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Scottish singer-songwriter Al Stewart celebrates a career spanning more than six decades. On Sept. 5, the beloved musician turns 81.

Born Alastair Ian Stewart in Greenock, Scotland, he was born on Sept. 5, 1945. His career took off in the mid-60s, when he moved to London and began playing in piano bars in the Soho neighborhood.

“It’s weird, the first musician I saw in London – I’d just got off the train from Bournemouth and I was 19 – was Ray Sone from the Downliners Sect,” he explained in an interview with Tradfolk. “I saw him in the street and he said something about a club where he was playing that night which turned out to be Studio 51.”

Stewart went along to the club, and Mox Gowland, who was also there, asked him if he could play the piano, leading to him playing alongside Sone and Gowland that night.

In 1970, the folk musician played a set at the first-ever Glastonbury Festival, previously known as the Worthy Farm Pop Festival.

His breakthrough came in 1973 following the release of his fifth studio album, Past, Present and Future, which was the first of his records to reach the Billboard charts. Three years later, in 1976, “Year of the Cat” helped bring him mainstream international recognition

“I had a girlfriend who had a book on Vietnamese astrology, and it was opened on a chapter called ‘Year of the Cat,’” he told Guitar Player of the track, which featured on the album of the same name.

A fan of Bob Dylan, Stewart noted one defining factor of the legendary musician, who is often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

“Having studied Bob Dylan, I noticed he always had song titles with the word ‘of’ in them: ‘Chimes of Freedom,’ ‘Masters of War’ and ‘Visions of Johanna.’ I realized there was something portentous about having a song with ‘of’ in the title,” he explained. “Not only that but it’s slightly off-kilter and doesn’t have an immediate meaning. And because nobody knows exactly what that’s going to mean, I thought maybe it’d draw them in. And that’s how it ended up.”

Today, over 60 years since he first started, Stewart still enjoys taking the stage and continues to tour around the United States and Europe.

Related: Original Member of ’80s Rock Band Behind ‘Brass in Pocket’ Turns 75

A good serving piece makes dinner feel a little more special in such a simple way. Sure, you could save the pretty dishes for Thanksgiving, a birthday dinner or the next time friends come over, but why wait for a special occasion to use the things you love? Sometimes, an ordinary Tuesday night deserves a little upgrade, too. A cute serving dish can make a simple salad look seriously inviting or turn takeout into something that feels more like you’re actually eating in a restaurant than in front of your TV.

There are bonus points, of course, for those serving pieces that are both cute and durable enough to survive regular use. People love stoneware because it has a substantial feel and is sturdy enough for everyday use. Plus, its natural look works just as well for weeknight dinners as it does for entertaining.

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Over&back 5-Piece Serve Set, $22.99 at Costco

Costco

When the dishes are as versatile as this Over&back 5-Piece Serve Set from Costco, you don’t have to overthink it. These stoneware pieces can be used for everything from sides and snacks to salads and desserts, and they’re dishwasher- and microwave-safe, too. Basically, it’s an easy way to make everyday meals feel less thrown together.

Related: Aldi’s $20 Washable Runner Rug Is Botanical Beauty at Its Finest

The set comes in two colorways—a basic white and then “multi,” which is an array of blues and grays. You can choose to set it out on the table in a pinwheel formation or separately, because the dishes aren’t actually attached to one another. And that brings me to another point: You can stack the pieces from this set for easy storage. So often you’ll have a large serving platter where you’re left wondering, “Where the heck can I keep this?” You won’t have that problem with this compact server.

Each dish holds 21.6 fluid ounces, but what does that mean in practical terms? The individual dishes are medium-sized, making them ideal for a side dish or salad, not necessarily a large, family-sized portion.

While you’re at Costco, don’t forget to check out the warehouse club’s new bakery items for September, which look absolutely mouth-watering. There’s also some super cute holiday glassware already on shelves that you won’t want to miss.

Related: Dollar General’s $8 Glass Pumpkin Jars Are the Elegant Way to Decorate This Fall

“Pineapple Princess” was a hit by Annette Funicello in 1960. The song, which was written by the Sherman Brothers, reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. In an interview, Funicello revealed that this was her favorite song she’s ever made. “I think my favorite song was ‘Pineapple Princess,’” she said. “I was lucky enough to have five songs that made the Top 10.”

However, before Funicello started singing, she was a popular actress. She was one of the most famous Mouseketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club. “The Disney studio wasn’t like other studios,” she said. “It was just like home – it always had a small-town, family atmosphere.”

When Funicello explained what launched her singing career, she said, “The Sherman Brothers wrote a song for me for the Annette series called ‘How Will I Know My Love.’ They told me we have to put this on a single. People are writing us like crazy, wanting to buy it. I told them I don’t sing. And they said, ‘Well, I’m signing you to a recording contract, young lady.’ And I said, ‘Yes, sir,’ and that’s what started my singing career.”

In an interview with the LA Times, she also spoke about her transition to singing. “This whole thing stems back to when I auditioned for Mr. Disney, when he said, ‘I like your dancing very much, now can you sing a song?’ And I said, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t sing.’ And that’s how I’ve always thought of myself over the years. But I was under exclusive contract, and you don’t ask questions. You just do what they’ve asked of you. I was trained in dancing, but never in singing. So that’s kind of the running gag–Annette doesn’t sing, but she’s got a boxed set out, and she’s also recorded 35 albums.”

Related: 1976 Iconic Rock Song, Which Steve Miller Spent Years Working On, Became a Radio Favorite

Funicello released several other popular songs throughout her career, including “O Dio Mio”, “First Name Initial”, and “Tall Paul.” She also had a mystery book series, which portrayed her as an amateur sleuth. They were published by Whitman Publishing from 1960 until 1964.

Funicello died in 2013 due to complications from multiple sclerosis. She was 70.

Stella Parton is asking for compassion as she and her family navigate the devastating loss of her sister, Dolly Parton, while confronting what she calls “incredible pressure and insensitivity” from the public.

The country music legend died at 80 on Aug. 25 following a “brief battle with cancer,” and Stella broke her silence about the loss in a Sept. 4 Instagram post.

While thanking those who have offered genuine support, Stella also addressed the flood of AI-generated content, misinformation and what she described as insensitive commentary surrounding her family’s grief.

Stella acknowledged that grief looks different for everyone, writing that she and her family “will be okay in time” as each person processes the loss in their own way.

But she also made clear that mourning in the public eye has brought its own challenges. Because the family has chosen to live their lives publicly, Stella said they have “no choice” but to deal with the “incredible pressure and insensitivity from strangers.”

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“There is a tremendous amount of AI and endless garbage being posted everyday and it’s been challenging to absorb and/or ignore,” she wrote, adding that those who traffic in the loss and tragedies of others will eventually move on to “the next stampede of endless misinformation.”

Despite the painful circumstances, Stella said Dolly would likely have been “surprised and delighted” by the outpouring of love shown to her family and the country music icon herself.

Stella also pointed to one aspect of Dolly’s public life that she believed was especially important: her decision to largely stay out of politics. Because Dolly loved her fans and the public, Stella said, her sister chose not to publicly share her opinions on “a lot of things.”

