Dolly Parton’s first posthumous recording has been released just fourteen days after her death.
“Bound to Ride,” the late country legend’s contribution to an all-star Stanley Brothers tribute album, appeared on YouTube Wednesday. The full collection, “Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of The Stanley Brothers,” is scheduled for release on Oct. 16.
Parton laid down her vocals in 2022 inside her personal studio. The Stanley Brothers had first cut the song in 1964, and the new version pairs their original recording with Parton’s later performance.
Stella Parton offered a window into her sister’s relentless work ethic during a Thursday interview. “My sister worked so hard for so long and just kept going,” she said. “Even until the last conversation I had with her, she was working,” She added: “That was her passion.”
The Grammy winner’s commitment extended to the Broadway-bound “Dolly: A True Original Musical,” which charts her life story. A spokesman confirmed last month that previews will begin Dec. 7 at New York City’s St. James Theatre, with opening night set for Jan. 19, 2027 — what would have been Parton’s 81st birthday.
The “I Will Always Love You” singer died Aug. 25 following a private cancer battle. She was interred three days later at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum beside Carl Dean, her husband of nearly six decades, who passed away last March.
Parton’s cousin Richie Owens later addressed the quiet nature of the services. “She wanted to keep it very quiet,” he shared. “The word keeps getting brought up, ‘a funeral.’ I don’t believe that is really the case in the situation.”
The tribute album’s roster extends beyond Parton to include Willie Nelson, Sierra Ferrell, Dierks Bentley with Della Mae, and Steve Martin and Ed Helms among others.
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