Dolly Parton‘s voice has returned with a new song released after her death.
“Bound to Ride,” Parton’s first posthumous release, arrived this week as part of “Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of The Stanley Brothers,” a tribute album honoring the bluegrass legends.
Parton recorded the song in 2022, years before her death on August 25 at age 80. She recorded her vocals separately from the other musicians because of COVID concerns at the time.
The track features the First Ladies of Bluegrass, with Parton joining Alison Brown, Becky Buller, Sierra Hull, Missy Raines, and Molly Tuttle.
Producer Garry West said Parton’s contribution exceeded their expectations.
We did not know what we would get back, and she really did over-deliver. We were shocked. We could not have gotten anything better.
Parton also gave the recording a personal touch by naming the First Ladies of Bluegrass during her performance. The gesture moved the musicians who worked on the track.
The song arrives as fans continue to mourn the country icon. Her sister, Stella Parton, recently explained why Dolly kept her illness private.
Dolly did not want anybody to tell that because Dolly could not bear negative things and she would not have wanted her fans worried about it.
“Bound to Ride” will appear on the full tribute album when it arrives October 16.
For fans, the release offers a new chance to hear Parton’s unmistakable voice while celebrating the bluegrass music she loved.