“She knew as well as anyone what a negative vortex that could turn into, which is nothing but a huge waste of positive energy,” Stella wrote.

Instead, Stella urged people to look to Dolly’s life as an example of how to treat others, calling on the public to embrace “tolerance and respect” as they move forward.

“Use my sister’s life as an example for tolerance and respect toward others,” Stella wrote. “It’s not about the most clever comments, fake AI garbage, or snarky tweets.”

For Stella, the focus should remain on the life Dolly lived and the positive impact she had on millions of people—not on what strangers say online in the aftermath of her death.

“At the end of the day or the end of your life, how will you feel about yourself?” Stella asked. “It’s not about what other individuals you will never meet think of you.”

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Joanna Gaines has become a household name thanks to her warm, approachable design sensibility and her talent for blending modern farmhouse style with timeless comfort. As the creative force behind Magnolia Home and co-star of HGTV’s Fixer Upper, Gaines has influenced countless homes across the country, bringing her signature blend of coziness, texture, and inviting color palettes to the mainstream. 

Her Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines x Loloi rug collection is no exception, and it’s now available at a can’t-miss price. That includes the Sinclair Machine Washable Runner Rug, currently offered for just $53 (down from $119) in the 2-foot, 3-inch by 7-foot, 6-inch size. This has quickly become a shopper favorite, and at this price it’s a no-brainer addition to your entryway, kitchen, or hallway. You can also shop the rug in various shapes and sizes, including squares and rectangles, at varying discounts.

Magnolia Home By Joanna Gaines x Loloi Sinclair Runner Rug, From $53 (was $119) at Wayfair

Courtesy of Wayfair

Shop at Wayfair

The runner was praised by reviewers for its style, comfort, and practicality. Another factor that sets this rug apart is its eco-conscious construction. Power-loomed from recycled plastic that’s transformed into soft polyester, the Sinclair runner is a testament to modern design. 

The material reportedly feels gentle underfoot, a detail many reviewers mentioned, with one shopper sharing, “It’s so soft. My little girl loves lying and walking on it. I’m honestly so impressed with the quality.” Another shopper said the rug was “pretty, perfect, and soft.”

The rug is also available in nine other sizes and shapes, so there’s a fit right for any room. The vintage-inspired design draws on old-school motifs, brought to life with saturated colors and an antique-style finish. 

Unlike many other machine-washable options, the Sinclair boasts a thicker pile, adding depth and comfort to any room. The elevated look is matched by the practicality of being fully machine washable, making it ideal for busy households, pet owners, or anyone who values easy maintenance without sacrificing style.

One of the best things about this rug is how easy it is to keep clean, even in busy households. If you have a small spill, you can just spot-clean it with a damp or dry cloth and a little mild soap. For deeper cleans, the rug is designed to go right in a commercial washing machine on a gentle cycle with cold water. 

Related: Walmart’s 5-Piece Patio Set Comes Complete With a Sectional and Table for $145

At 55% off, this washable runner rug is an accessible way to bring Joanna Gaines’ celebrated aesthetic into your home. With its pretty colors, soft texture, and sustainable construction, it’s no wonder shoppers are calling it perfect. Now is your time to refresh your space with a piece that balances beauty and practicality with a stunner of a price. 

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Has the real reason for Prince Harry‘s sudden move back to the UK been revealed?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children Prince Archie (7) and Princess Lilibet (7) relocated from Montecito, California, last week and are rumored to be living in the Cotswolds region in England.

The news of Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to return to the UK apparently came as a “bombshell” to King Charles III.

The thought process for their return have not been officially revealed, but now the Daily Mail Senior Editor-at-Large has suggested that Harry is planning to make a film about his mother Princess Diana.

Related: 29 Years Since Princess Diana’s Death: What Happened in the Hours After the Crash That Shocked the World

Harry has reportedly been approaching the Princess of Wales’ old friends about appearing in the film ahead of the 30th anniversary of her death next year, Richard Kay said on Palace Confidential.

Kay said, “‘I am told that one of the reasons Harry’s here is to make a television film, his own film, about his mother.

“I know he has been reaching out to his friends and others who knew her, asking them to contribute. That’s going to occupy a lot of his headspace over the next twelve months.”

He pointed out that when Harry visited the UK for a week this summer he spent time with Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer on the family estate where Diana is buried.

Shortly after Harry flew back to California it was announced that Earl Spencer had written a book telling the “truth” about his sister’s life story.

Titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, the book will be published this month.

Kay said that Harry’s attempts over the years to “claim Diana’s legacy for himself” has caused his brother Prince William “intense frustration.”

“She was the mother of two boys,” Kay said. “William is just as much his mother’s son as Harry is.”

Related: Harry and Meghan’s Shock UK Return Could Change Archie and Lilibet’s Relationship With Their Royal Cousins

He predicted that Harry will only increase his usage of “Diana, the Spencer brand, the Spencer name” in “order to divide himself away from the House of Windsor” now that he and Meghan are settled back in the UK.

Back in 2017, William and Harry took part in a documentary called Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy to mark the 20th anniversary of her death.

They opened up about the impact her death had had on them and their most intimate memories of her life.

At the time, William said that the documentary would be the last occasion on which he and Harry would be speaking “as openly or publicly” about their mother.

Hello!‘s royal editor Emily Nash said that having Harry and Meghan back in the country will be a “very, very difficult hill” for William and Kate Middleton to climb.

She said, “So much has been said and done that has damaged that relationship almost beyond repair. I can’t see a world in which they would be welcoming them back with open arms.”

Next, At 22, Princess Ingrid Alexandra Steps Into a Historic Role After King Harald V’s Death

Bruce Campbell is facing his toughest role yet, and this time it’s not scripted.

The actor revealed on “The Adam Carolla Show” that his doctor has given him a prognosis of about five years to live following a cancer diagnosis he first disclosed back in March. Campbell didn’t specify which type of cancer he’s battling, but he made it clear the timeline hasn’t shaken his outlook on life.

“I’ve decided pretty specifically, though, to live with it, not die from it,” Campbell said, adding that he doesn’t intend to fall down what he called “the cancer rabbit hole” of endless research and worry, which many people do.

Campbell has been candid about how the diagnosis has affected him more mentally than physically. He described the experience as a “whack-a-mole life” in a separate conversation with TheWrap, explaining that cancer creates new problems to manage just as older ones get handled, on a cycle that never really stops.

Even so, Campbell says the diagnosis has brought some unexpected perspective. He’s described gaining a newfound appreciation and gratitude for daily life, a shift he says is difficult to put into words.

The actor first broke out in 1981 starring in The Evil Dead, a low-budget horror film that went on to become a genre touchstone and launched a decades-long franchise, including Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness. He’s since built a lengthy career spanning television and film, with standout roles in Burn Notice, Xena: Warrior Princess, and the cult favorite Bubba Ho-Tep.

Despite the diagnosis, Campbell isn’t slowing down. He’s currently on an 18-date tour of Alamo Drafthouse theaters promoting his latest film, Ernie & Emma, which kicked off in Los Angeles and runs through mid-November in Colorado.

