On June 9, 1974, after a period of personal and creative strife, Dolly played her last concert with Porter Wagoner, and officially ended their partnership. Dolly penned "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" following one of her final meetings with Porter, and the song reflected her empowerment. "It was my song of deliverance," says Dolly, "it was my song of freedom."

"I Will Always Love You" is Dolly's most successful song of all time, and perhaps one of the most personally poignant for the singer. Written about Porter, and the "special, although painfully heart-wrenching time" the two spent together, "I Will Always Love You" not only hit Number One on the charts in 1973, but went on to have a life of its own. Elvis Presley was instantly smitten with the song, and wanted to record it himself with one major condition - he wanted a share of the songwriting credit and publishing. Dolly refused. "I Will Always Love You" went on to top charts again in 1992 when Whitney Houston recorded it for 'The Bodyguard,' thanks to a suggestion from the movie's co-star Kevin Costner.

On her own for the first time, with full agency regarding her artistic decisions, Dolly celebrated by showcasing her wide range and creativity. With her new independence, Dolly also reached outside her own songbag, yielding a slew of chart-topping hits and demonstrating her ability to successfully cross over into other genres: Billy Vera's "I Really Got the Feeling," Carole Bayer Sager's "You're the Only One" and Donna Summer's "Starting Over Again" all hit Number One on the country charts, the latter two on the pop surveys too. "Here You Come Again," written by the legendary duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, hit Number Three on the pop charts, as well as topping th e country charts and winning a GRAMMY

DOLLY is in stores October 27, but pre-orders at http://www.shopdolly.com will also receive 'A Real Live Dolly' the re-release album of Dolly's 1970 concert at her old high school Sevierville.

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