In case you missed it...
It's fitting that a woman who has been the face of the Grand Ole Opry for almost 60 years will be honored with a celebration of life at her home away from home. Jeannie Seely passed away last week; the singer set records for the most Opry performances by any artist ever, taking the stage there 5,397 times. To honor her and her place in Grand Ole Opry history, a special tribute will held next week. Dubbed "Jeannie Seely's 5,398th Opry Show," the public memorial will be held at the Opry next Thursday at 10AM. For those that can't make it to Nashville, the service will be livestreamed worldwide. Seely passed away August 1st after being in poor health for some time. She was 85-years-old.
Dolly Parton is no stranger to number one, with multiple songs, albums and even films hitting the top spot on their charts. However, she just topped yet another chart, and for the third time in the last four years. According to TripAdvisor, Dollywood has been named the number one Best of the Best in the Amusement & Water Parks category for 2025, beating such notables as Disney's Magic Kingdom and Universal's Islands of Adventure. Dollywood covers 160 acres and features over 50 different rides and attractions. The Pigeon Forge, Tennessee theme park draws in over 3.5-million visitors a year. The Top Five Amusement & Water Parks for 2025 (according to TripAdvisor) are listed below.
1. Dollywood (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)
2. Disney’s Magic Kingdom (Orlando, Florida)
3. Knoebels Amusement Resort (Elysburg, Pennsylvania)
4. Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Orlando, Florida)
5. Universal’s Islands of Adventure (Orlando, Florida)