludlow never stopped researching and writing. On his desktop are books written, books in progress and books planned. A small fraction of his work can be found on his Substack newsletter, True Yarns, Ltd. Ludlow's interests were many and wide-ranging. In his youth, he was a long-distance runner, competing in the annual Dipsea Race, one year finishing in seventh place. He wielded both a pick as a ditchdigger at Mount Tamalpais State Park and a surrogate kithara in experimental composer Harry Partch's Gate 5 Ensemble. He was fond of wordplay, arias in Italian, the annual San Francisco Carnaval parade, long days at Stinson Beach, and hiking on Mount Tam and Point Lobos. He enjoyed Mitchell's ice cream and almond torte from Dianda's Bakery in the Mission. He was a lifetime subscriber to the San Francisco Opera and a longtime member of the West Point Inn, and he never missed a Golden State Warriors game. He admired historic murals, good puns and manual typewriters. He kept a collection of the latter on display in the Bernal Heights home he shared with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and a large white dog named Lucy. The family home also accommodated Ludlow's library of more than 3,000 books. Ludlow was a founding member of the Flapjacks, a musical troupe of family and friends who played traditional songs that were older than he was. His daughter Kenny Ludlow and son-in-law Kevin Owens played guitar, his son Paul sang, and his wife Margo plunked along on an antique stand-up bass fiddle. Countless musician friends from all areas of his life were proud to call themselves Flapjacks. For decades, the Flapjacks were regulars beneath the evergreens at Camp Mather, the San Francisco family camp just outside Yosemite, leading lively sing-alongs that lasted right up to — and occasionally beyond — lights-out hour. Ludlow returned to Camp Mather nearly every summer since the mid-1960s with, at various times, his five children and six grandchildren. He was an accomplished pianist who didn't read music but could play a song by ear after hearing it once. He sang with passion, played with precision, and had a fondness for songs about desperadoes, drunks and derelicts. 'Frankie and Johnnie were sweethearts,' Ludlow would belt out at any opportunity, before continuing with a dozen more verses in his deep baritone, interspersed with inspired mandolin solos. Other favorite tunes involved the labor movement, the Irish rebellion, and standards of bluegrass and folk. For years, he sang his children to sleep with a gruesome ditty about the Titanic disaster. A big man with broad shoulders and a broad smile, Ludlow was not slowed by editors, college deans or more accomplished musicians. He was barely slowed by a devastating plunge as a child through a plate-glass store window, by two heart attacks (in 1991 and 1998), and by a stroke in 2007 that compromised his gait and his speech. Ludlow told the same stories and sang the same songs, more circumspectly. His father, John, was an editor, schoolteacher and piano instructor, and his mother, Melda, was an editor and poet. Upon graduation from Tamalpais High School, family finances prevented him from accepting an offer of admission to Harvard University. He was an Army veteran, serving as a clerk at Fort Ord in Monterey County ('I hated every minute,' he often said). He was a reporter for the Champaign-Urbana Courier in Illinois, the Marin Independent Journal and the San Jose Mercury News before joining the Examiner in 1963, when John F. Kennedy was president and a San Francisco cable car ride cost a quarter. It was at the Illinois paper that Ludlow conducted a singular interview with Eleanor Roosevelt, who was a personal hero to the young reporter. He recalled being so awestruck that he couldn't speak or even think. Posing a question was impossible, so she helped him out by asking her own questions and answering them while the tongue-tied Ludlow scribbled down her responses. Ludlow admired the sound of a bouncing basketball as much as a ballad. He was an imposing forward with a sweeping and occasionally successful hook shot. His love of basketball led him to the love of his life, fellow journalist and pickup basketball aficionado Margo Freistadt. The couple had been married for 36 years. Lynn and Margo loved to travel. In 2009, they loaded up their DIY camper van and took a three-month, 13,000-mile road trip, circling the country on a trip they called the Victory Lap. And for more than 20 years, he enjoyed camping at Anini Beach on Kauai. His beloved Gibson mandolin joined him on his journeys. For many years, the mandolin accompanied him on his signature tune, 'Old Bones.' 'I love life, and I'd do it again,' Ludlow would sing, with joy and not a hint of pathos. 'Though I might not be much more than I've been. But to have the chance to turn back the time and let my life begin … Oh yeah, I'd do it again.' Ludlow is survived by his wife, Margo; children, Chris Ludlow, Amy Grigsby, Llewellyn Ludlow, Kenny Ludlow and Paul Moran; grandchildren, Jenna, Lauren, Tucker, Cameron, Cade and Jackson; three great-grandchildren; brothers, Conrad and Roger Ludlow; a niece; and three nephews. A memorial celebration is planned for 3 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Polish Club of San Francisco, 3040 22nd St.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Forbes
