A Musical Journey With Dolly Parton and Family

Smoky Mountain DNA delves into the rich tapestry of Dolly Parton’s music. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, this project celebrates the past, present, and future of the Owens-Parton family’s musical legacy.

A Word From Dolly

(From the album, Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables)

Smoky Mountain DNA is an album I’ve wanted to make for many years. It’s one of the most important albums I’ve ever made, too — because it’s family.

My family has an abiding faith in God and in ourselves. We have strong family bonds that go back hundreds of years, and we have stories and music, passed down from parent to child for generations.

My granddaddy, the Rev. Jake Owens, taught us about faith at his little country church. But on the front porch of our Tennessee mountain home, our Parton and Owens kin taught us about music. Grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins all loved music, and they all made music. I didn’t get to be who I am without many of the people you’re going to hear on this record.

Some of them are gone, but a lot of them are still with us, and a few are just teenagers. They all have the gift, and I am so proud to have been able to join my voice with each and every one of them.

This record has been a true labor of love for me. It’s all about family, faith and fables, and the magic that has always been right there for me, buried deep in our Smoky Mountain DNA.