Dolly Parton receives the James D. Vaughan Impact Award from the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame

Country Music Hall of Famer Dolly Parton appeared recently at the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame induction at Dollywood to receive the James D. Vaughn Impact Award.
“Had it not been for a little girl from the mountains named Dolly, there would not be a Dollywood. Had there not been a Dollywood, the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame would not be here,” said SGMA executive director Charlie Waller. “To kick off the Southern Gospel Harvest Celebration and celebrate Dollywood’s 25 years and gospel music’s 100 years, we felt the only deserving person at this time to receive the James D. Vaughan Impact Award for her dedication to gospel music, her taking gospel music to the masses on television, recordings and here at Dollywood is Ms. Dolly Parton.”
Parton received the award saying: “God bless you. I am so honored and so proud to accept this wonderful award. This is a great honor because I know this is a wonderful award to be given in the gospel community. It means a great deal to me and I will treasure it and we will hang it here in our museum.”
She thanked the audience for being supportive of her and Dollywood, invited the Kingdom Heirs to join her on stage where she shared these thoughts as she introduced her song “I Am a Seeker.”
“Most of us, we try to do good but we don’t always do it,” Parton said. “We know we are just sinners but we know that God loves us and is willing to forgive us.
“I remember this was 35 or 40 years ago in my kitchen in the first house my husband and I ever owned. I was trying my best to get my career going and my life going,” she said. “Trying to keep God in everything. You go through so many things, you say ‘Lord, I don’t feel like I am a good Christian. I feel like I am falling by the wayside, trying to get so many things going. So I started writing this song. We know that we are nothing but with God we can be everything. We are holding on to Him.”
The 2010 SGMA class of Hall of Fame inductees are Danny Gaither, Little Jan Buckner-Goff, and Sam Goodman, Bill Hefner, Connie Hopper and Arthur Smith.
The Southern Gospel Music Association is a non-profit organization that maintains the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame, the only facility honoring this genre of music, for the historic preservation of the accomplishments of the music and its people. Museum hours match those of Dollywood. Donations are tax-deductible. Individuals and businesses may donate to assist with honoring inductees with special