The Role Of A Lifetime – Carrie St. Louis On Playing Dolly Parton In New Musical
When Dolly Parton announced plans to tell her life story in a Broadway musical – one of the first questions that came to mind was, 'Who would play Dolly?' Dolly and director Bart Scherer launched a global search to find not one, but three people who would play the music legend at different points of her life. It was an extensive process, but the roles were filled and now, after months of production, script revisions, and rehearsals, it's opening night for Dolly: A True Original Musical. Carrie St. Louis portrays Dolly during the singer/songwriter's early years in Nashville. St. Louis is a seasoned actress who grew up in California, then headed to New York where she made her Broadway debut just three months out of college. The auditioning process for the Dolly role was a lengthy one with St. Louis attending back and forth from New York to Nashville to attend different workshops as the script and story evolved. She also worked round the clock studying Dolly's voice. She was elated when she got word she had the part. 'It's just such a dream and something I almost couldn't imagine for myself,' she says. 'My mom keeps saying, 'Can you believe Dolly Parton picked you to play her?' The show heads to Broadway next year, but Dolly wanted it to debut in Nashville first. It's a way to give back to the city that's given her so much. The musical runs now through the end of August at the Fisher Center For Performing Arts at Belmont University. Actress Quinn Titcomb plays the young Dolly growing up in the Smoky Mountain community of Locust Ridge, St. Louis picks up the story when the singer leaves East Tennessee and heads to Nashville to pursue her music dream, and Katie Rose Clarke portrays Dolly after the singer leaves Nashville and heads to Hollywood. While the world knows much of Dolly's rags-to-riches story, the musical delves into parts of Dolly's life she's kept private until now. Dolly co-wrote the musical with Martha Schlatter, handpicked the stories she shares, and is doing the music, so it's truly intimate look at her life. 'She's showing a side of her life we really haven't seen,' says St. Louis. 'There's a lot about her and Carl Dean, her husband who passed away earlier this year. It was a very private relationship which is part of what makes it so beautiful. You get to see them meet and watch things progress. You learn about her relationship with her best friend, Judy Ogle. And you learn a lot about Porter Wagoner and her early start in country music. A lot of people know Dolly for 'Jolene' and '9 to 5,' but she had a whole life before that.' One of the greatest challenges to playing Dolly in a musical involves singing her iconic songs. St. Louis has a wide and varied music background. 'I majored in opera in college,' she explains. 'Then just out of college I auditioned for Rock of Ages. I figured there was no way it was going to happen, but I ended up getting Sherrie, the lead role, and making my debut on Broadway. I did Wicked which is very classical music theater, then Kinky Boots which is 90s, Cyndi Lauper pop. And the last show I did was Titanique which was Celine Dion's music.' Still, Dolly Parton is a category all her own. 'It's a lot of pressure to sing someone's songs in front of them every day,' St. Louis admits. 'But Dolly has been so supportive and very, very kind to me. And any advice she's given me has been along the lines of trusting my instincts and trusting what feels right to me. Dolly's so selfless in that way and has been like, if it feels right for you, that's what I want, as opposed to that's not exactly how I did it.' The goal is not to do a Dolly impersonation, but sort of tap into Dolly's essence. St. Louis says she got great advice from a vocal coach who pointed out one of the things that has always made Dolly's music unique. "He said, just remember Dolly sings to serve other people. It's not ego, it's not about her, she's telling stories for us. And as long as you just tell the story and serve the music, you can't go wrong.' In the musical, St. Louis sings Dolly's signature 'Coat of Many Colors.' St. Louis says before she sang it for Dolly the first time, Dolly sang it for her. 'I came in and Dolly was sitting at the piano and the director said we're going to have Dolly sing the song, then you sing it right after her. This way you can get a feel for her phrasing. So, Dolly started singing and I completely forgot I was supposed to pay attention to phrasing. I just had this moment of - she's singing 'Coat of Many Colors' to me! It was so beautiful, her voice is amazing, and I just started sobbing.' When it was St. Louis' turn to sing, she broke into the song, then looked up to see Dolly now had tears in her eyes. The two hugged in one of the many special moments St. Louis has experienced while working on the show. She says Dolly is everything you think she is, and so much more. 'She is there every day and she's very hands on. She's even better than we think she is. She makes a point of speaking to everyone in the room and always makes you feel seen and heard.' St. Louis pauses, then with a smile adds, 'And she's head-to-toe glam with six-inch heels. She's very unapologetically Dolly Parton!' For Dolly, who has famously made so many of her own dreams come true, the musical is just the latest. She wanted to tell her story in a way that would allow her honor and thank those who've supported through the years. 