Posthumous Bluegrass Tribute
Dolly Parton's first posthumous bluegrass single honors the legendary Stanley Brothers.
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Key Points
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The First Ladies of Bluegrass rearranged “Bound to Ride” by adding a new eight-bar bridge based on an obscure verse; Becky Buller also recorded a scratch vocal in Parton’s key to help shape the arrangement.
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Parton’s performance includes the ad-lib “Pick it girls!” as well as her shout-outs to the musicians during their solos, adding to the song’s lively, conversational feel.
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The release follows several major bluegrass projects in Parton’s catalog, including the Grammy-winning 1999 album “The Grass Is Blue” and the subsequent albums “Little Sparrow” and “Halos & Horns.”
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Another unreleased Parton song, “My Place in History,” was placed in a lockbox at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort with instructions that it be unveiled on Jan. 19, 2046—what would have been her 100th birthday.
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The tribute album was produced by Alison Brown and Garry West, the husband-and-wife team behind Compass Records, and includes collaborations such as Willie Nelson and Sierra Ferrell on “I’ll Fly Away” and Dierks Bentley with Della Mae on “How Mountain Girls Can Love.”
Dolly Parton's first posthumous song, "Bound to Ride," arrived September 9—just two weeks after the country music icon's death at 80 WBALTV. The traditional bluegrass track will appear on a star-studded tribute album, Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of The Stanley Brothers, dropping October 16. Parton recorded her vocal separately at home around 2022 over a backing track by five female bluegrass musicians, creating a lively performance filled with her calling out the band members by name.
How Parton's Home Recording Came Together
COVID-19 concerns meant Parton couldn't record in a studio with the First Ladies of Bluegrass: Alison Brown, Becky Buller, Sierra Hull, Missy Raines, and Molly Tuttle KSBW. Instead, they sent her a backing track. Becky Buller even recorded a scratch vocal in Parton's key to help shape how the arrangement should sound. The team rearranged "Bound to Ride" by adding an entirely new eight-bar bridge based on an obscure verse from the original.
A Lively Performance With Personal Touches
Parton's version sparkles with personality. She shouts out "Pick it girls!" and calls each musician by name during their solos KCCI. Producers said her ad-libs and conversational energy far exceeded what they expected. The song stays true to the Stanley Brothers' 1964 recording while bringing Parton's warm, energetic spirit to the bluegrass classic.
Decades of Bluegrass Work Leads to This Tribute
This isn't Parton's first bluegrass album. She won a Grammy in 1999 for "The Grass Is Blue," then followed with "Little Sparrow" and "Halos & Horns" 4029TV. The tribute album, produced by Alison Brown and her husband Garry West of Compass Records, features Willie Nelson, Billy Strings, Jamey Johnson, and Dierks Bentley. It also marks the Stanley Brothers' induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Another Parton Song Locked Away Until 2046
An unreleased song called "My Place in History" sits in a lockbox at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort WVTM13. Instructions specify it should be unveiled on January 19, 2046—Parton's 100th birthday. The gesture reflects how the legend continues to shape country music, even beyond her lifetime.
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