Dolly Parton. Photo: David McClister
Global icon Dolly Parton passed away peacefully today (Aug. 25) in Nashville after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80.
Dolly Parton was arguably the most famous, most universally beloved and most widely respected country-music artist of all time. She is a member of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Country Music Hall of Fame, The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, The Gospel Music Hall of Fame, The East Tennessee Hall of Fame, The (NY) Songwriters Hall of Fame and the American Academy of Achievement. Parton won a Kennedy Center Honor, earned two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, garnered 11 Grammy Awards and 10 CMA Awards, was presented with a National Medal of Arts, and to date has 44 top-10 country albums, more than any other artist. She has been celebrated with a life-size bronze statue in her hometown of Sevierville, TN.
She had 40 BMI Songwriter honors, in addition to eight BMI Million-Air certificates, ranging from one million (“Coat of Many Colors”) to three million (“Jolene”), and upward to five million (“9 To 5”) and 10 million (“I Will Always Love You”). She has composed two Broadway musicals, created a symphony-orchestra experience, and starred in seven Hollywood movies, including such major hits as 9 To 5 (1980) and Steel Magnolias (1989). Her 18 made-for-TV films included an Emmy Award winner (2021) and eight original Netflix productions based on her songs (2020).
Her business acumen was legendary. She had an East Tennessee theme park, a Nashville hotel and a career museum. She put her brand on cake mixes, frozen foods, perfume, jewelry, pet products, clothing, kitchenware, picnic supplies, travel centers, pinball machines, wine, and cosmetics. Her net worth has been estimated at more than $500 million.
Parton’s philanthropy extended to Appalachian charities, medical clinics, and educational initiatives. She famously founded the Imagination Library to put books into the hands of millions of children. She donated one million dollars to create a COVID vaccine.
Dolly Parton rose from impoverished anonymity to become one of the most famous popular-culture figures of modern times. Her shimmering mountain soprano and emotionally gripping songwriting captivated the country-music community. Her baroque looks and witty personality fascinated the pop-music world. Her savvy intelligence and quick-study adaptability turned Hollywood’s head. Her warm humanity and strong sense of social justice endeared her to common people all over the world. She was, in short, the grandest of superstars.
Hers was a true rags-to-riches story. Dolly Rebecca Parton was born in a one-room cabin in the mountains of East Tennessee during the cold winter of 1946. She was the fourth of 12 children born to sharecropper Lee Parton and his singing wife Avie Lee Owens Parton. The family had no electricity, no running water, no telephone and no indoor plumbing. But the kids were all creative personalities and highly musical. Dolly was composing songs before she could read or write, and her mother wrote them down.
Dolly had professional role models. Avie Lee’s sister Dorothy Jo Hope was a gospel songwriter and evangelist, while brothers Louis, Robert, and Bill Owens were all local country entertainers. Uncle Bill bought Dolly a guitar, taught her to play it, and put her on stages at area churches and theaters.
When she was 10, he took her to Knoxville to audition for entrepreneur Cas Walker, who had a radio show called Farm and Home Hour. Throughout her junior high and high school years, Dolly performed on the show, then on its television incarnation beginning in 1957. She was on TV before her family owned one.
She began making tapes of her tunes at area radio stations. In 1960, Louisiana’s Goldband Records issued the 14-year-old’s peppy, rockabilly flavored “Puppy Love.” She parlayed it into a one-shot appearance on the Opry during one of the many trips she and Uncle Bill made to Nashville trying to break into the country-music business. On one occasion, she was hired by an independent label to record six Kitty Wells songs. During another trip, she took her radio-station tapes to song publisher Buddy Killen. He signed Dolly to his Tree Publishing and arranged for her to cut a single for Mercury Records. “(It May Not Kill Me) But It’s Sure Gonna Hurt” was issued when she was 16.
In 1964, Dolly became the first person in her family to get a high-school diploma. The day after graduation, she boarded a bus bound for Music City. During her early years in Nashville, she took jobs as a receptionist for a neon-sign company, a waitress in a family restaurant and a singer on the early-morning TV program The Eddie Hill Show.
On her first day in town, she met Nashville native Carl Dean (1942-2025), who became her steady beau. When he got out of the Army two years later, they wed. In the meantime, she’d signed with Combine Publishing and its affiliated record label, Monument. She and Uncle Bill Owens co-wrote “Put It Off Until Tomorrow,” and Decca artist Bill Phillips turned it into a country smash in 1966. Dolly sang a distinctive harmony vocal on the single, paving the way for the acceptance of her Monument singles “Dumb Blonde” and “Something Fishy” in 1967. Her early songs were also recorded by Hank Williams Jr., Skeeter Davis and Kitty Wells.
Country star Porter Wagoner (1927-2007) caught wind of the vivacious country newcomer and offered her a job as the “girl singer” in his road show and on his widely seen syndicated TV series. She moved from Monument to Wagoner’s recoding home, RCA, and the two were soon harmonizing on a string of 21 hit duets, eight of which were written by Dolly. The team won CMA Awards in 1968, 1970, and 1971.
Wagoner was emotionally abusive, and the fiercely independent Parton chafed at his dominating personality. His last solo top-10 hit was in 1972, while Parton’s solo career soared with “Just Because I’m a Woman” (1968), “Mule Skinner Blues” (1970), “Joshua” (1971), “Coat of Many Colors” (1971), “Touch Your Woman” (1972), “My Tennessee Mountain Home” (1973), “Jolene” (1973), “I Will Always Love You” (1974), “Love Is Like a Butterfly” (1974), “The Bargain Store” (1975), “The Seeker” (1975), “We Used To” (1975), and “All I Can Do” (1976). She joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry in 1969. She was named the CMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year in 1975 and 1976. After seven years of servitude, she finally cut the ties with Wagoner, endured his lawsuits and headed out on her own. She self-produced her 1977 LP New Harvest First Gathering and its vibrant single “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.”
Parton forged alliances in New York and Los Angeles music circles. She hired L.A.’s Sandy Gallin as her manager. The pop tune “Here You Come Again” became a massive country and pop hit in 1977, and she followed it with the glossy “Heartbreaker,” “You’re the Only One,” “Two Doors Down,” and “Starting Over Again” as pop/country successes. She appeared in major mainstream magazines, at pop-music showplaces, and on network TV talk shows and variety specials. In 1978, she won her first Grammy Award and was named the CMA Entertainer of the Year. Two years later, she staged one of the splashiest showroom debuts in Las Vegas history.