“I got a movie to promote,” Campbell said. “I’m free and clear when I promote this movie mentally.”

Danny DeVito is know for his short stature, unique voice, and incredible comedic timing. He has been in projects from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to Twins and has played Frank Reynolds’s on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia since 2006.

The 81-year-old actor shared a memorable moment on the long-running sitcom during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. He opened up about some of the craziest times in his career.

During the Christmas episode in season six on It’s Always Sunny, his character hid in a couch completely nude.

“When I came out of the couch naked, I forgot in the script that it was at a cocktail party, and the first time I walked in the room, I realized, I don’t know any of these people,” he shared. “These are all actors that do the background acting, and I have to come out of this couch like a greased halibut.”

DeVito’s character is sewn into the furniture so he can eavesdrop on other people. He overheats and comes out of the couch naked.

When he came out his costar Kaitlin Olson, whose plays Dee Reynolds, was so surprised she forgot to say her line.

“I mean, I come out looking like a greased blob, my ass is out, and I say, ‘Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot,’ and she’s supposed to have a line, and she didn’t say her line, and I’m just going, ‘Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot,’” he recalled. “But she’s just staring at me. So we did it again. I didn’t mind going back into the couch and getting greased up by all the makeup artists.”

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia stars DeVito, Olson, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and Rob Mac. It is on its 18th season.

DeVito shared how important the cast is to him.

“But when we come back, it’s like coming home. We have people who have been there from the beginning, like grips and costume designers and the camera department. It’s like a really big family that gets together for 12 weeks and creates insane things,” he said. 

It’s a story as old as streaming itself: a critically acclaimed show finds its audience, earns rave reviews, and then gets canceled anyway. This time, the victim is Spider-Noir, and fans are not taking it well.

Prime Video has officially pulled the plug on the Nicolas Cage-led live-action series after just one season, despite the show earning 11 Primetime Emmy nominations – *the most of any Prime Video series this year. Reports cite the show’s staggering $400 million production budget and extensive reshoots as the primary reasons a second season won’t be moving forward.

Cage played an aging, down-on-his-luck private investigator navigating a rain-slicked 1930s New York City, with viewers given the option to stream the entire series in either black-and-white or full color. The series premiered on May 25 and also starred Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson, and Jack Huston.

For fans who fell in love with the show’s unique vision, the news landed like a gut punch.

“That’s incredibly disappointing to me. Really enjoyed the first season,” one viewer wrote in the comments. Another simply wrote “Cheapskates,” while others expressed a frustration that will feel familiar to anyone who has ever gotten burned by a canceled favorite. “Typical. Whenever I make an exception, because it’s a big draw for me, I always end up regretting it,” one fan vented. “Every good show gets cancelled.”

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The cancellation also comes at an interesting time for Prime Video. Spider-Noir was the first series to emerge from a deal between Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios to develop shows based on Spider-Man and related characters. According to Entertainment Weekly, another project from the partnership is already in development and expected to be announced soon.

For now, though, fans will have to settle for the eight episodes they have.

All of Spider-Noir remains available to stream on Prime Video.

If you and your friends want a getaway packed with atmosphere, storytelling, and a touch of the supernatural, your next group trip just found its destination.

New Orleans has long held a reputation as America’s most enchanting and spiritually storied city. Now, an intimate 13-room boutique retreat in the city’s Lower Garden District is leaning into that legacy in a whole new way.

The Blackbird Hotel has officially launched its Resident Mystic program, partnering with acclaimed local psychic, astrologer, and paranormal investigator Carie Ewers to offer guests personalized readings, guided séances, and private after-dark tours.

Whether you’re looking to tap into your horoscope over a handcrafted cocktail or gather the group for a candlelit session, the residency offers a stylish, authentic portal into the Crescent City’s esoteric traditions.

Related: 50 of the Best Girlfriend Getaways Around the World to Book Now

Weekly Readings and Bespoke Spiritual Sessions

Blackbird

Every Thursday and Friday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Ewers takes up residency in The Blackbird’s moody Lobby Bar.

Guests and locals can book advance appointments or drop in for walk-in sessions across tarot, astrology, palmistry, and mediumship. Tucked throughout the lobby’s velvet-draped sitting rooms and secluded corners, the setup makes it easy to sip a craft cocktail or a blend from the hotel’s custom tea program while sitting down for an intimate reading.

Beyond the regular weekly lobby hours, groups can reserve exclusive private experiences tailored specifically to their itinerary:

• Guided Séances: An intimate, private group experience designed to connect with the city’s unseen history in a respectful, atmospheric setting.
• Private Ghost Tours: Beginning in October, Ewers leads private, small-group walking tours through the shadowy, historic streets and storied folklore of New Orleans.
• Custom Group Readings: Tailored birth chart and tarot sessions designed for bridal parties, milestone birthday trips, or friend reunions.

As Adam Gaudry, Area General Manager of The Blackbird Hotel, shared: “Every detail at The Blackbird was designed to spark curiosity and discovery, from our striking black exterior, which has become an iconic backdrop for visitors and locals, to the Café’s locally roasted coffee that is now a neighborhood staple. The Resident Mystic builds on that identity by allowing guests to explore one of the unique and mysterious aspects of New Orleans that has fascinated visitors for generations.”

The residency is anchored by one of the community’s most established practitioners. Ewers brings more than three decades of clairvoyant experience, holds certification as an astrologer through the National Council for Geo-Cosmic Research, and is a certified Reiki practitioner. Over the years, she has shared her expertise across national television investigations on the History Channel and taught at prominent spiritual gatherings like HexFest.

The Perfect Home Base for an Autumn Getaway

Blackbird

Set inside a historic property originally built as a children’s home centuries ago, The Blackbird blends historic Garden District architecture with bold, eccentric design by local firm Jeannine Jacob Interiors.

Between mystical sessions, friends can spend lazy afternoons lounging beside the full-length outdoor pool and courtyard bar, grab locally roasted espresso and pastries at the on-site café, or wander beneath the moss-draped live oaks and antebellum mansions of the surrounding neighborhood.

For travelers looking to trade generic resort vibes for an unforgettable, story-filled weekend, this boutique hideaway delivers the exact brand of soulful charm that makes New Orleans impossible to forget.

Related: The Exclusive Women’s Travel Retreat Where No One Knows the Itinerary—and Every Single Detail Is Taken Care Of

Folk-pop sensation Stella Lefty is sitting at the very top of the music world this week, but her massive commercial success is being heavily overshadowed by a wave of intense plagiarism allegations.

The rising country-adjacent singer-songwriter currently holds the No. 2 song in America with her smash single “Boston.” However, the track’s rapid ascent up the charts has sparked massive backlash across social media, as listeners point out unmistakable, striking similarities to Noah Kahan’s 2022 breakthrough anthem, “Stick Season.”

The controversy deepens when looking at the track’s official songwriting credits, which actually feature Noah Kahan’s name. Despite the official credit, Lefty went on the record to explicitly deny that the folk icon served as her direct creative inspiration. “When I was writing the song, I wasn’t thinking about Noah Kahan,” Lefty publicly defended herself in a recent interview. “I was literally thinking about nothing at all.”

