Dolly Parton’s first posthumous recording has been released as part of Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of The Stanley Brothers. Parton recorded “Bound to Ride” during a 2022 COVID-19 surge, while the tribute album also features Willie Nelson, Sierra Ferrell, Jamey Johnson and other country and bluegrass artists.
Key Takeaways
- “Bound to Ride” is Dolly Parton’s first posthumous release.
- Parton recorded her vocal separately at her own studio during a COVID-19 surge around 2022.
- The recording appears on Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of The Stanley Brothers.
- The album includes performances from Willie Nelson, Sierra Ferrell, Jamey Johnson, Dierks Bentley, Rhiannon Giddens and other artists.
- The album is scheduled for release on October 16, followed by a Nashville tribute performance on October 28.
Dolly Parton’s ‘Bound to Ride’ Receives Its Posthumous Release
“Bound to Ride” has become the first Dolly Parton recording released after her death, giving listeners a previously recorded performance tied directly to the musical traditions represented by the Stanley Brothers. The traditional song appears on Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of The Stanley Brothers, an album built around the duo’s contribution to country and bluegrass music.
Parton recorded her vocal for the song separately from the rest of the album’s musicians. The recording took place at her own studio during a COVID-19 surge around 2022, when the production team used a different approach for her contribution.
The album is scheduled for release on October 16. Its lineup includes artists from country, bluegrass and Americana, with the recordings covering songs associated with the Stanley Brothers and their repertoire.
“Bound to Ride” also connects Parton’s recording to the Stanley Brothers’ 1964 version of the traditional song. The brothers helped popularize the song through their recording, making it a direct link between Parton’s performance and the material being honored by the tribute project.
The release therefore centers on a recording completed years before its public release rather than a new studio session. Parton’s vocal was preserved for the tribute album and has now been issued as part of the project.
Parton’s Vocal Was Recorded Separately
The production circumstances shaped the arrangement of “Bound to Ride.” While most of the tribute album’s tracks were recorded live in the studio, Parton’s vocal was recorded independently during the 2022 COVID-19 surge.
The First Ladies of Bluegrass had already recorded a backing track for the song. The group includes Alison Brown on banjo, Becky Buller on fiddle, Sierra Hull on mandolin, Missy Raines on bass and Molly Tuttle on guitar.
The musicians rearranged “Bound to Ride” for the project and added a newly written eight-bar bridge based on an obscure verse. Buller also recorded a scratch vocal while the musicians developed the arrangement and worked around the key intended for Parton’s performance.
The separate recordings were later combined to create the finished track. Parton’s performance included references to the individual First Ladies of Bluegrass, connecting her vocals directly to the musicians who prepared the backing arrangement.
The recording also sits within a wider country and Americana context represented by contemporary artists on the project. FamousTimes has previously covered music releases drawing from the same roots-oriented traditions, including recent country music releases.
Parton Recorded the Stanley Brothers Song During 2022
Parton’s contribution was recorded at her own studio around 2022, during a period when the production team was taking precautions because of a COVID-19 surge. Her vocal session differed from the live studio approach used for most of the other recordings on the album.
The song itself comes from the traditional repertoire associated with the Stanley Brothers. Carter and Ralph Stanley recorded “Bound to Ride” in 1964, helping establish the song within the duo’s body of work.
The Stanley Brothers tribute project was conceived to celebrate 80 years of the group. The album was also timed to the Stanley Brothers’ long-delayed induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Carter Stanley and Ralph Stanley began performing together in the mid-1940s with the Clinch Mountain Boys. Their music combined string-band traditions with mountain ballads and church singing learned in southwestern Virginia, along with influences from the Carter Family and Bill Monroe.
That musical background provides the direct context for Parton’s selection of “Bound to Ride.” Her recording places a previously completed performance within an album specifically devoted to the Stanley Brothers’ repertoire and influence.
The project also includes Shawn Camp, whose songwriting career has been connected to Nashville’s country tradition. His inclusion is notable alongside the other established artists appearing across the collection, including Willie Nelson.
A separate Nashville songwriting honor recently covered by FamousTimes also involved Camp, who was selected for the 2026 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame class.
First Ladies of Bluegrass Arranged the New Backing Track
The First Ladies of Bluegrass prepared the instrumental foundation for Parton’s version of “Bound to Ride.” Brown, Buller, Hull, Raines and Tuttle each contributed to the arrangement, covering banjo, fiddle, mandolin, bass and guitar.
The group developed the new arrangement while masked around a studio coffee table. Buller provided a scratch vocal in an approximation of the key expected for Parton’s eventual recording.