She paved the way for other Nashville singers to expand their horizons. She brought country music renewed validity and respect as an art form by becoming the genre’s leading ambassador to the pop-culture mainstream. Her wits became as celebrated as her glitz as she charmed TV talk-show hosts and magazine interviewers alike.
She staged her silver screen debut opposite Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 1980. 9 To 5 was the largest grossing movie of the year, behind only the blockbuster Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Parton’s “9 To 5” title tune topped pop and country charts, sold a million, won two Grammys, and was nominated for an Oscar. The soundtrack of her Best Little Whorehouse in Texas film (1982) yielded “Hard Candy Christmas” and her remake of “I Will Always Love You” as country chart successes. She returned to the top of the pop hit parade with 1983’s million-selling “Islands in the Stream.” It was a duet with superstar Kenny Rogers (1938-2020), with whom she toured and recorded a top-selling Christmas album as well as several subsequent duet singles.
In 1984, “Tennessee Homesick Blues” and “God Won’t Get You” emerged as hits from the soundtrack of Rhinestone, co-starring Parton and Sylvester Stallone of Rocky fame. Her wildly successful Dollywood theme park opened in 1986, and she soon acquired other East Tennessee tourist attractions nearby. She shed 40 pounds between 1983 and 1987 and reveled in her glamorous, newly-sleek image.
The disc sensation Trio album with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris was a magnificent return to Parton’s mountain roots. It spawned four top-10 hits in 1987-88, won Grammy and CMA awards, sold four million copies worldwide, and was selected for the Grammy Hall of Fame. Parton teamed up with Ricky Skaggs as her producer for 1989’s White Limozeen LP and its two No. 1 hit singles “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That” and “Yellow Roses.”
Her costars in 1989’s female-centric film Steel Magnolias were Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia Roberts. She wrote the uplifting “Eagle When She Flies” for its soundtrack, but it was not used. Instead, it became a 1991 LP title tune on a collection that also included “Rockin’ Years,” a chart-topping duet with Ricky Van Shelton.
“I Will Always Love You” already held the unique distinction of being a No. 1 country hit twice for Dolly Parton, once in 1974 and again in 1982. The song became even more popular in 1992 via a worldwide, blockbuster hit pop treatment by Whitney Houston. Dozens of others recorded the song, and Parton reaped millions in royalties. In 1995, she won a CMA Award by recording “I Will Always Love You” as a duet with Vince Gill, further cementing the song as a standard.
Gill was just one of her many celebrity duet partners. Others included Rod Stewart, Julio Iglesias, Paul Anka, Smokey Robinson, Miss Piggy, Neil Diamond, Don Henley, James Ingram, Janis Ian, and Solomon Burke. Not to mention Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Mac Davis, Alison Krauss, George Jones, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Shania Twain, and a who’s-who of other country greats.
Parton published her memoir My Life and Other Unfinished Business in 1994. It became a New York Times best seller. In 1995, she launched her Imagination Library free books initiative. Parton had long owned her own song-publishing company and film-production entity, and in 1995 she added her own record labels. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. Parton rounded out the 1990s and entered the new millennium with her acclaimed albums Hungry Again (1998) and Halos & Horns (2002). The latter contained “Hello God” as her composition inspired by 9/11.
During this same period, Parton became more interested in her musical roots. Heartsongs (1994), the Grammy-winning Trio II with Ronstadt and Harris (1999), Honky Tonk Angels with Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn (1993), and Live and Well (2004) were all expressions of this. Most expressive of all were her bluegrass-music masterpieces The Grass Is Blue (1999) and Little Sparrow (2001). Both resulted in Grammy Awards.
By the year 2000, Dolly Parton was an internationally recognized icon. In 2001, she was voted into the national Songwriters Hall of Fame, placing her alongside titans such as Irving Berlin, Lennon & McCartney and Bob Dylan. In 2003, BMI presented her with its Icon award. She was saluted by the Library of Congress in 2004, was chosen for a National Medal of Arts accolade in 2005, was honored by The Kennedy Center in 2006 and was presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.
Her musical output continued. In 2005, she returned to No. 1 on the country hit parade via a collaboration with Brad Paisley on “When I Get Where I’m Going.” It won a CMA Award, her eighth. She wrote “Travelin’ Thru” for the 2005 movie Transamerica, earning a second Academy Award nomination, as well as a performance slot on the 2006 Oscar telecast. In 2009, her self-penned 9 To 5: The Musical opened on Broadway, garnered four Tony Award nominations, and spawned “Backwoods Barbie” as a self-referential single. Also in 2009, she published I Am a Rainbow as her children’s book.
Parton’s album Pure & Simple (2016) celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary with Carl Dean. I Believe In You (2017) was her first children’s album. A Holly Dolly Christmas (2020) sold a million as her holiday collection. Better Day (2011) and Blue Smoke (2014) were top sellers in the U.K., aided by a triumphant overseas tour in 2014 to Europe, Australia and New Zealand. It was capped by her appearance at England’s Glastonbury Festival before 180,000 fans. The RIAA certified her worldwide record sales at 100 million in 2014.
After wildfires decimated her East Tennessee homeland in 2016, Parton organized and hosted an Emmy Award winning telethon that raised $8.9 million for victims. By 2018, her Imagination Library had distributed more than 100 million free books to children and had expanded into an international endeavor. To help raise funds for it, the state of Tennessee began offering a Dolly Parton license plate in 2016. Her charity became the subject of the 2020 documentary film The Library That Dolly Built. Her film Coat of Many Colors, based on her classic song, became one of the highest-rated TV movies in history when it aired on NBC in 2015. Continuing in this vein, her TV movie Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square won an Emmy Award in 2021.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the CMA had Parton singing “I Will Always Love You” as the finale of its 2016 all-star recording “Forever Country.” Her enduring ballad thus became a No. 1 country hit yet again. In 2018, Parton provided the soundtrack songs for the movie Dumplin,’ co-starring Jennifer Anniston.
Dolly Parton ended the decade in a blizzard of activity. In 2019, eight of her songs became Netflix movies; she was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year by the Recording Academy, starred in the popular NPR podcast “Dolly Parton’s America,” co-hosted the CMA Awards on ABC, introduced her Hallmark Channel movie Christmas at Dollywood, wowed the crowd in a surprise appearance at the Newport Folk Festival, and celebrated her 50th anniversary as an Opry member with an NBC special. She also won a 2019 Grammy Award for her Christian-music collaboration with For King & Country on “God Only Knows.” She won another Grammy in this category for her duet with Zach Williams on “There Was Jesus” in 2021.