Music fans were quick to call out the contradiction, swiftly unearthing numerous old videos of Lefty performing acoustic covers of “Stick Season” online, frequently dedicating the performances directly to Kahan. One fan on Reddit went so far as to say, “She has more than enough money to afford a team of songwriters and still chose lazy plagiarism…”

Adding fuel to the fire, music critics have noted that “Boston” sounds as if it was tracked directly over the rhythm and structure of Kahan’s signature hit.

Shockingly, this is not an isolated incident for the breakout star, who also happens to be the daughter of Groupon’s billionaire co-founder.

Listeners have flagged that multiple tracks across her brand-new debut studio album, Long Way Home, appear to directly lift melodies from other massive country staples. Her album track “Summer You Were Mine” was recently exposed as a limp retread of The Chicks’ 1998 Grammy-winning hit “There’s Your Trouble,” while another track, “Why Wouldn’t We,” mirrors Blake Shelton’s 2017 chart-topper “I’ll Name the Dogs.”

It’s Labor Day Weekend, and for many people, that marks the end of the summer. Sure, there are still a couple more weeks of summer on the traditional calendar, but this is the point in the year when the weather can quickly turn. So, it makes sense that it’s the time of year for cozy romances and thrillers.

Whether you want something with a bit of magic in it, or you need some humor, there is something for you this week. With the full list of releases, it can be overwhelming, and the last thing you want is choice paralysis. So, here are the nine books I heavily recommend this week.

Courtesy of Penguin Random House ‘The Dating Game’ by Ally Zetterberg

You likely remember the TV show The Dating Game. It was even brought up in the movie Woman of the Hour starring Anna Kendrick. This isn’t about the TV show, though. The Dating Game by Ally Zetterberg follows Tilda, a board game designer, who decides to turn her whole life into a game that she needs to win.

Whether it’s friendships, relationships, or even what she refers to as “The End Game,” she has a set of rules that everyone needs to follow. The problem is that nobody knows the game they’re playing with her, and they’re not ready for what happens if they lose. If you love novels that have more of an antagonist than a protagonist, but in a fun way, then this is a must. You’ll actually find yourself rooting for her to get away with murder.

Courtesy of Simon & Schuster ‘Lucky 22’ by Ashley Eckstein and Samantha Chase

For those who love sports romances, Lucky 22 by Ashley Eckstein and Samantha Chase is the book you’ll want to read. This is a way to feel like summer is still here as well, as it’s focused on a man who plays baseball. It’s a great way to start the season of cozy romances.

Ella has always believed in magic — you know the type that shows up when you least expect it? She feels like life is full of possibilities, and one of those is Christian Lucas, a professional baseball player who is extremely guarded and disciplined. He doesn’t have time for spontaneity, but when a not-so-blind blind date brings them together, everything may change. 

Courtesy of Berkley ‘Hexy Beast’ by Avery Flynn

This was one of my quickest reads, and it was just so darn cute that I couldn’t put it down. Hexy Beast by Avery Flynn is the third book in The Sherwood Witches saga, but don’t worry if you haven’t read the other two just yet. The books are great standalone stories, and you’ll find a Sherwood sister to fall in love with through each of them.

Hexy Beast follows Effie, who calls herself “chaos incarnate,” and no, you will not be able to guess the next move she’ll make. That is, unless you just know she’s about to make the wildest choices. She is not your average elder sister, and when she makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to jump on the back of Darius Aetos’ motorcycle, you know that you’re in for a wild ride. It’s packed with witches, werewolves, fated mates, and so much more!

Courtesy of Berkley ‘With All My Haunted Heart’ by Isabel Sterling

If Hexy Beast wasn’t enough to get you in the mood for Halloween, then the next cozy romance will. With All My Haunted Heart by Isabel Sterling is a queer romance, following Pippa Ainsley and Elle Thompson. It’s all about ethical haunts, small-town B&Bs, and witchcraft.

Pippa is getting desperate, losing the clients of her DIY-magic shop, and so her best friend hires her to inspect a newly acquired B&B for ghosts. The co-owner, Elle, doesn’t want to see the ghosts banished from the place. Instead, she wants Pippa to give this B&B an edge, and it’s the perfect way for Pippa to experiment with her magic. And maybe in love!

Courtesy of HarperCollins ‘Wildwood’ by Ashley Woo

Sometimes, it’s not the romance that you want. It’s the paranormal, the mystery, and the horror. Wildwood by Ashley Woo brings all of that and more. It’s a beautiful Gothic telling of Elinor, a freshly unemployed and newly pregnant woman who inherits Wildwood, her family’s estate. As she convinces her husband to move to the estate, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that it’s going to turn out like the TV series Ghosts.

Instead, it delves deeper into small-town living and what it feels like to be an outsider. That’s what Elinor is, despite her extended family living in the area all their lives. The longer she lives in the house, the more unsettled and isolated she becomes. Then she starts to have dreams of something terrible that happened a long time ago, and it’s time for the town’s secrets to be discovered.

Courtesy of Berkley | Penguin Random House ‘Love Felt Like This’ by Julie Olivia

If you want the cozy romance without the paranormal elements, then you’ll need to turn to Love Felt Like This by Julie Olivia. This is perfect for the ‘ber months, bringing a sense of warmth and longing to a grumpy-sunshine tale.

We follow musician Griffin, who is struggling to come up with his next song, and Beverly, who has lost the funding for her nonprofit. Their two lives collide, and suddenly, they realize that maybe they can’t just help each other’s careers. Is there something sparking between them? You’ll find yourself wishing for a love just like it.

Courtesy of Penguin Random House ‘Kiss Slay Replay’ by Rachel Harrison

All summer, I’ve been excited to share Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison. This is perfect for fans of Groundhog Day-style horror. Think Happy Death Day. Willa Sullivan is having a terrible time while at her best friend’s wedding, but it’s got nothing to do with the wedding itself. There’s a killer, and Willa finds out that she’s not the final girl.

Or maybe she is, because when she wakes up from what seems to be a nightmare and starts replaying the same events, she realizes that only she can stop this serial killer and save the wedding guests. After all, there’s nothing worse than having to face ones of the worst days of your life.

Courtesy of HarperCollins ‘The Library of Leaving’ by Emily Dunlay

Some people want historical fiction, and I’ve got just the book that’s going to disrupt your sleep schedule. The Library of Leaving by Emily Dunay has the history, a bit of romance, and a mystery within the pages. It’s a sweeping tale in the wake of World War I, and you’ll find yourself mesmerized by the storytelling.

Helen Fox is an American living a solitary life in Switzerland, cataloging books left by diplomats and expatriates. When she comes across a draft chapter of a novel, she realizes that it was written by a man she knew intimately during the War. As her memories start to come back, we’re taken down the story, wondering if this is about her or not.

Courtesy of Delacorte ‘Capsized’ by Charlotte Lillie Balogh

We finish up with a young adult mystery that brings sports, found family, and friendship already in adaptation plans with Hulu. Capsized by Charlotte Lillie Balogh follows Margaret, who is a high achiever excelling at everything. However, she only has one interest: rowing. She’s sacrificed everything to get to where she is, but after she disappears for a summer, everything she worked for has turned its back on her.

