Dolly Parton made sure to leave behind several projects for fans to look forward to after her passing – including a song that won’t be released for another 20 years.
The country music legend died aged 80 following a period of illness last Tuesday (August 25), with several posthumous projects – including ‘Dolly, A True Original Musical’, set to open on Broadway on January 19, 2027, which would have been her 81st birthday.
Fans will have to wait longer, however, for one song in particular, which Parton buried under her Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa back in 2015 to be unearthed on her 100th birthday.
Titled ‘My Place In History’, the time capsule contains physical copies of the song in two formats, cassette and CD, along with their corresponding players.
A placard within the box reads, “The chestnut ‘Dream Box’ is a repository of Dolly’s wishes and memories for the future. It will not be opened until Dolly’s birthday on January 19, 2046. The Dream Box itself is tribute to her original mentor and uncle, Bill Owens, who has worked tirelessly to preserve the American Chestnut tree.
“As a final tribute, Dolly placed a song which she has written to be released as her last. Entitled ‘My Place In History,’ only Dolly will know its melody and content until 2046.”
Speaking on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2022, Parton confirmed that the song exists and acknowledged she might not be around to see it unearthed, saying: “They weren’t expecting me to be there at all.
“I’m just saying, I might be there. Who knows? But the point is, there is a song – I figure it’ll probably disintegrate, probably nobody ever hears it. That’s what bothers me, to think that it’s gonna be a song that nobody’s ever gonna hear if it rots in there before they open it.”
On the track, she added: “It’s a really good song. But yes, I have a song that’s buried that nobody’s gonna hear – I don’t know whose damn idea that was.”
In a statement, Parton’s team confirmed her passing following a “brief battle with cancer”, sharing: “Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched.
“Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.
“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.”
They added: “After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”