She entered the new decade at the top of the dance-music charts by singing, co-writing, and doing a music video with the Swedish electronic duo Galantis on its international hit “Faith.” The record remained at No. 1 on the dance charts for five consecutive weeks in 2020. Parton was no stranger to the dance-music community. “Baby I’m Burnin’” (1978) marked her first foray onto the dance hit parade. That up-tempo rampage was followed by disco remixes of such singles as “House of the Rising Sun,” “Potential New Boyfriend,” and “Peace Train.”
Always “dreaming new dreams” as she would say, Parton co-wrote a best-selling novel titled Run, Rose, Run in 2022. It had a companion album of newly written songs, and a feature film was planned. Between 2020 and 2025, Parton co-created four other books, Songteller (2020), Behind the Seams (2023), Good Lookin’ Cookin’ (2024), and Star of the Show (2025).
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame came calling in 2022. Parton initially declined its offer of induction, stating that she did not think she’d earned it. She eventually acquiesced, and sang “Jolene” at the New York ceremony with Pat Benatar, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart, Simon Le Bon, Brandi Carlile, and Rob Halford. More than 300 artists have issued versions of “Jolene,” her most recorded song. She won yet another Grammy by singing it with the a cappella group Pentatonix in 2017. Superstar Beyonce included her version of “Jolene” on the million-selling Cowboy Carter album of 2024.
The following year, Parton issued a collection of rock-music classics titled Rockstar. It included collaborations with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sting, Elton John, Sheryl Crow and Lizzo, among others. She became a go-to duet partner for many modern pop/rock artists. Sabrina Carpenter, Kesha, Sia, Post Malone, and Norah Jones have all sung with her in recent years.
A triple album called Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables was issued in 2024. Credited to “Dolly Parton and Family,” the collection represented the star’s reaffirmation of her roots. On it, she collaborated with her mother, uncles, aunts, siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, and other country-music kin.
After a prolonged decline in health, husband Carl Dean passed away in 2025 at age 82. To deal with her grief, she issued the touching “If You Hadn’t Been There” in his memory, then forged ahead with her career. She staged Nashville previews of a new musical based on her life story. She began rehearsals for a Las Vegas residency at Caesar’s Palace. She launched “Threads” as a touring classical-music show, marrying her songs to various symphony orchestras. To mark her 80th birthday in 2026, she issued “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” as a single and video with Miley Cyrus, Reba McEntire Lainey Wilson, and Queen Latifah. But overwork caught up with her. In caring for Carl, she had neglected her own health, and she fell ill, cancelling her engagements.
Parton’s demographic is vast. Kids love her; so do seniors. Songwriters revere her. Folkies respect her. Feminists adore her. Rockers dig her. Young or old, gay or straight, Black or white, conservative or liberal, intellectual or redneck — what they all have in common is love for a deeply gifted artist, a luminous personality, and a profound humanitarian.
At Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family. Dolly’s fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com.
In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com.
Industry Ink: Roy Clark, Diffie Classic Foundation, StowTown Records, Skeez
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Church Studio Becomes Permanent Home Of The Roy Clark Archive
Roy Clark
The Church Studio, the historic Tulsa recording studio and music museum, has become the permanent home of the Roy Clark archive. Carefully preserved by Roy’s wife Barbara Clark and her team, the Roy Clark Archive will now have its first permanent institutional home in Tulsa, the city Roy and Barbara called home. The archive includes photos, awards, concert posters, personal and professional papers, stage wardrobe, memorabilia and an extensive array of stringed instruments reflecting the breadth of Clark’s musicianship and life.
“Roy loved music, but just as much, he loved being around other musicians. He was happiest when he was playing, sharing stories, and enjoying the company of people who loved music as much as he did,” says Barbara. “That is what feels so right about The Church Studio. It is a place where music is still being made every day. Our family wanted Roy’s collection to remain together, to be cared for with love and to be shared with people who truly understand what music meant to him. I believe Roy would be very happy knowing that his instruments, memories and life’s work will have a permanent home there, surrounded by musicians and music.”
New Diffie Classic Foundation Announces Board Members
The Diffie Classic Foundation has formed and announced board member appointments and updates on the 2nd Annual Diffie Classic Golf Tournament and Concert. Joe Diffie’s sons, Parker Diffie and Travis Humes, will be joined on the board by Craig Campbell of Campbell Entertainment Group, Travis Hare of PNC Bank, Chris Lazere of Carter Lumber, Josh Petersen of Music City Management, and Ricky Sessum of Music City Turf, with each member set to serve a three-year term.
The 2nd Annual Diffie Classic Golf Tournament is set for Sept. 21 at 12 Stones Crossing Golf Club in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. The “A Night To Remember Joe Diffie” concert, headlined by Mark Wills and John Berry, will be held at The Nashville Palace on Sept. 22.
StowTown Records Signs With Syntax Creative
Pictured (L-R): Timothy Trudeau, Landon Beene, Erin Moorman, Mary Alice Lovelace, Brandon Musser, Brooke Bell, Tremon Matlock
StowTown Records has signed an exclusive global distribution agreement with Syntax Creative. The partnership brings StowTown’s catalog and artist roster, including The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, TaRanda Greene, Charles Billingsley and The Erwins, into the Syntax distribution system. The agreement also brings the entire discography of The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir under one label and one distribution partner for the first time. The seven-time Grammy-winning group has recorded for decades, and its catalog will now be distributed through Syntax Creative across digital platforms worldwide.
Skeez Inks With Nashville-Based Label Orinda
Skeez performs at Orinda’s June 2026 launch party during CMA Fest
Omaha-born vocalist and songwriter Skeez has signed with Orinda, GoDigital Music’s Nashville-based country imprint. The announcement comes alongside news of Skeez’s new single, “Cannonball,” arriving Sept. 4, marking his Orinda debut.
Skeez has developed a sound rooted in country songwriting and brought to life by his dynamic vocal style and larger-than-life personality. His career has taken him from the studio to major stages, including a 2022 run as direct support for Mike on the “Not My First Rodeo Tour,” followed by their collaboration “why not us?” In 2024, he joined Dustin Lynch’s “Killed the Cowboy Tour,” further establishing himself within the country community.
Dollywood Foundation Honors Dolly Parton’s Life & Legacy
/by Lorie HollabaughDolly Parton. Photo: Courtesy of Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital
In the wake of its founder Dolly Parton‘s passing yesterday, The Dollywood Foundation issued a statement honoring the icon.
