Dolly Parton Scores Another Hit For 80th Birthday Week
(TPR) Global superstar Dolly Parton celebrates her birthday week with another hit record. Parton, whose span of Billboard chart hits now covers 60 years, sees the new version of her classic hit "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning" (featuring Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus, Queen Latifah & Reba McEntire) debut at #41 on the Billboard Country Airplay, earning Hot Shot Debut honors for the highest debut song of the week. The song is also this week's Most Increased In Airplay (+1,810 spins) generating 2.5 million listener impressions.
"This is the best gift I could receive! I want to thank the fans, all the radio programmers, and all the streaming partners," exclaims an excited Parton. "When I first started thinking about something special to do for my 80th birthday, I thought, 'Lord, please give me a song - or something - to make the birthday special...to be a gift from me to other people for my birthday.' When we were working on songs for my new museum in Nashville, 'Light Of A Clear Blue Morning' came on, and I went, 'Oh! That's it!'"
Parton & Friends also blast onto the Billboard Country Digital Song Sales chart at #1. The music video for the single has been viewed more than 5 million times on YouTube and Facebook. The song also is receiving global embrace, with adds and features highlighted across numerous BBC Radio platforms in the UK. "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning" debuts Top 10 on the UK's Official Charts Digital Single Sales tally.
Parton's first appearance on Billboard's charts came as a songwriter 60 years ago. "Put It Off Until Tomorrow", cowritten with her Uncle Bill Owens, was recorded by Decca Records artist Bill Phillips and released in January 1966. First cracking the Billboard Hot Country Songs in April 1966, the song eventually peaked at #6 on the chart. Parton is featured as an uncredited special guest vocalist on the single, which also brought the singer-songwriter the first of many BMI Awards as a Song of the Year in 1966.
Country radio embraced this single in a big way, with the track becoming one of the week's Most Added songs. With broad support from iHeartMedia, Audacy Radio, and Townsquare Media, official playlisted adds came from KKGO/Los Angeles, KKBQ/Houston, WPGB/Pittsburgh, KAWO/Boise, WCOL/Columbus, KSD/St. Louis, WCOS/Columbia, WEZL/Charleston, WKSJ/Mobile, WQIK/Jacksonville, WSSL/Greenville, KXKS/Shreveport, WUSJ/Jackson, and Music Choice.
In keeping with the spirit of giving that has defined her career, net proceeds from the new version of "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning" and its accompanying music video will benefit the pediatric cancer research program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee, a longtime partner and cause close to Parton's heart. This single is released on Parton's own Butterfly Records, with distribution via Virgin Music Group.
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