The arrangement also contains an eight-bar bridge newly written from an obscure verse. That addition gives the tribute version a distinct structure while retaining the traditional song at its center.
Parton subsequently recorded her vocal separately at her studio. The producers then incorporated her performance with the backing track prepared by the First Ladies of Bluegrass.
The finished recording also includes Parton calling out the members of the group by name during the song. The performance thus contains both the traditional material associated with the Stanley Brothers and a newly assembled arrangement created specifically for the tribute album.
The production approach differs from the album’s primary recording method, which involved musicians performing together live at the Nashville studio. Parton’s separate session allowed her contribution to be incorporated into the same project without requiring her to participate in the group recording session.
The combination of traditional material and contemporary roots musicians also fits within the broader Americana field. Another FamousTimes music feature has covered Americana and roots music through a recent album project.
Stanley Brothers Tribute Album Features Major Country Artists
Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of The Stanley Brothers brings together a broad lineup of country, bluegrass and Americana performers. Willie Nelson and Sierra Ferrell perform “I’ll Fly Away,” while Jamey Johnson and Shawn Camp appear on “Rank Strangers to Me.”
Dierks Bentley and Della Mae perform “How Mountain Girls Can Love.” Jim Lauderdale and the Travelin’ McCourys contribute “Riding That Midnight Train,” while the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band performs “Think of What You’ve Done.”
Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell appear on “Little Birdie.” Ralph Stanley II and Tim O’Brien perform “Mother No Longer Awaits Me at Home,” and the group I’m With Her performs “Going Up Home to Live in Green Pastures.”
The album also includes Steve Martin and Ed Helms on “Pardon Me, Stranger,” a new version based on a Stanley Brothers comedy routine. Brown and Martin wrote portions of the new song, while Martin and Helms developed new jokes for the performance.
The producers’ stated purpose for the project is to introduce listeners to the Stanley Brothers’ role in country, bluegrass and Americana music. The brothers also influenced artists including Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.
The collection therefore extends beyond a single tribute performance. Its track list pairs established artists from several generations with songs and musical material associated with Carter and Ralph Stanley.
Willie Nelson’s participation also connects the project to an artist who has appeared throughout FamousTimes’ coverage of country music and Nashville songwriting. The album’s lineup brings his contribution together with artists representing different generations of country, bluegrass and Americana.
Nashville Tribute Performance Is Scheduled for October 28
The Stanley Brothers celebration will continue with a live tribute at Nashville’s CMA Theater on October 28. Alison Brown and Garry West are scheduled to bring together artists from the album for the performance, although the full group of participating performers has not been announced.
The live event follows the album’s scheduled October 16 release. The two dates establish a sequence for the project, with the recorded tribute arriving first and the Nashville performance following later in the month.
The album was produced by Brown and West after industry veteran J. Tayloe Emery conceived the project with Ralph Stanley II. Emery brought the concept to Brown and West, who then produced the recordings at their Nashville headquarters.
West said the producers hope younger musicians will continue performing the Stanley Brothers’ music while creating new versions of the material. The album uses that approach by pairing traditional songs with arrangements and performances from contemporary country, bluegrass and Americana artists.
The project also connects the Stanley Brothers’ catalog with the Country Music Hall of Fame induction planned around their long-delayed recognition. Parton’s “Bound to Ride” forms one part of that larger collection, preserving her previously recorded performance alongside contributions from Willie Nelson, Sierra Ferrell, Jamey Johnson, Dierks Bentley, Rhiannon Giddens and others.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dolly Parton’s first posthumous recording?
Dolly Parton’s first posthumous recording is “Bound to Ride.” The song is included on Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of The Stanley Brothers.
When did Dolly Parton record “Bound to Ride”?
Parton recorded her vocal around 2022 during a COVID-19 surge. She recorded separately at her own studio rather than participating in the live studio sessions used for most of the tribute album.
What Stanley Brothers tribute album features Dolly Parton?
Parton appears on Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of The Stanley Brothers. The album is scheduled for release on October 16.
Which artists appear on the Stanley Brothers tribute album?
The album features Willie Nelson, Sierra Ferrell, Jamey Johnson, Shawn Camp, Dierks Bentley, Della Mae, Rhiannon Giddens, Dirk Powell, Steve Martin, Ed Helms and other artists.
When will the Stanley Brothers tribute album be released?
Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of The Stanley Brothers is scheduled for release on October 16. A live tribute connected to the project is scheduled for October 28 at Nashville’s CMA Theater.
