Dolly Parton has a secret song locked away in Dollywood
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. —
Country music icon Dolly Parton has a secret song locked away in Dollywood, and it won’t be released until 2045.
The 10-time Grammy-winning country singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist died at 80 Tuesday following a brief battle with cancer.
She wrote hundreds of songs, including classics like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You.” And there’s at least one more song tucked away — that won’t be heard for the better part of the next two decades.
Recently resurfaced video shows the “Queen of Country” discussing the recording — and then burying — of a secret song at her Tennessee theme park.
“I had to write this song that nobody was going to hear ‘til then. And I tell you, you have no idea how that has bothered me. I want to dig that up so bad,” Parton said on the The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2022.
In later months, Parton would also discuss her secret song with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, calling it a “really good song.”
“I won’t be around to hear it,” Parton told Fallon. “I’ll be dead and gone — well I might not be, ’cause I’ll be 99. You know me, I might still be hopping around.”
The song, called “My Place in History,” was tucked into a wooden vault at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort. It will be unsealed as the resort celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Dollywood is a major economic driver in Appalachia that draws tourists from around the country, combining roller coasters and family rides with live music, Appalachian crafts, traditional food and seasonal festivals.
On Tuesday, Dollywood released a statement on Parton’s death, mourning the loss of their “dreamer-in-chief.”
“Dolly’s heartfelt wish was that Dollywood always remain a place of joy, hope and togetherness—a space where families and friends could honor her memory, not with silence, but with laughter, music and shared dreams,” the statement reads in part.
Parton was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond — the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.
With 55 Grammy nominations and 10 wins, Parton is the third-most nominated woman in Grammy history, only behind Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.