Dolly Parton sings her family's story on 'Smoky Mountain DNA.' She says it is her 'favorite album'
Dolly Parton’s musical story starts further back than most might expect — to the British Isles of the 1600s
NEW YORK (AP) — Dolly Parton's musical story starts further back than most might expect — to the British Isles of the 1600s. That's where her ancestors hail from, eventually landing in the hollers of East Tennessee and its familiar mountain ranges, bringing their songs with them. A new album out Friday, “Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith & Fables” credited to Dolly Parton and Family, explores the great legacy of the Partons and the Owens, her maternal family, as she performs alongside five generations of family members.
“My grandpa used to say when I got famous, he said, ‘Well, she came out crying in the key of D,'” she told The Associated Press. “I think we all did.”
“Smoky Mountain DNA” was an inevitable labor of love, one that taught Parton more about her family line.
“We're kind of like the Carter family. We go back generations,” Parton said. (The Carters are widely considered the first family of country music.)