“Dolly often said that she had been blessed far beyond anything she ever dreamed possible, and she believed deeply that those blessings came with a responsibility to give something back,” says Jeff Conyers, President of The Dollywood Foundation. “That belief is woven into everything we do at The Dollywood Foundation. While we are heartbroken by her loss, the mission she gave us is as clear today as it has ever been, and we will carry it forward for generations to come.”
The Dollywood Foundation has prepared carefully for the future and remains honored to carry on the mission Dolly entrusted to it. The Foundation is strong, and the values Dolly instilled in it will continue to guide its work and growth in the years ahead. Parton’s Imagination Library, which launched in 1995 and was inspired by her father and his inability to read and write, started by giving young children in her home county books of their very own. What began in the mountains of East Tennessee grew far beyond anything Dolly could have imagined, and today, the Library reaches millions of children and families, delivering books directly to children’s homes at no cost and creating opportunities for parents and children to experience the joy of reading together.
“Dolly’s legacy was never meant to be something we simply preserve or look back upon,” adds Conyers. “She built things that could keep doing good in the world. Our responsibility now is to care for what she entrusted to us, help it grow thoughtfully and make certain the love at the heart of her work continues reaching children, families and communities long into the future.”
An important part of that legacy will continue quietly, every day, in homes and communities around the world; when a child opens a book addressed especially to them; when a parent and child read a favorite story together; and when a young person begins to imagine a future bigger than the circumstances into which they were born.
The Foundation believes one of the greatest ways to honor Dolly is not simply to remember what she accomplished, but to continue the work she loved—carrying it forward with the same generosity, humility, joy and love with which she began it.
Grand Ole Opry To Dedicate Saturday’s Show To Dolly
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Grand Ole Opry will honor Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry Member Dolly Parton by dedicating Saturday night’s show to her, honoring her remarkable life, legacy and contributions to country music.
Carly Pearce is among the artists scheduled to appear on the show and has a special connection with Parton, as Pearce began her career at Dollywood, and Parton surprised her with an invitation to become an official Opry member in 2021. The Opry’s marquee is set to honor Parton through Saturday evening, and the show can be heard on the Opry’s flagship station, WSM-AM, as well as wsmonline.com, opry.com, and SiriusXM channel 58.
“Dolly Parton was perhaps the most loved and admired artist from her home state of Tennessee,” says Colin Reed, Executive Chairman of Ryman Hospitality Properties. “She was also an extraordinary member of the Grand Ole Opry, and her music and sense of humor will live on for generations to come. We are so blessed to have been a part of her incredible career. ”
“Every member of the Grand Ole Opry family has a Dolly story, as does everyone around the world who was ever in her orbit,” adds Dan Rogers, Senior Vice President and Executive Producer, Grand Ole Opry. “That’s just one of the things that made her so special. For more than 50 years as an Opry member, she used her talent and success to bring sheer joy to millions. To every artist, she provided inspiration beyond measure. To every fan, she connected in a way that made each of us feel like the most important person in the room. Her impact will live on forever as we all carry forward the kindness, compassion and generosity she shared throughout her life. Dolly always knew exactly what to say. I’m afraid the best I have on this terribly sad day is a genuine, heartfelt, ‘Thank you for everything, Dolly. We sure do love you.’”
Last night’s Opry show also paid tribute to Parton, opening with Opry member Rhonda Vincent noting, “This is for Dolly,” before performing Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors.” Vincent later returned to the stage to offer up Parton’s “9 to 5” and “Jolene” as well in honor of the icon. Additional tributes included Morgan Myles’ performance of Parton’s 1973 classic “I Will Always Love You.”
Luminate Introduces Global Framework To Track & Measure AI-Generated Music
/by Madison HahnenLuminate has introduced a new framework to help the music industry identify and track AI-generated music. Powered by its proprietary technology, Luminate’s CONNECT platform can now flag AI-generated songs and artists worldwide. The feature will roll out to customers and partners later this year.
Luminate is also working with major DSPs and AI music companies to bring self-reported streaming and attribution data directly into CONNECT.
The new system will serve as a central resource for AI music data, giving artists, labels, publishers, managers and brand partners more visibility into how AI-generated music is created, distributed and consumed.
“The rapid growth of AI-generated music has outpaced the industry’s ability to consistently identify it and measure its impact,” says Luminate CEO Rob Jonas. “Greater visibility is critical to understanding broader trends, assessing the risk of fraud and making informed decisions. Luminate has always been the entertainment business’s source of truth, and tracking AI-generated music with the same rigor we apply to every other category is core to our mission.”
Luminate’s approach combines data from DSPs, AI music companies and its own identification technology. Together, the sources are designed to provide a clearer view of AI-generated music and how it moves through the global music ecosystem.
The system works in three ways:
1. Proprietary Identification: Luminate’s technology analyzes streaming data, metadata and audio to identify AI-generated music in CONNECT.
2. Streaming Data: As DSPs develop their own AI identification tools, Luminate will bring that data into CONNECT through its existing partnerships.
3. Source Attribution: Luminate is working with AI music companies to receive attribution data directly as AI-generated content is created, before it reaches DSPs.
Content identified as AI-generated will receive a new “AI Generated” label on songs and artist profiles in CONNECT. Luminate will also offer a review process for artists and labels to challenge incorrect labels.
“This is a starting point,” continues Jonas. “No single organization can address this challenge alone; the industry needs a collaborative approach to more accurately understand, track and measure AI-generated music. We invite DSPs and AI music companies that share this view to join us in advancing it together.”
Trace Adkins To Release Special 30th Anniversary Edition Of ‘Dreamin’ Out Loud’
/by Lorie HollabaughTrace Adkins is releasing a special edition of his debut album, Dreamin’ Out Loud: 30th Anniversary, via Capitol Records Nashville/UMe on Oct. 16.
Released in June 1996, Dreamin’ Out Loud established Adkins as a formidable new force in country music, a unique artist whose traditionalism came with a wildly adventurous streak. The album quickly went Platinum and delivered a run of hits, including “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing” (his first No. 1), “Every Light In The House” (a Gold-certified smash), and “I Left Something Turned On At Home” (a No. 2 hit). The album also led to major milestones, including Adkins’ Top New Male Vocalist win at the 1997 Academy of Country Music Awards.
Dreamin’ Out Loud kicked off a powerhouse career that included 40 hit singles on country radio and over 12 million albums sold. Also featuring standouts like his debut single “There’s a Girl in Texas” (a Top 20 hit on Hot Country Songs), Dreamin’ Out Loud climbed to No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart and reached the Top 10 on Top Country Albums.
