After their contract with Combine Music ended, Dolly and Uncle Bill made a strategic move to start their own publishing company. Using parts of their last names, they called it Owe-Par. Their proven chemistry and talent made a great combination. Dolly said,
"As writers we were on the same wavelength. We wrote a lot of great songs together... We had the same kind of energy when it came to our careers. Neither of us ever gave out as long as something was happening or at least had the look of something that might happen."
As songwriters, they had experienced success with Bill Phillips' versions of their "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" and "The Company You Keep." Owe-Par Publishing Company allowed Dolly and Uncle Bill to copyright their songs for themselves. It was a significant business move for Dolly at 20 years old, especially because she held a controlling interest in the company.
Click below for a preview of "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" via SoundCloud.
While Uncle Bill Owens had been touring with Carl and Pearl Butler playing guitar, Dolly had been appearing on early morning shows such as "The Ralph Emery Show" and "The Eddie Hill Show." The two received a break when Fred Foster owner of Combine Music and Monument Records agreed to sign them to a publishing and recording deal.
Dolly recorded "I Wasted My Tears" (her first Monument single) and "What do You Think About Lovin," both written by Dolly and Bill Owens. She followed up with "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby" and "Old Enough to Know Better."
During this same time period, Foster brought Ray Stevens in to produce Dolly's single, "Busy Signal," written by Stevens. The B-side, "I Took Him for Granted," was written by Dolly and Bill Owens.Foster invested a lot in Dolly’s career and even booked her on "American Bandstand." Foster said,
"I told Dolly, she would be a gigantic movie star someday. And she said, 'I think you have lost your mind.' Then I said, 'I didn’t have much to lose anyway Dolly, it’s okay.'"
"Happy, Happy Birthday Baby" brought success to Monument Records, charting at No. 108 on the pop charts and becoming Dolly's first charting single.
