Smoky Mountain DNA: Dolly Parton Reveals Plans for Family History Docuseries
What stories lie in Dolly Parton’s family tree?
The East Tennessee native is working on a four-part docuseries that traces her musical heritage from the United Kingdom during the 1600s to her Smoky Mountain hometown, along with an accompanying album. Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA – Family, Faith & Fables is set for release on November 15, 2024, and will be available on vinyl, CD, and via digital download and streaming. On June 21, Parton will reveal the full track list for the album and release two grat tracks. The album will feature multi-generational performances from Parton’s immediate and extended family, including voices of treasured family members who have passed.
While there’s no release date for the docuseries yet, Parton anticipates that it will be a fast follow to the album. According to a press release, the project will feature interviews with numerous family members and give a particular focus to Parton’s grandfather, Reverend Jake Owens. His legacy included a “profound respect for faith, a deep love of music and storytelling, and strong enduring family values.” In addition, the docuseries will include concert performances filmed at Knoxville's historic Bijou Theater, featuring Parton and her family from the record. Interweaving the songs and narratives of the Owens and Parton families will give viewers an intimate view of their deep musical roots.
Parton spoke about the project during a special Q&A at Fan Fair X on Thursday, June 6, to kick off the 51st CMA Fest in Nashville, Tennessee.
“I'm doing an album with my family and we're doing a docuseries too,” Parton announced to the standing-room-only crowd, who had lined up for hours to catch a glimpse of the global superstar. “It's called Smoky Mountain DNA and that's going to be coming out on the 15th [of November]. And of course the docuseries, we're working on that now and that'll come out hopefully shortly after. But my first cousin, Richie Owens, he's producing it as well as the docuseries and I'm very proud of, he's our family historian.”
Parton explained why now is the right time for this project.
“I've spent my whole life loving my family, trying to build to where I could do good with and for my family. I've always talked about being from a very musical family on both sides, especially on my mom's side of the family. And like I mentioned Richie, he's always been our family historian and of course my uncle Bill, one of my mom's brothers is the one that actually got me started in the business. But we have so many of our younger ones coming up and others that never really actually got a chance. And I was always so busy trying to build a career to get us to kinda where we are now. And so I'm really hoping that people are going to really just see how much talent there really is. It's like the Carter family, everybody sings, everybody plays and all that. So I'm just very proud of my family like I'm proud of the Smoky Mountains and all of our history. And so the docuseries is actually going to be about tracing our musical heritage all the way back through the centuries and when we came over from the old world and how we settled in the Smokies, that sort of thing.”
Fans can pre-order Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA – Family, Faith & Fables starting June 21. For more information, visit dollyparton.com.