Dolly Parton’s New Recording of Classic Hit "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning" Earns Hot Shot Debut Honors on Billboard Country Airplay Chart With the Week’s Most Increased in Spins
"Light Of A Clear Blue Morning" – Written by Dolly 50 Years Ago – Also Lands at #1 on Billboard Country Digital Song Sales
Dolly Parton celebrates her birthday week with another hit record. Dolly, whose span of Billboard chart hits now covers 60 years, sees the new version of her classic hit "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning" (featuring Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus, Queen Latifah & Reba McEntire) debut at #41 on the Billboard Country Airplay, earning Hot Shot Debut honors for the highest debut song of the week. The song is also this week’s Most Increased In Airplay (+1,810 spins) generating 2.5 million listener impressions.
"This is the best gift I could receive! I want to thank the fans, all the radio programmers, and all the streaming partners," exclaims Dolly. "When I first started thinking about something special to do for my 80th birthday, I thought, 'Lord, please give me a song – or something – to make the birthday special…to be a gift from me to other people for my birthday.' When we were working on songs for my new museum in Nashville, 'Light Of A Clear Blue Morning' came on, and I went, 'Oh! That’s it!'"
A Global Musical Event in Every Way, Song & Music Video Generate Over 5 Million Streams in First Week, Featuring Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus, Queen Latifah & Reba McEntire, With David Foster on Piano & the Christ Church Choir on Backing Vocals
Dolly & Friends also blast onto the Billboard Country Digital Song Sales chart at #1. The music video for the single has been viewed more than 5 million times on YouTube and Facebook. The song also is receiving global embrace, with adds and features highlighted across numerous BBC Radio platforms in the UK. "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning" debuts Top 10 on the UK’s Official Charts Digital Single Sales tally.
Country radio embraced this single in a big way, with the track becoming one of the week’s Most Added songs. With broad support from iHeartMedia, Audacy Radio, and Townsquare Media, official playlisted adds came from KKGO/Los Angeles, KKBQ/Houston, WPGB/Pittsburgh, KAWO/Boise, WCOL/Columbus, KSD/St. Louis, WCOS/Columbia, WEZL/Charleston, WKSJ/Mobile, WQIK/Jacksonville, WSSL/Greenville, KXKS/Shreveport, WUSJ/Jackson, and Music Choice.
2026 Marks an Unprecedented 60-Year Run of Hit Records For Dolly, With Her First Hit Coming as a Writer & Uncredited Guest Vocalist on Bill Phillips’ Billboard Hot Country Songs Top 10 Single "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" Released in 1966
Dolly’s first appearance on Billboard’s charts came as a songwriter 60 years ago. "Put It Off Until Tomorrow", cowritten with her Uncle Bill Owens, was recorded by Decca Records artist Bill Phillips and released in January 1966. First cracking the Billboard Hot Country Songs in April 1966, the song eventually peaked at #6 on the chart. Dolly is featured as an uncredited special guest vocalist on the single, which also brought the singer-songwriter the first of many BMI Awards as a Song of the Year in 1966.
In keeping with the spirit of giving that has defined her career, net proceeds from the new version of "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning" and its accompanying music video will benefit the pediatric cancer research program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee, a longtime partner and cause close to Parton’s heart. This single is released on Dolly's own Butterfly Records, with distribution via Virgin Music Group.