Instead, her friends — the sisterhood she thought she had on the varsity rowing team — have turned their backs, and now freshman Jo is interested in understanding why. She doesn’t get why Margaret has become the talk of the town. The one thing Jo likes is that Margaret doesn’t treat her like a newbie, and they end up forming a messy sisterhood of their own, while finding that not all secrets will remain hidden.

Related: 9 Books Coming in September 2026 You Cannot Afford to Sleep On — Including a New ‘Skyward’ Story

With the premiere of Tamera Mowry-Housley‘s fourth Haunted Harmony Mysteries movie on Hallmark Channel, the beloved actress could not be more grateful for the opportunity to play lead character Gethsemane Brown. Not only because she loves portraying a wise music teacher and amateur crime solver, but because she treasures the chance to remind audiences about the power of love, even after friends or family members have passed.

Mowry-Housley knows a little something about that. In 2018, her family was devastated by the tragic death of her niece, Alaina Housley, to gun violence. An 18-year-old Pepperdine University student, Housley was among 12 people killed in a mass shooting at the Borderline bar in Thousand Oaks, California, per TIME.

In the years since, Mowry-Housley told Parade, she has found some comfort in being open to and receiving occasional “signs” and messages that feel Heaven-sent, much like some of the beautiful moments that unfold in her Hallmark franchise, inspired by Alexia Gordon‘s Gethsemane Brown Mystery book series.

Tamera Mowry-Housley and Risteard Cooper in “Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Prelude to a Wedding”

Steffan Hill for Hallmark Media

Mowry-Housley’s character, Gethsemane, has the gift of seeing and hearing ghosts, including Eamon, her crime-solving sidekick from the Other Side. In the new Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Prelude to a Wedding, one character experiences a miraculous moment of healing with the spirit of his late dad, without being able to physically see or hear him.

“I truly believe that our loved ones do, you know, send us these signs,” Mowry-Housley told Parade. “And I believe that God sends us these signs to just let us know that our loved ones are okay.”

Tamera Mowry-Housley with her niece, Alaina Housley.

Credit: Tamera Mowry-Housley via Instagram

The Sister, Sister alum said she has experienced moments like that with her late niece, Alaina. In one example, the actress recalled, “There was this song that she absolutely loved, and I used to always play it when I would fly because it brought me peace. I remember I was shooting a film, and I had this (music) playlist. I was having a challenging morning, and I was getting ready. I like to put on my music, and I pressed a playlist.”

Wide-eyed, Mowry-Housley then shared that she deeply felt Alaina’s presence when “that song came on, and it was not a part of my playlist. So it’s just little things like that, you know?”

Tamera Mowry-Housley Says She Can’t Help But Cry During Magical Moments On Set

Four movies into the mystery franchise, which debuted in 2023, Mowry-Housley said she still gets choked up during scenes when ghosts and the loved ones they’ve left behind share a powerful connection.

“Those are the special moments that I think our audience really resonates with,” she told Parade. “There’s always that heart(felt) moment at the end when you have these characters sense and feel each other, and say their final goodbyes. And no matter how many times we shoot it, even if it doesn’t call for me to cry, I’m literally over there crying!”

Laughing about how often the crew has to remind her she doesn’t need to cry in a scene, Mowry-Housley said that she can’t help but get emotional sometimes, noting, “Honestly, it’s really happening (to me), and it’s always beautiful. It’s just written very well.”

Hallmark Channel’s Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Prelude to a Wedding premieres on September 5 at 8 p.m. ET and will be available to stream via Hallmark+ the following day.

Freddie Mercury’s final song was released four years after his tragic death on November 24, 1991.

Fans were shocked when the 45-year-old died just days after announcing he was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987. On September 5, 2026, the Queen frontman would have celebrated his 80th birthday.

While he is not here physically, Mercury’s music has lived on for decades since his passing, and his final song is extra heartbreaking when you know the story behind it.

“Mother Love” is considered the last song he worked on, and it was featured on the 1995 album aptly titled “Made in Heaven.” Written by Mercury and his bandmate, Brian May, he was only able to record two out of the three verses before becoming too sick to continue.

May recorded the final verse himself and spoke about Mercury’s involvement in the recording following its release.

“And Freddie at that time said, ‘Write me stuff… I know I don’t have very long; keep writing me words, keep giving me things I will sing, then you can do what you like with it afterwards, you know; finish it off,'” May wrote. “And so I was writing on scraps of paper these lines of ‘Mother Love’, and every time I gave him another line he’d sing it, sing it again, and sing it again, so we had three takes for every line, and that was it.”

He continued, “We got the last verse, and he said, ‘I’m not up to this, and I need to go away and have a rest, I’ll come back and finish it off…’ and he never came back.”

The band also paid homage to their late lead singer in a more subtle way. If you listen closely, at the end of the song, a snippet of every Queen song ever recorded can be heard.

The album’s cover art is also the famous statue of Mercury at Lake Geneva in Switzerland. The lyrics are also poignant following his untimely death.

“I don’t want to make no waves / But you can give me all the love that I crave / I can’t take it if you see me cry / I long for peace before I die.”

AC/DC is currently in the final stretch of its global multi-year Power Up Tour but might be facing a major setback with its upcoming Toronto concert.

With only a few days left before the scheduled show at Toronto’s largest music venue, Rogers Stadium, a severe thunderstorm caused significant damage to the venue.

As mentioned in a statement by Live Nation via Rolling Stone Canada, a massive portion of the 50,000-person stadium, including rows of seats and parts of the arena, was heavily affected by the storm that swept through southern Ontario on Sept. 2.

Wind gusts exceeding 110 km/h and large hailstones lashed the city, leaving parts of the city without electricity and causing flooding in some areas.

Rogers Stadium, the newly built temporary outdoor concert venue that opened in June 2025, is scheduled to host AC/DC on Sept. 16.

Brian Johnson and Angus Young of AC/DC perform onstage during the “Power Up” tour at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Following the storm damage, the City of Toronto has issued a formal order to Live Nation Canada, the entertainment company, to address safety issues after deeming the venue potentially unsafe for the public.

As for the upcoming concert, it remains scheduled and has not been canceled.

“Our teams are continuing to assess the extent of the damage. We will provide more information as it becomes available,” a spokesperson for Live Nation Canada said, as reported by CBC.

The Power Up Tour officially kicked off in 2024 with the European leg, followed by a series of shows in North America, marking the band’s first trip across the U.S. and Canada.

In 2025, the band return in Europe of a round of shows in the summer, then performed across Oceania, particularly in Australia and New Zealand in the later part of the year.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees had their South America and Mexico dates in early 2026 before the current North American run.

As for the final leg, AC/DC have seven remaining shows before the tour ends.