30 years later, Dreamin’ Out Loud: 30th Anniversary spotlights the extraordinary staying power of its songs. Also reissued on CD, the anniversary edition caps off the original 10-song tracklist by adding a special bonus version of “Every Light In The House,” recorded live in Nashville in 2021. The upcoming release also marks the first-ever vinyl pressing of the chart-topping album that introduced one of modern country’s most towering and commanding baritones.
The Louisiana native recently made an appearance on the blockbuster podcast This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von, and next month will continue the “Trace Adkins 30th Anniversary Tour,” which launched in January and soon extended due to fast-selling dates and extreme fan demand.
Dreamin’ Out Loud: 30th Anniversary Track List:
Side A:
1. “There’s A Girl In Texas”
2. “I Left Something Turned On At Home”
3. “Every Light In The House”
4. “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing”
5. “Dreamin’ Out Loud”
Side B:
1. “If I Fall (You’re Goin’ With Me)”
2. “It Was You”
3. “I Can Only Love You Like A Man”
4. “634-5789”
5. “A Bad Way Of Saying Goodbye”
6. “Every Light In The House – Live In Nashville 2021”
United States Flags To Be Flown At Half-Staff In Memory Of Dolly Parton
/by LB CantrellDolly Parton
To honor the memory of Dolly Parton, United States flags will be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all federal buildings though Sept. 1.
The news of Parton’s death shocked the world earlier today (Aug. 25). Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, shared word of her passing in a video posted to Parton’s social media.
President Donald Trump announced his decision to honor the global icon shortly after her death. “There has never been anyone like her, and never will,” he wrote.
One of the most universally beloved and most widely respected artists of all time, Parton amassed 44 top-10 country albums, more than any other artist, and garnered 11 Grammy Awards, 10 CMA Awards, 40 BMI Songwriter honors, eight BMI Million-Air certificates, a National Medal of Arts and multiple hall of fame inductions. Beyond her musical talents, Parton was known for her philanthropy, which extended to Appalachian charities, medical clinics and educational programs, among other initiatives.
Read her full obituary here.
Music Row Mourns The Loss Of Dolly Parton
/by Lauryn SinkDolly Parton. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Shock and grief have rocked the Nashville music community this afternoon (Aug. 25) with the loss of global icon Dolly Parton.
One of the most universally beloved and most widely respected artists of all time, she amassed 44 top-10 country albums, more than any other artist, and garnered 11 Grammy Awards, 10 CMA Awards, 40 BMI Songwriter honors, eight BMI Million-Air certificates, a National Medal of Arts and multiple hall of fame inductions. Beyond her musical talents, Parton was known for her philanthropy, which extended to Appalachian charities, medical clinics and educational programs, among other initiatives.
Read her full obituary here.
Industry members, songwriters and artists across Music Row took to social media to share remembrances of Parton. Below are some of those messages.
Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side. Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you. We will remember and cherish every memory and every note you ever played and sang. Thank you, Lord, for Dolly. She’s gonna have a blast in heaven singing all her favorite songs with all her family and friends who have gone on before her. I’ll never forget the first time I met you and I’ll never forget our last conversation. I hold it with love in my heart. I will always love you, Reba
Dolly Parton’s legacy is not celebrity, but humanity. She was a champion of equality and literacy. She was a picture of dignity, even when dressed outrageously. Anyone who seeks to be more like Dolly is on the right track, but they’ll never get to the finish line. She came from poverty to become the most important native of Tennessee. She shared her fortunes for the good of all of us, and shared her soul in every note she sang. – Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
At the end of the day, few artists define Country Music better than the one-word, Dolly. Over her decades-long career, I worked with her on a number of programs. She was always the most professional in every setting, often walking off the bus in heels and hair and makeup ready to go, before expected and before the cast and crew. However, along with the music, our biggest loss today is her work as a philanthropist and the genuine difference she has made in people’s lives throughout the world. There will only ever be one Dolly. - Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association CEO
“You’ve had such a huge impact on so many people all over the world, [Dolly Parton]. We will all miss you. May God bless the Parton family” – George Strait
The Nashville songwriting family joins the world today in mourning the loss of our precious Dolly Parton. There is no greater ambassador for the art of songwriting, Music Row and the state of Tennessee than Dolly. No one is more admired, revered and respected. It cannot be overstated how difficult the obstacles were for a young woman in the 1950s and ’60s to carve a path in the music business, much less become a ‘one-word’ household name. She will forever be spoken of as a Mount Rushmore-level icon in our industry. On behalf of the Nashville Songwriters Association International, thank you, Dolly, for the songs, the class, the heart and the eternal impression you have left on country music. We miss you already. – Lee Thomas Miller NSAI President
The Academy is deeply saddened by the passing of Dolly Parton. She leaves behind a legacy that reaches far beyond the stage. Through her unmistakable voice, unforgettable songs, generosity and larger-than-life spirit, she touched generations and made the world a little brighter. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry, Dolly was a 14-time ACM Award recipient and three-time host of the ACM Awards. She gave us some of country music’s most enduring songs and moments, and at this year’s ACM Honors, she was honored with the ACM Poet’s Award — a beautiful recognition of the songwriter whose words became a part of so many lives. As we look back on these ACM moments, we’re reminded of the incredible mark Dolly left on country music and on all those who grew up with her songs. Her music will live on, carrying her voice and her story forward for generations to come. – The Academy of Country Music
We are all crushed here at our house. One of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard was when Dolly and I sang that last note of ‘I Will Always Love You’ the year we performed it on the CMA Awards. – Vince Gill
Two of the absolute highlights of my career at the Academy were collaborating with Dolly as she hosted the ACM Awards in 2022 and 2023, and having the profound privilege of honoring her with the ACM Poet’s Award just last week at the ACM Honors. On behalf of myself, our staff, and the Board of Directors, we are entirely devastated by this unfathomable loss to Country Music and the entire world. Quite simply, there will never be another Dolly Parton. While our hearts are heavy, her incomparable spirit lives on through her music, her boundless legacy, and the endless inspiration she leaves behind. We will always love Dolly. – Damon Whiteside, CEO Emeritus of the Academy of Country Music
There are icons and there are superstars… and then there’s Dolly Parton. A songwriter without equal, she set the standard for telling the human story through song, capturing life’s truths with honesty, warmth and grace. She wrote from a genuine heart that touched people from the hills of eastern Tennessee to every corner of the globe. Miss Dolly, we will always love you. – Rusty Gaston, Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO
I’ve said often in my life, “What will the world be without Dolly?” From the time I was a little girl, I wanted to be just like her. At 15 years old, my family uprooted their lives so I could start chasing my dreams, working in the country show at Dollywood. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of not only working with Dolly, but getting to know her. She was exactly who we all hoped she would be — kind, funny, gracious, and one of a kind. Heaven got a whole lot sassier, funnier, and brighter today. I will do my part as a woman in country music to continue carrying the light she shined so brightly for all of us. I love you, Dolly. 🦋 – forever your little Dollywood girl – Carly Pearce
BREAKING: Dolly Parton: The Passing Of An Icon
/by Robert K OermannDolly Parton. Photo: David McClister
Global icon Dolly Parton passed away peacefully today (Aug. 25) in Nashville after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80.
