Dolly released her 42nd album "Blue Smoke" in North America on, May 13, 2014. "Blue Smoke" was the fifth album recorded on her label, Dolly Records (in collaboration with Sony Masterworks).
Dolly grew up in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and the famous fog that gives the mountains their name inspired the album title and the Smokies themselves inspired much of the album content. As she has said,
“It was a song that brought me out of the Smoky Mountains and it will be a song that lays me back down in the ground in the Smoky Mountains.”
Dolly has said that this record would be a celebration of "all the colors" in her life by featuring the bluegrass, country, gospel, and mountain music influences she says the fans have allowed her to "dabble in through the years."
"Blue Smoke" includes a duet with long-time collaborator Kenny Rogers ("You Can’t Make Old Friends"), a gospel version of a Bon Jovi classic ("Lay Your Hands on Me"), and a version of a Bob Dylan song ("Don’t Think Twice"). The album also features Dolly's duet with Willie Nelson, "From Here to the Moon and Back." Dolly released two singles from the album, "Try" and "Home." She delighted fans with a music video for "Home."
Dolly began her "Blue Smoke" World Tour in early 2014 and made appearances on AXS TV (Dan Rather), and Access Hollywood to promote the album and tour. She also performed tracks from the album on QVC on, April 27, 2014.
"Blue Smoke" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Country Charts and No. 6 on the Billboard Pop Charts making it Dolly’s highest debuting solo album to date.
