MY MUSIC

Jewel Chats About Dolly Parton, Imagination Library & More

Published October 24, 2015 / Last Updated November 2, 2015

Singer/songwriter and Dolly Parton fan, Jewel talks about her new song,
“My Father’s Daughter,” the Imagination Library and more

Jewel’s latest project, “Picking Up the Pieces,” is her 12th album. This self-produced recording is a collection of what the artist calls a throwback to her first album, “Pieces of You.” She says she abandoned all she had learned from the music business over the past two decades in order to achieve her goals with this album. In doing so, she called on Dolly Parton to join her on the album’s first single, “My Father’s Daughter.”

Jewel was kind enough to talk about why she chose Dolly for the song. Much like Dolly’s “Coat of Many Colors,” this song is an autobiographical telling of Jewel’s family and childhood. She says her unique lifestyle, growing up on a remote Alaskan homestead, is part of why she looked up to Dolly, both musically and as a role model. She said,

“I loved that Dolly always was very unapologetic about who and what she is. She was just very proud of who she was and where she came from, and that gave me a lot of courage as a young woman to say and speak my mind and to be exactly who I was and to be authentic.”

In the official video, a young Jewel dances to Dolly’s 1972 album, “Just the Way I Am.” Fittingly, this particular song is about proudly accepting unique personality traits, especially free-spirited ones. Dolly is a big Jewel fan and has been for a long time. She said,

“I’ve loved Jewel from the first time I saw her and heard her. She’s like a little sister to me. We have so much in common in how we grew up poor girls, how we feel about God, family and music. I am so proud of this duet with her. I think our voices blend like family. We hope you love it as much as we loved doing it.”

Watch the official video of “My Father’s Daughter” by Jewel (featuring Dolly Parton).

Jewel went on to talk about releasing this album along with a new book, “Never Broken,” while maintaining her primary role as mother to her four-year-old son. She even offered some tips to other moms who face similar challenges when balancing family and work. She said,

“Go slow and see what works for you. Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or a mom that’s actually going back into the workplace, both are really great and really noble things, and you have to find what works for you and what works for your family.”

Most Dolly fans are aware of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which is a book gifting program that has sent over 72 million free books to children in four countries. The program is active in Telluride, CO, where Jewel and her son live. It is also present in Homer, AK, near her family’s homestead, the setting of the Discovery Channel’s “Alaska: The Last Frontier.” Jewel says the Imagination Library is wonderful and even talks about the importance books have played in her music and songwriting. She shared,

“As a young child it meant the world to me to be able to escape into books, and I learned everything I know about writing from books, by reading great authors.”

“Coat of Many Colors,” originally released in 1971, was the first of Dolly’s songs Jewel remembers hearing. She says it resonated with her because of her own humble upbringing. Knowing NBC plans to release the film version of the song this December and more movies based on Dolly’s music in 2016, Jewel says, if given the chance, she would like to play Jolene!

With the release of “My Father’s Daughter,” Jewel joins a long and distinguished list of Dolly’s duet partners. Surely, she found gold while picking up the pieces.

More From Jewel

Recording with Dolly

“Raising my son is like writing a song that lasts forever.” –Jewel

The first time she heard Dolly

Jewel on achieving success in multiple musical genres

Michael MartinJewel Chats About Dolly Parton, Imagination Library & More

‘Just Between You And Me – The Complete Recordings 1967 – 1976’

Published May 13, 2014 / Last Updated August 23, 2015
Team Dolly is a collaboration of writers, editors, and publishers assembled by Dolly Parton Productions. