Dolly Parton Has More Music Coming — Including a Secret Song Locked Away Until 2045

Dolly Parton may have already given the world timeless hits such as “Jolene” and “9 to 5”, but her musical legacy could continue producing new releases long after her lifetime.

Parton has previously revealed that she has deliberately prepared unreleased material that could allow fans to hear new music years into the future. Among the most intriguing pieces is a secret song called “My Place in History”, which she recorded and placed inside a time capsule at her Dollywood resort in Tennessee.

The song is not expected to be opened until around 2045 or 2046, close to the 100th anniversary of Parton’s birth. She revealed the unusual project in interviews in 2022, explaining that Dollywood asked her to create a song that would remain unheard until the time capsule was opened.

Parton later joked that she had grown attached to the song and regretted sealing it away. She also expressed concern that the recording might deteriorate before its scheduled unveiling, saying she wished she could retrieve it and replace it with another song.

The country music icon has also suggested that the time-capsule recording is only a small part of what she has prepared. In a 2019 interview, she said she had written hundreds, possibly thousands, of songs, with many still waiting to be recorded.

Parton explained that she had intentionally recorded some songs with her vocals and a basic click track. A click track provides a steady rhythmic guide, allowing other musicians to build new arrangements around an existing vocal performance.

Music and artificial intelligence professor Tina Tallon said the approach could allow musicians to preserve Parton’s original vocal performances while creating arrangements around them. She noted that the method could help maintain the singer’s intentions regarding rhythm, structure and mood.

How Parton’s estate will handle unreleased recordings and potential future productions remains unclear. However, her preparations mean fans could potentially hear previously unreleased Dolly Parton music for decades — with at least one mysterious song already waiting to be discovered in 2045 or 2046.