Dolly Parton was arguably the most famous, most universally beloved and most widely respected country-music artist of all time. She is a member of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Country Music Hall of Fame, The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, The Gospel Music Hall of Fame, The East Tennessee Hall of Fame, The (NY) Songwriters Hall of Fame and the American Academy of Achievement. Parton won a Kennedy Center Honor, earned two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, garnered 11 Grammy Awards and 10 CMA Awards, was presented with a National Medal of Arts, and to date has 44 top-10 country albums, more than any other artist. She has been celebrated with a life-size bronze statue in her hometown of Sevierville, TN.
She had 40 BMI Songwriter honors, in addition to eight BMI Million-Air certificates, ranging from one million (“Coat of Many Colors”) to three million (“Jolene”), and upward to five million (“9 To 5”) and 10 million (“I Will Always Love You”). She has composed two Broadway musicals, created a symphony-orchestra experience, and starred in seven Hollywood movies, including such major hits as 9 To 5 (1980) and Steel Magnolias (1989). Her 18 made-for-TV films included an Emmy Award winner (2021) and eight original Netflix productions based on her songs (2020).
Her business acumen was legendary. She had an East Tennessee theme park, a Nashville hotel and a career museum. She put her brand on cake mixes, frozen foods, perfume, jewelry, pet products, clothing, kitchenware, picnic supplies, travel centers, pinball machines, wine, and cosmetics. Her net worth has been estimated at more than $500 million.
Parton’s philanthropy extended to Appalachian charities, medical clinics, and educational initiatives. She famously founded the Imagination Library to put books into the hands of millions of children. She donated one million dollars to create a COVID vaccine.
Dolly Parton rose from impoverished anonymity to become one of the most famous popular-culture figures of modern times. Her shimmering mountain soprano and emotionally gripping songwriting captivated the country-music community. Her baroque looks and witty personality fascinated the pop-music world. Her savvy intelligence and quick-study adaptability turned Hollywood’s head. Her warm humanity and strong sense of social justice endeared her to common people all over the world. She was, in short, the grandest of superstars.
Hers was a true rags-to-riches story. Dolly Rebecca Parton was born in a one-room cabin in the mountains of East Tennessee during the cold winter of 1946. She was the fourth of 12 children born to sharecropper Lee Parton and his singing wife Avie Lee Owens Parton. The family had no electricity, no running water, no telephone and no indoor plumbing. But the kids were all creative personalities and highly musical. Dolly was composing songs before she could read or write, and her mother wrote them down.
Dolly had professional role models. Avie Lee’s sister Dorothy Jo Hope was a gospel songwriter and evangelist, while brothers Louis, Robert, and Bill Owens were all local country entertainers. Uncle Bill bought Dolly a guitar, taught her to play it, and put her on stages at area churches and theaters.
When she was 10, he took her to Knoxville to audition for entrepreneur Cas Walker, who had a radio show called Farm and Home Hour. Throughout her junior high and high school years, Dolly performed on the show, then on its television incarnation beginning in 1957. She was on TV before her family owned one.
She began making tapes of her tunes at area radio stations. In 1960, Louisiana’s Goldband Records issued the 14-year-old’s peppy, rockabilly flavored “Puppy Love.” She parlayed it into a one-shot appearance on the Opry during one of the many trips she and Uncle Bill made to Nashville trying to break into the country-music business. On one occasion, she was hired by an independent label to record six Kitty Wells songs. During another trip, she took her radio-station tapes to song publisher Buddy Killen. He signed Dolly to his Tree Publishing and arranged for her to cut a single for Mercury Records. “(It May Not Kill Me) But It’s Sure Gonna Hurt” was issued when she was 16.
In 1964, Dolly became the first person in her family to get a high-school diploma. The day after graduation, she boarded a bus bound for Music City. During her early years in Nashville, she took jobs as a receptionist for a neon-sign company, a waitress in a family restaurant and a singer on the early-morning TV program The Eddie Hill Show.
On her first day in town, she met Nashville native Carl Dean (1942-2025), who became her steady beau. When he got out of the Army two years later, they wed. In the meantime, she’d signed with Combine Publishing and its affiliated record label, Monument. She and Uncle Bill Owens co-wrote “Put It Off Until Tomorrow,” and Decca artist Bill Phillips turned it into a country smash in 1966. Dolly sang a distinctive harmony vocal on the single, paving the way for the acceptance of her Monument singles “Dumb Blonde” and “Something Fishy” in 1967. Her early songs were also recorded by Hank Williams Jr., Skeeter Davis and Kitty Wells.
Country star Porter Wagoner (1927-2007) caught wind of the vivacious country newcomer and offered her a job as the “girl singer” in his road show and on his widely seen syndicated TV series. She moved from Monument to Wagoner’s recoding home, RCA, and the two were soon harmonizing on a string of 21 hit duets, eight of which were written by Dolly. The team won CMA Awards in 1968, 1970, and 1971.
Wagoner was emotionally abusive, and the fiercely independent Parton chafed at his dominating personality. His last solo top-10 hit was in 1972, while Parton’s solo career soared with “Just Because I’m a Woman” (1968), “Mule Skinner Blues” (1970), “Joshua” (1971), “Coat of Many Colors” (1971), “Touch Your Woman” (1972), “My Tennessee Mountain Home” (1973), “Jolene” (1973), “I Will Always Love You” (1974), “Love Is Like a Butterfly” (1974), “The Bargain Store” (1975), “The Seeker” (1975), “We Used To” (1975), and “All I Can Do” (1976). She joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry in 1969. She was named the CMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year in 1975 and 1976. After seven years of servitude, she finally cut the ties with Wagoner, endured his lawsuits and headed out on her own. She self-produced her 1977 LP New Harvest First Gathering and its vibrant single “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.”
