Country queen and national treasure Dolly Parton may have physically left the world on Tuesday, but her indelible mark on the world and the industry will never be forgotten. And luckily, she’s not done yet. Parton has several posthumous projects to look forward to, one of which is a secret song.
Back in 2015, Parton and her team buried a chestnut box filled with physical copies of a brand new song in two formats, cassette and CD, along with their corresponding players, under her Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa. The time capsule is meant to remain sealed off until after the park celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2045, in time for Parton’s 100th birthday.
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.”
Parton explained to Kelly Clarkson on the “The Kelly Clarkson Show” in 2022 that the vault track does in fact exist. She even acknowledged that she might not be around for the reveal of the unreleased track.
