Hear Dolly Parton's first posthumous release 'Bound to Ride': "I call it the full Dolly"

11 September 2026, 09:38 | Updated: 14 September 2026, 07:14

Dolly Parton recorded a song for a Stanley Brothers tribute album before her passing.

Dolly Parton tragically died last month shortly after being diagnosed with cancer, but her stunning back catalogue and philanthropic contributions were not all that she left us.

The legendary singer-songwriter had been in the studio before her death and laid down a track for an upcoming tribute album.

• 'Jolene' by Dolly Parton: The making of the pleading country classic
• Dolly Parton releases tearjerking cover of Simon & Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'
• Listen to the Gold Radio Greats Live Playlist on Global Player, the home of Gold

Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of The Stanley Brothers is released on October 16 and includes Dolly's version of 'Bound to Ride'.

The song features a backing track from The First Ladies of Bluegrass – co-producer Alison Brown on Banjo, Becky Buller on fiddle, Sierra Hull on mandolin, Missy Raines on bass and Molly Tuttle on guitar.

Dolly recorded her vocals at her own studio around 2022.

Bound to Ride

"I call it the full Dolly,” said album producer Garry West.

"We didn't know what we would get back, and she really did over-deliver. We were shocked. We couldn't have gotten anything better."

He added of The Stanley Brothers: "I feel like a lot of their stuff is just in the ether. It's just there, and it's taken for granted.

"Some of these things are such classics that a lot of people that play these tunes now — because they’re so commonly played in pickup bands.

"I would bet a lot of the musicians don’t even know the origins of them as Stanley Brothers songs, or at least from their recordings.”

Parton's last studio album was 2023's Rockstar, a massive double album featuring a host of rock legends.