Parton forged alliances in New York and Los Angeles music circles. She hired L.A.’s Sandy Gallin as her manager. The pop tune “Here You Come Again” became a massive country and pop hit in 1977, and she followed it with the glossy “Heartbreaker,” “You’re the Only One,” “Two Doors Down,” and “Starting Over Again” as pop/country successes. She appeared in major mainstream magazines, at pop-music showplaces, and on network TV talk shows and variety specials. In 1978, she won her first Grammy Award and was named the CMA Entertainer of the Year. Two years later, she staged one of the splashiest showroom debuts in Las Vegas history.
She paved the way for other Nashville singers to expand their horizons. She brought country music renewed validity and respect as an art form by becoming the genre’s leading ambassador to the pop-culture mainstream. Her wits became as celebrated as her glitz as she charmed TV talk-show hosts and magazine interviewers alike.
She staged her silver screen debut opposite Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 1980. 9 To 5 was the largest grossing movie of the year, behind only the blockbuster Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Parton’s “9 To 5” title tune topped pop and country charts, sold a million, won two Grammys, and was nominated for an Oscar. The soundtrack of her Best Little Whorehouse in Texas film (1982) yielded “Hard Candy Christmas” and her remake of “I Will Always Love You” as country chart successes. She returned to the top of the pop hit parade with 1983’s million-selling “Islands in the Stream.” It was a duet with superstar Kenny Rogers (1938-2020), with whom she toured and recorded a top-selling Christmas album as well as several subsequent duet singles.
In 1984, “Tennessee Homesick Blues” and “God Won’t Get You” emerged as hits from the soundtrack of Rhinestone, co-starring Parton and Sylvester Stallone of Rocky fame. Her wildly successful Dollywood theme park opened in 1986, and she soon acquired other East Tennessee tourist attractions nearby. She shed 40 pounds between 1983 and 1987 and reveled in her glamorous, newly-sleek image.
The disc sensation Trio album with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris was a magnificent return to Parton’s mountain roots. It spawned four top-10 hits in 1987-88, won Grammy and CMA awards, sold four million copies worldwide, and was selected for the Grammy Hall of Fame. Parton teamed up with Ricky Skaggs as her producer for 1989’s White Limozeen LP and its two No. 1 hit singles “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That” and “Yellow Roses.”
Her costars in 1989’s female-centric film Steel Magnolias were Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia Roberts. She wrote the uplifting “Eagle When She Flies” for its soundtrack, but it was not used. Instead, it became a 1991 LP title tune on a collection that also included “Rockin’ Years,” a chart-topping duet with Ricky Van Shelton.
“I Will Always Love You” already held the unique distinction of being a No. 1 country hit twice for Dolly Parton, once in 1974 and again in 1982. The song became even more popular in 1992 via a worldwide, blockbuster hit pop treatment by Whitney Houston. Dozens of others recorded the song, and Parton reaped millions in royalties. In 1995, she won a CMA Award by recording “I Will Always Love You” as a duet with Vince Gill, further cementing the song as a standard.
Gill was just one of her many celebrity duet partners. Others included Rod Stewart, Julio Iglesias, Paul Anka, Smokey Robinson, Miss Piggy, Neil Diamond, Don Henley, James Ingram, Janis Ian, and Solomon Burke. Not to mention Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Mac Davis, Alison Krauss, George Jones, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Shania Twain, and a who’s-who of other country greats.
Parton published her memoir My Life and Other Unfinished Business in 1994. It became a New York Times best seller. In 1995, she launched her Imagination Library free books initiative. Parton had long owned her own song-publishing company and film-production entity, and in 1995 she added her own record labels. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. Parton rounded out the 1990s and entered the new millennium with her acclaimed albums Hungry Again (1998) and Halos & Horns (2002). The latter contained “Hello God” as her composition inspired by 9/11.
During this same period, Parton became more interested in her musical roots. Heartsongs (1994), the Grammy-winning Trio II with Ronstadt and Harris (1999), Honky Tonk Angels with Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn (1993), and Live and Well (2004) were all expressions of this. Most expressive of all were her bluegrass-music masterpieces The Grass Is Blue (1999) and Little Sparrow (2001). Both resulted in Grammy Awards.
By the year 2000, Dolly Parton was an internationally recognized icon. In 2001, she was voted into the national Songwriters Hall of Fame, placing her alongside titans such as Irving Berlin, Lennon & McCartney and Bob Dylan. In 2003, BMI presented her with its Icon award. She was saluted by the Library of Congress in 2004, was chosen for a National Medal of Arts accolade in 2005, was honored by The Kennedy Center in 2006 and was presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.
Her musical output continued. In 2005, she returned to No. 1 on the country hit parade via a collaboration with Brad Paisley on “When I Get Where I’m Going.” It won a CMA Award, her eighth. She wrote “Travelin’ Thru” for the 2005 movie Transamerica, earning a second Academy Award nomination, as well as a performance slot on the 2006 Oscar telecast. In 2009, her self-penned 9 To 5: The Musical opened on Broadway, garnered four Tony Award nominations, and spawned “Backwoods Barbie” as a self-referential single. Also in 2009, she published I Am a Rainbow as her children’s book.
Parton’s album Pure & Simple (2016) celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary with Carl Dean. I Believe In You (2017) was her first children’s album. A Holly Dolly Christmas (2020) sold a million as her holiday collection. Better Day (2011) and Blue Smoke (2014) were top sellers in the U.K., aided by a triumphant overseas tour in 2014 to Europe, Australia and New Zealand. It was capped by her appearance at England’s Glastonbury Festival before 180,000 fans. The RIAA certified her worldwide record sales at 100 million in 2014.
After wildfires decimated her East Tennessee homeland in 2016, Parton organized and hosted an Emmy Award winning telethon that raised $8.9 million for victims. By 2018, her Imagination Library had distributed more than 100 million free books to children and had expanded into an international endeavor. To help raise funds for it, the state of Tennessee began offering a Dolly Parton license plate in 2016. Her charity became the subject of the 2020 documentary film The Library That Dolly Built. Her film Coat of Many Colors, based on her classic song, became one of the highest-rated TV movies in history when it aired on NBC in 2015. Continuing in this vein, her TV movie Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square won an Emmy Award in 2021.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the CMA had Parton singing “I Will Always Love You” as the finale of its 2016 all-star recording “Forever Country.” Her enduring ballad thus became a No. 1 country hit yet again. In 2018, Parton provided the soundtrack songs for the movie Dumplin,’ co-starring Jennifer Anniston.