'It's about all of the people in her life who have built her up and helped her through her incredible journey,' St. Louis says. "She just released a song called 'If You Hadn't Been There' after her husband passed. And it's a good way of saying what the show's about. There's a famous quote that says it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. But then someone expanded upon that to say, no, it's actually about the company you keep. It's about the people who go with you along the way.' Even though St. Louis still can't quite believe she has a starring role in Dolly's musical, she says she's always leaned into 'faith over fear' in pursuing her own dream of becoming an actress. In an industry so full of rejection, she constantly reminds herself if something's meant to happen, you need to trust it won't pass you by. She has an interesting story along those lines about her initial trip to Nashville for the auditioning process. In fact, it was the first time she would sing for Dolly, and she was extremely nervous. As soon as she boarded the plane, she looked down and saw something shiny on the floor. 'At my feet there was a little broken necklace, and I picked it up and it was a diamond 'D.' D as in Dolly. 'I feel bad for whoever lost it, but I felt like it was meant for me! So, I grabbed it and put it on a bracelet I already had. I didn't want to lose it.' She would later tell Dolly about finding the necklace. 'When I told her, she looked down at the 'D,' then right at me and said, 'That's a Godwink. It's a wink from God letting you know you're in the right place.' It's become a good luck charm St. Louis will hold close as the show opens tonight, and throughout the remainder of the Nashville run, as she and the rest of the cast and crew bring Dolly's incredible story to life. For tickets to see Dolly: A True Original Musical visit:
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Kennedy Center Honors could see some changes under Trump
The Kennedy Center has slightly delayed naming its list of annual lifetime achievement honorees until closer to the event in December, and the award itself, known for its rainbow-hued ribbon, may be redesigned in favor of a simpler version, sources familiar with the decisions told CBS News. The announcement of the Kennedy Center Honors recipients, usually made annually in August, will happen in the next several weeks, one of the sources said. Although some of the arts center's staff and those who closely follow the event have worried the televised gala would be completely revamped and renamed in favor of a patriotic-sounding moniker, the Kennedy Center Honors name will remain untouched, sources said. The rainbow theme won't disappear entirely, but the ribbon for the lifetime achievement medallion will likely to be redesigned — possibly with a black or gold ribbon. The Honors weekend will be revamped, with a more streamlined schedule instead of multiple gatherings at the State Department, the White House and elsewhere, sources said. The events were expensive and time-consuming, and honorees sometimes skipped portions of the non-televised events. After criticizing the Kennedy Center's artistic fare and its finances, President Trump earlier this year named himself as its chairman, longtime aide and supporter Richard Grenell as its president and several White House officials and Trump allies as board members. That triggered a number of artists to cancel performances and some staff members resigned. The Kennedy Center Honors ceremony is directed and produced by CBS and airs on the network. The size of the Kennedy Center's development team has been severely downsized, several sources close to the matter said. That team has shrunk from more than 60 to less than 20, and some departments have been slashed altogether. Giving by Democratic donors has collapsed, although aggressive fundraising has continued and has outpaced past years with more corporate sponsors, several sources said. Grenell told CBS News: "I don't want to lose a single Democratic donor. We're working hard to keep them and expand the donor base. The arts should not be political." During his first term, after several award recipients criticized him, Mr. Trump skipped the Honors shows, breaking a tradition of presidential attendance at the cultural venue. President Biden attended during all four years of his term, including last year's ceremony that recognized singer Bonnie Raitt, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, surviving members of the band the Grateful Dead, trumpet player Arturo Sandoval, and Harlem's Apollo Theater. Two of the sources said Grenell has been an effective organizer but is only occasionally at the Kennedy Center. One was critical of Grenell's salary. Grenell started off taking zero salary and is now paid $175,000, sources said, which is less than the previous president, Deborah Rutter, whose salary topped $1 million, public tax records show. Roma Daravi, a spokeswoman for the Kennedy Center, declined to comment on Grenell's salary or changes to the award design. She said they're not making changes to ceremony itself. "If anything," she said, "it's going to be more exciting."