Sept. 4 – South Bend, IN @ Notre Dame Stadium
Sept. 8 – St. Louis, MO @ The Dome at America’s Center
Sept. 12 – Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean-Drapeau
Sept. 16 – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Stadium
Sept. 20 – Winnipeg, Manitoba @ Princess Auto Stadium
Sept. 25 – East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium
Sept. 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Lincoln Financial Field

Related: 70-Year-Old Rock Legend Leaves the Public in Awe with Simple Gesture

It only took a few minutes of late-night television in 1971 to change pop history.

When Richard Carpenter caught Bette Midler performing “Superstar” on The Tonight Show in 1971, he instantly knew he’d found a hit. Written by Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett, the melancholy ballad felt tailor-made for his sister Karen Carpenter‘s unforgettable voice.

Long before it became a soft-rock standard, “Superstar” was originally written in 1969 as “Groupie (Superstar).” The melancholy ballad found new life in early 1971 when Bette Midler delivered a mesmerizing performance of the tune on late-night television.

Richard recognized the quiet heartbreak embedded in its melody. He swiftly arranged a version tailored specifically to Karen’s voice.

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The song captured the heartbreaking, isolated point of view of a fan pining for a rock star after the concert lights went down. Its original title was “Groupie Superstar,” giving the song a more risqué slant than the Carpenters’ recording.

American Songwriter reprinted a quote from Richard, found in the liner notes of the group’s box set, From The Top, about the song’s origins. “Late one evening during the period in which we were recording our third album, I happened to tune in to The Tonight Show,” he explained.

“Bette Midler, who was then relatively unknown, was guesting and, on this particular show, sang ‘Superstar.’ I felt the song was a hit and a natural for Karen.”

When Karen stepped up to the microphone, her hauntingly tender delivery turned the track into a masterpiece of pop sadness. According to American Songwriter, she famously laid down the lead vocal in a single take, singing the lyrics off a handwritten napkin as she read them for the very first time.

To keep the song in line with the group’s wholesome image, Richard made a subtle line tweak. According to Songfacts, he changed the original, suggestive phrase “I can hardly wait to sleep with you again” to the more radio-friendly “I can hardly wait to be with you again.”

“For some reason that tune didn’t hit me in the beginning,” Karen said in an interview reprinted by Songfacts. “It’s the only one. Richard looked at me like I had three heads. He said: ‘Are you out of your mind?’ When I heard his arrangement of it, I fell over, and now it’s one of my favorites too.”

The Carpenters’ version soared to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, forever linking Bette Midler’s early rise with one of the decade’s defining ballads. Decades later, its legacy remains undisputed—earning a spot on a 2026 American Top 40 retrospective celebrating the greatest hits of the 1970s.

Related: The 1972 Carpenters Smash That Set the Stage for Every Power Ballad That Followed

In 1971, guitarist David “Clem” Clempson walked into what he thought was an audition for Humble Pie. There was just one surprise: Apparently, he’d already gotten the job.

More than five decades after replacing Peter Frampton in the celebrated British rock band, Clempson celebrates his 77th birthday on Saturday, Sept. 5.

Born Sept. 5, 1949, in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England, Clempson actually began his musical life at the piano. He studied classical piano as a child, starting at just 4 years old, but eventually rebelled against the lessons as a teenager. A couple of years later, he picked up the instrument that would define his career: the guitar.

“I’d always loved guitars, even when I was young,” Clempson recalled in a 2003 interview with DMME.

He first gained attention in the late ’60s as the guitarist and vocalist for blues-rock power trio Bakerloo before joining Colosseum in 1969. But his career took another turn two years later, when Frampton left Humble Pie.

Humble Pie had been formed in 1969 by Frampton and former Small Faces frontman Steve Marriott, along with bassist Greg Ridley and drummer Jerry Shirley. By 1971, the band was gaining traction in America, but Frampton departed to begin the solo career that would eventually make him a superstar.

That opened the door for Clempson.

“People in the Humble Pie camp thought I’d be a good replacement for him,” Clempson later recalled, adding that Marriott was “THE singer I had wanted to work with for years.”

Years later, Clempson revealed that his entrance into the band was even more unusual than it sounded.

After Marriott heard Clempson playing on Colosseum Live, the guitarist was invited to come play with Humble Pie. Clempson believed he was auditioning. When he arrived, however, members of the music press were waiting for him.

“It had already been announced that I was the new guitarist in HUMBLE PIE,” Clempson told DMME in 2003.

Clempson said the situation was particularly awkward because he hadn’t even spoken to his Colosseum bandmates yet.

But musically, the fit worked. Clempson’s arrival helped push Humble Pie toward a heavier sound, something he said Marriott specifically appreciated about his playing.

Related: 1976 Rock Classic, Named No. 1 Greatest Live Album, Spent 97 Weeks on the Chart

“I think that was what Steve liked about my contribution to the band,” Clempson explained. “It made the band heavier.”

Their first studio album with Clempson Smokin’ arrived in March 1972 and became Humble Pie’s biggest commercial studio success, reaching No. 6 in the U.S. It included “Hot ‘n’ Nasty” and one of the band’s best-known songs, “30 Days in the Hole.”

For Clempson, though, Humble Pie’s greatest attraction wasn’t necessarily what happened in the studio.

“Playing live was what the band was all about,” he later said, “and it was a big thrill everytime we did it.”

Humble Pie disbanded in 1975, but Clempson’s remarkably varied career was nowhere near finished.

He worked with musicians including Jack Bruce, Roger Daltrey, Jon Anderson and Bob Dylan, among many others.

His Dylan connection came through the 1987 movie Hearts of Fire. Clempson recalled spending three days filming concert scenes with Dylan, with Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood also in the band.

“We jammed a lot,” Clempson remembered of working with Dylan.

Clempson also came close to adding another enormous rock band to his résumé. During the ’70s, he spent time with Deep Purple while the group was searching for a guitarist following Ritchie Blackmore’s departure. Clempson later clarified that although he jammed with the band, he wasn’t formally offered the job.

Through it all, Clempson’s ability to move between musical worlds became one of the defining characteristics of his career. He reunited with Colosseum in the ’90s and continued performing with various projects for decades.

And while “guitar hero” would seem like an obvious description for someone with his résumé, Clempson has never seemed particularly interested in playing the part.

“I love to play, and I love to play live, I love to play to an audience,” he told DMME, “but I’m not really a performer, if you know what I mean, I’ve never been the showman.”

Related: ’60s Rock Legend, From the Band Behind Bob Dylan’s First No. 1 Hit, Turns 82

Some weeks, getting dinner on the table feels like an accomplishment all by itself. And this time of year can be especially hectic, as summer winds down and school, sports, and packed schedules start taking over again.

That’s when a Costco shortcut can really come in handy. And the warehouse’s newest deli find does most of the work for you while still feeling a little more special than the average grab-and-go dinner.

The new Kirkland Signature Burrata Salad with Balsamic Dressing combines creamy burrata with fresh vegetables and plenty of Mediterranean-inspired flavor. Pair it with one of Costco’s famous rotisserie chickens, and you can have an easy dinner on the table in minutes.

