Dolly Parton’s first posthumous song has been released
Dolly Parton’s voice has been heard again, less than three weeks after her death, with the release of 'Bound to Ride', her first posthumous song.
The track was recorded in 2022, meaning it was never intended as a farewell or final recording.
Instead, Parton had contributed it to Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of The Stanley Brothers, a forthcoming tribute to the influential bluegrass duo.
The album is due to be released on 16 October.
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Parton died on August 25 at the age of 80 following a brief battle with cancer.
Her death brought an outpouring of tributes from across the world of music and entertainment, and fans will be delighted to get to hear a new tune from her.
'Bound to Ride' was a natural song choice for Parton.
The traditional bluegrass song was popularised by the brothers in 1964 and is rooted in the Appalachian musical tradition that shaped so much of Parton’s early life and career.
For the recording, Parton worked remotely from her own studio after a surge in Covid cases in 2022 meant she did not record alongside the musicians in person.
The First Ladies of Bluegrass, consisting of Alison Brown, Becky Buller, Sierra Hull, Missy Raines and Molly Tuttle, all recorded the backing track, with Buller preparing a demo so Parton could record her vocals in the appropriate key.
The result is unmistakably Parton: bright, playful and steeped in the bluegrass sound that she returned to repeatedly throughout her career.
Those involved in the recording have described being surprised by how much she brought to the track, adding her own touches rather than simply supplying a straightforward vocal.
There is something fitting about Parton’s first posthumous release being a song so closely connected to her musical roots. For all the global success, Hollywood appearances and pop crossover, she remained closely tied to the mountain music of Tennessee.
The song waiting in a time capsule
'Bound to Ride' isn't the last new Dolly Parton recording that fans have to look forward to.
Long before her death, Parton made unusually detailed plans for her music to continue reaching audiences after she was gone.
Among them was a song called 'My Place in History', which she wrote and recorded in 2015 and deliberately sealed away in a time capsule.
The recording is stored inside a wooden 'Dream Box' at Dollywood’s resort in Tennessee.
It is not due to be opened until 19 January 2046, on what would have been Parton’s 100th birthday.
Parton later admitted that the decision to lock the song away tested her patience.
In 2022, she joked that she desperately wanted to dig the capsule back up because she believed it was a good song.
She was also concerned that the recording might deteriorate before the time capsule was opened.
Not only that, but Parton previously said she had recorded thousands of unreleased songs and had made arrangements that would allow future producers to create new versions around her vocals.
She wanted her music to keep evolving rather than simply sit in an archive.
For now, though, 'Bound to Ride' offers the first glimpse of that posthumous musical future.
Topics: Music, Entertainment, US News
Jen Thomas