Dolly Parton ended the decade in a blizzard of activity. In 2019, eight of her songs became Netflix movies; she was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year by the Recording Academy, starred in the popular NPR podcast “Dolly Parton’s America,” co-hosted the CMA Awards on ABC, introduced her Hallmark Channel movie Christmas at Dollywood, wowed the crowd in a surprise appearance at the Newport Folk Festival, and celebrated her 50th anniversary as an Opry member with an NBC special. She also won a 2019 Grammy Award for her Christian-music collaboration with For King & Country on “God Only Knows.” She won another Grammy in this category for her duet with Zach Williams on “There Was Jesus” in 2021.
She entered the new decade at the top of the dance-music charts by singing, co-writing, and doing a music video with the Swedish electronic duo Galantis on its international hit “Faith.” The record remained at No. 1 on the dance charts for five consecutive weeks in 2020. Parton was no stranger to the dance-music community. “Baby I’m Burnin’” (1978) marked her first foray onto the dance hit parade. That up-tempo rampage was followed by disco remixes of such singles as “House of the Rising Sun,” “Potential New Boyfriend,” and “Peace Train.”
Always “dreaming new dreams” as she would say, Parton co-wrote a best-selling novel titled Run, Rose, Run in 2022. It had a companion album of newly written songs, and a feature film was planned. Between 2020 and 2025, Parton co-created four other books, Songteller (2020), Behind the Seams (2023), Good Lookin’ Cookin’ (2024), and Star of the Show (2025).
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame came calling in 2022. Parton initially declined its offer of induction, stating that she did not think she’d earned it. She eventually acquiesced, and sang “Jolene” at the New York ceremony with Pat Benatar, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart, Simon Le Bon, Brandi Carlile, and Rob Halford. More than 300 artists have issued versions of “Jolene,” her most recorded song. She won yet another Grammy by singing it with the a cappella group Pentatonix in 2017. Superstar Beyonce included her version of “Jolene” on the million-selling Cowboy Carter album of 2024.
The following year, Parton issued a collection of rock-music classics titled Rockstar. It included collaborations with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sting, Elton John, Sheryl Crow and Lizzo, among others. She became a go-to duet partner for many modern pop/rock artists. Sabrina Carpenter, Kesha, Sia, Post Malone, and Norah Jones have all sung with her in recent years.
A triple album called Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables was issued in 2024. Credited to “Dolly Parton and Family,” the collection represented the star’s reaffirmation of her roots. On it, she collaborated with her mother, uncles, aunts, siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, and other country-music kin.
After a prolonged decline in health, husband Carl Dean passed away in 2025 at age 82. To deal with her grief, she issued the touching “If You Hadn’t Been There” in his memory, then forged ahead with her career. She staged Nashville previews of a new musical based on her life story. She began rehearsals for a Las Vegas residency at Caesar’s Palace. She launched “Threads” as a touring classical-music show, marrying her songs to various symphony orchestras. To mark her 80th birthday in 2026, she issued “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” as a single and video with Miley Cyrus, Reba McEntire Lainey Wilson, and Queen Latifah. But overwork caught up with her. In caring for Carl, she had neglected her own health, and she fell ill, cancelling her engagements.
Parton’s demographic is vast. Kids love her; so do seniors. Songwriters revere her. Folkies respect her. Feminists adore her. Rockers dig her. Young or old, gay or straight, Black or white, conservative or liberal, intellectual or redneck — what they all have in common is love for a deeply gifted artist, a luminous personality, and a profound humanitarian.
At Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family. Dolly’s fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com.
In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com.
‘Girls In Low Places’ Signs With WME
/by Lauryn SinkKatie Atkin. Photo: Courtesy of Girls in Low Places
Katie Atkin and her country music podcast and digital brand Girls in Low Places have signed with WME.
Founded in 2024, the UK-based podcast has featured conversations with Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Shaboozey, HARDY, Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, Carly Pearce, Zach Top and more. Today, Girls in Low Places reaches a community of more than 100,000 followers across platforms, representing growth of more than 400% in less than a year. Its monthly social reach has climbed as high as 16 million, with coverage surrounding the CMA Awards generating approximately 40 million views.
“Girls in Low Places was built around the idea of creating a home for girls in country music, a place where female voices, stories and perspectives are celebrated, supported and given room to be heard,” shares Atkin. “What started as a passion project, has grown into an incredible community, and I’m so proud of what we’ve built together. Partnering with WME feels like such an exciting next chapter. Their belief in our vision and what Girls in Low Places can become gives us the opportunity to dream bigger and continue building this platform in ways we’ve only begun to imagine. Let’s go girls…we’re just getting started.”
“Katie has created something truly distinctive with Girls in Low Places, combining her natural ability to connect with artists and fans with a fresh, international perspective on country music,” says WME’s Lindsey Dodge. “The growth she has achieved in such a short time is remarkable, and our entire team is excited to represent Katie and Girls in Low Places as they expand across media, live experiences and new opportunities around the world.”
At WME, Atkin and Girls in Low Places will be represented by Lindsey Dodge, Sara Pincus, Beth Hamilton, Abby Wells Baas, Millie Webber and Hannah Spark.
Conner Moye Inks With Concord Music Publishing
/by Madison HahnenPictured (L-R, back row): Ellie Gray, Matt Turner, Courtney Allen, Shaugnessy Elsroth and Claire Buchanan. (L-R, front row): Brad Kennard, Connor Moye and Melissa Spillman. Photo: Audrey Spillman for Concord
Singer-songwriter Conner Moye has signed a global publishing deal with Concord Music Publishing.
Based in Nashville, Moye grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he developed an early love for storytelling and country music. He graduated from Belmont University and has since collaborated with artists including Brandon Wisham, Nightly, Georgia Webster and Faith Hopkins.
Moye combines traditional country storytelling with a contemporary indie-acoustic sound, writing about complex subjects including loss, alcoholism and romantic devotion. This past year, he released “Feel Twice” and is teasing more new music on social media. Moye performed at this year’s CMA Fest in Nashville during STEM and Concord Music Publishing’s Rooftop Roundup showcase on Broadway.
“I’m incredibly grateful and honored to join the Concord Publishing family,” says Moye. “Songwriting, for me has always been about connection and writing honest stories. I can already tell that the family-like environment Concord provides is the right place for me to dive deeper into my development as a songwriter and artist. I’m especially grateful to Melissa Spillman and the entire Concord team for believing in me. I’m excited for what’s ahead and can’t wait to see what we create together.”
“It’s rare to find an artist and songwriter with such musical qualities as Conner,” adds Spillman, VP A&R at Concord Music Publishing. “He has that star factor, that intangible quality that we all strive to find in our business, and the trajectory of his music is equally exciting. I am so happy to welcome Conner to the Concord family of artists and songwriters. He is exactly the kind of person we feel blessed to work with!”