You can see it in this September 2 TikTok shared by @costcoexperts:

@costcoexperts

New Costco Find! This Burrata Salad with Balsamic Dressing comes loaded with grape tomatoes, spring mix, Kalamata olives, fresh parsley, and balsamic vinaigrette — but obviously the burrata is the star of the show. #Costco #costcofinds #costcohaul #burrata

♬ September – Earth, Wind & Fire Costco’s New Burrata Salad Is an Easy Side for Busy Weeknight Dinners

The new burrata salad, Costco item #16942, is sold by weight for $7.99 per pound, with most containers coming in at around $18, depending on weight.

And this isn’t a skimpy side salad. Each package comes loaded with spring mix, grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, fresh parsley, and generous rounds of creamy burrata, with balsamic dressing included for finishing everything off.

Related: Costco’s Returning Bakery Favorite Pairs Perfectly With Coffee

That combination gives you plenty of options beyond simply opening the container and serving it as-is. On a particularly hectic night, grab a $5 rotisserie chicken while you’re there, and you have the makings of an easy dinner for around $23. Add some crusty bread, and you have a meal that requires very little effort but still feels like something you’d happily order at a restaurant.

The salad would also make an easy accompaniment to grilled chicken breasts, steak, salmon, or pork chops. And while the weather is still warm, it offers a fresh alternative to the heavier sides that tend to take over once fall is fully underway.

Burrata is really the ingredient that makes this one feel a little special. Unlike standard mozzarella, the fresh Italian cheese has a soft outer shell surrounding a creamy center, adding richness to the juicy grape tomatoes, greens, and briny Kalamata olives. A drizzle of the included balsamic dressing brings everything together with a little sweetness and acidity.

Elena Noviello / Getty Images

That makes Costco’s latest deli addition particularly well suited to this in-between time of year. It’s fresh enough for the lingering warm days of late summer, substantial enough to help round out dinner, and requires virtually no preparation when the week gets busy.

And sometimes that’s exactly what you need: grab a main dish, open the salad, and dinner is done.

It’s been 52 years since Rush released their debut album, featuring the  standout track “Working Man.” The Canadian prog rockers’ self-titled debut put them on the map, but it was that breakout closing song—with its portrait of everyday working life—that helped introduce the band to a larger audience.

Written by Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee, “Working Man” features heavy guitar riffs and a 20-year-old Lee’s soaring vocals and bass, rounded out by John Rutsey’s pounding drums. The seven-minute epic delivers lyrics about a working man’s long days on the job to earn a paycheck, with little time left for living his life.

In a 2014 interview with Radio.com, Lee confirmed that “Working Man” was written in tribute to the hard-working class who longed for a better life.

“Our parents were hard-working,” Lee explained “Life was a struggle for most people, no one was wealthy. You thought a lot about your future, and what kind of life do you want to live? Is it going to be enough for me to have that kind of life, where it’s all about work, and a beer at the end of the day and a hug from your kids, and do it all again? So, it’s kind of an ode to that guy who we worked so hard not to be, in a sense. We wanted to be musicians, and that was our ticket out of there. That was our escape for what was sort of inevitable for all of our friends and the world that we came from.”

“Working Man” got a lucky push in the United States. In an interview with Classic Rock, Lee noted that the song put Rush on the map in America after a Cleveland radio station picked it up.

“It was a very different time, before the consultants took over American radio,” he said. “So you hear a song like ‘Working Man’, seven minutes long, on the radio. And that led to us singing with Mercury Records. Whether that deal would have come some other way, who knows? But certainly that was the breakout.”

RELATED: ‘80s Rocker Calls Out Former Bandmates Amid Reunion Tours

The singer also noted that the song really stood the test of time.

“’Working Man” is one of the first songs we wrote that people started to respond to,” Lee told The A.V. Club in 2015. “It was very influenced by our earliest influences—Cream and people like that. It was just sort of a bluesy kind of jam song. We used to be big fans of Cream’s long version of “Spoonful” and things like that, you know, where you had this kind of bluesy song that went into this long jam thing. That was just kind of our version of that idea, and it stood the test of time pretty well. It’s aged pretty well.”

More than 50 years after recording “Working Man,” Lee, now 73, is on the road for Rush’s Fifty Something Tour with Lifeson, touring keyboardist Loren Gold and drummer Anika Nilles—and he’s still playing the classic song, according to a setlist posted by Billboard.

It’s no wonder. In a Rolling Stone Q&A with fans, Lee was once asked to name his favorite song to play live. “’Working Man’ for me,” the Rush frontman replied. “I love playing ‘Working Man.’”

Related: 1973 One-Hit Wonder, From Dutch Prog Band, Was Written in Three Minutes and Defied Every Rock Rule

I have loved Dolly Parton since I was a little girl, back when I understood almost nothing about her except that she was the most glamorous person I had ever seen. She had the biggest hair, was always donning rhinestones, and her laugh was so contagious I cracked a smile every time I heard it. To honor my longtime love for Dolly, we took our daughter to Gatlinburg to introduce her properly last summer. She was old enough to sit through “Coat of Many Colors” without wriggling, and just the right age to appreciate most of the attractions in Dollywood.

UNITED KINGDOM: American singer, songwriter and actress Dolly Parton, performs with a guitar, 1976. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)

Dolly died on August 25, at age eighty. She was buried three days later beside her husband, Carl Dean, in a private service she had arranged herself, with no public memorial. Her family also asked that anyone wanting to send flowers give to her Imagination Library instead. She founded it in 1995 in honor of her father, who could not read; and it has since mailed more than 300 million free books to children across fifty states and five countries. When wildfires tore through Sevier County in 2016, her My People Fund paid roughly 900 families who lost their homes $1,000 a month for six months, no conditions attached, delivering about $12.5 million in total. Her $1 million gift to Vanderbilt in 2020 helped fund the research behind the Moderna vaccine. She also paid for a birthing unit at the county hospital and gave again after Hurricane Helene. She’s one of the rare pop stars who is known more for her philanthropy than her music.

She’s also the reason the economy in and around Gatlinburg has boomed the way it has. Dollywood opened in Pigeon Forge in 1986 and became one of East Tennessee‘s largest employers in a county short on sustainable options, and more than eleven million people visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park last year. The morning after she died, LeConte Lodge posted that the mountain’s effect on her life was small next to her effect on it, and asked readers to consider how many of them had never heard of the Smokies until they heard of Dolly.

In the week after, people drove hours to stand in front of a bronze statue on a courthouse lawn in memoriam of such a larger-than-life personality. If Dolly played a role in shaping who you are, or you’re just a big fan of her tunes, here are some can’t miss places to go if you’re searching to feel closer to Dolly.

Related: 25 Best Things to Do in Gatlinburg, TN (and Pigeon Forge) for Parents and Grandparents Planning a Trip

Pittman Center: The Riverbank Where She Was Born

She was born January 19, 1946, in a one-room cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River, the fourth of twelve children, delivered by Dr. Robert F. Thomas, a traveling physician and minister who rode to families across these hollows. Her childhood cabin, not the same place she was born, is honored in “My Tennessee Mountain Home” and sits up on Locust Ridge. Even though many people desperately want to see it, it’s private property, and the owners are not open to visitors. Pittman Center is a great pivot. It’s open to visitors and sits eight miles east of Gatlinburg on US-321.

Walk the Emert’s Cove Covered Bridge, one of the few remaining covered bridges in Tennessee, then follow the river through Pittman Center. The water Parton was born beside is the same water running at your feet. When you are ready to eat, head to Trish’s Mountain Diner on East Parkway between Gatlinburg and Pittman Center. Order the country Benedict, which swaps the usual English muffin for biscuits covered in sausage gravy. Make it a morning or early lunch stop, since the diner closes at 2:30 p.m. and is closed all day Sunday.

Related: The Smoky Mountain Dream That Dolly Built Turns 40 Today

Dollywood: The Tennessee Mountain Home

To see what her home looked like as close to real as possible, head into Dollywood to see the replica her brother Bobby built. Her mother Avie Lee, even furnished it from memory. You can look through a glass partition at the family’s actual belongings, including floral wallpaper pasted over newspaper, which is how mountain families insulated a wall, hand-knit rugs, and a table laid with plates and aluminum coffee cups. You’ll also see a bed with a couch shoved against it. The calendar is turned to 1946 with January 19 circled, and somewhere in the room there’s a box of chocolate-covered cherries, which were something her parents exchanged every Christmas, and she kept the tradition up with Carl.

Give the cabin 15 unhurried minutes before doing anything else, ideally right at opening, for a quieter look at Parton’s life before Dollywood became what it is today. Then, spend a few hours on some of the park’s fan-favorite rides, from the wooden Thunderhead coaster to the high-speed Lightning Rod. You can also eat your way through the park, starting at the Grist Mill in Craftsman’s Valley for its famous cinnamon bread (my daughter’s absolute favorite), a pull-apart loaf drenched in butter and served with apple butter or buttercream on the side. For more of Parton’s own favorites, stop at Granny Ogle’s Ham ’n’ Beans for the pinto beans or Front Porch Café for the Mason jar banana pudding, made from her recipe.

Related: How Dollywood Plans to Keep Dolly Parton’s Spirit Alive Across Its Resorts

Downtown Sevierville: The Statue on the Courthouse Lawn

Dolly’s famous bronze statue went up May 3, 1987, on the lawn at 125 Court Avenue. It depicts young Dolly, barefoot on a rock, guitar across her lap and a butterfly resting on the strings. She came to the unveiling and told a crowd of five hundred fans that it made her feel they were proud of her. One of the most heartwarming stories of this statue is the fact that her father would load a drum of soapy water and a broom into his pickup and drive down at night to scrub the pigeon droppings off her statue. In the days after she died, people left flowers and notes at the base, and the courthouse bell tolled five minutes the following morning.

Come to the Dolly Parton statue at dusk, when the crowds around the Sevier County Courthouse begin to thin and the courthouse lights come on behind her. Fans still leave flowers, notes, and other small tributes at the statue, so bring something of your own if you would like to add to them. Afterward, walk directly across the street to Red’s Soda Fountain at 114 Court Avenue. The original Red’s Café opened in 1946, the year Parton was born, and she ate there as a child, reportedly ordering a burger and fries. Today, you can order those along with a hand-mixed float or banana pudding ice cream. Note, Red’s is closed Sundays, so be sure to visit any other day.

Related: Dollywood Site Temporarily Crashes After Fans Rush to Honor Dolly Parton

Wings of Wander: The Butterfly on Bruce Street SEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE – AUGUST 25: Dolly Parton fans are seen taking photos at the Wings Of Wander mural on August 25, 2026 in Sevierville, Tennessee. Parton passed away on August 25, 2026 at the age of 80. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

Pinkie Mistry painted Sevierville’s first modern downtown mural over a single week in June 2020, and it was her first outdoor work, commissioned to open the historic district’s revival. It’s a monarch, roughly sixteen feet by twenty, wings spread with smaller butterflies drifting off to one side. It’s symbolic of many things, including the monarch migration that crosses the Smokies each autumn, Dolly’s lifelong attachment to butterflies and her song “Love Is Like a Butterfly,” and henna-style patterning inside the wings that nods to the artist’s own background. Find it at 136 Bruce Street, behind the white gazebo, with free parking around it and color-changing lights after dark.

Stand between the butterfly wings for a photo before walking a few minutes down the street to see the Red’s Café mural. My daughter posed between the wings twice, and I swear the light twinkled a little in the second image. For dinner, The Appalachian is essentially next door at 133 Bruce Street, where chef David Rule cooks over wood-fired oak and names the local farms that supply his ingredients. Order the butter bean hummus, fried chicken skins (which I still drool over), or cornbread, and make a reservation in advance. The restaurant serves dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

Related: Dollywood Unveils New Look At ‘NightFlight Expedition’

Caton’s Chapel: The Family on the Hill Brunswick Stew

To understand Dolly Parton’s story, it helps to see the place where much of it began. Caton’s Chapel is a small, unincorporated community off Birds Creek Road, where Parton was raised and attended elementary school. Two burial grounds sit side by side here, separated by an old wooden fence and Caton’s Chapel Cemetery, where generations of the Parton and Owens families are buried, and Angel Hill on the rise above it, where her parents and two of her brothers were laid to rest.

Dolly is not buried here, however. She was laid to rest at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville, an important distinction as people have been searching for her grave in Sevier County. If you visit, go on a weekday, stay on the mown paths, and leave nothing on the family stones.

Drive Birds Creek Road with the windows down and take your time weaving through the landscape where Parton grew up. Her church, school, family farms, and cemetery are all within a few miles of one another, which helps make sense of the places and stories behind many of her songs. When you are ready to eat, head to Preachers Smokehouse at 2929 Pittman Center Road, just a few minutes away in a former church space. Order the burnt ends or Brunswick stew, usually made with smoked or pulled meat, tomatoes, corn, and beans or other vegetables.

Related: A Look Back at Dolly Parton’s Decades of Iconic Appearances at Dollywood

Cades Cove: The Mountain Home Itself Hyat Ln, a gravel road, in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.

John Baggaley via Getty

Cades Cove gives you a sense of the East Tennessee landscape behind so much of Parton’s music. The eleven-mile one-way loop winds through a wide valley past log cabins, old churches and graveyards, and a working grist mill, all remnants of the farming communities that once settled here so many years ago. Go early or late in the day, when deer are often grazing near the road and black bear sightings can bring traffic to a stop. On a summer morning, when mist still hangs over the fields near the John Oliver cabin, it is easy to understand the landscape behind songs like “My Tennessee Mountain Home.”

Drive the Cades Cove loop right at opening, or come on a Wednesday morning between May and September, when the road closes to cars and is reserved for cyclists and walkers. Without traffic, the valley is much quieter and easier to take in at your own pace. Afterward, head out through Townsend for a fried apple pie at Apple Valley Mountain Village & Cafe (you will want to buy multiples to take home, trust me), where the crimped pies are fried and filled with apples cooked down until dark and soft. If you would rather sit down for a meal, stop at Riverstone for fried green tomatoes, another dish Parton was known to order at Dollywood.

Related: The Cozy Mountain Town Near Asheville You Need to Visit This Fall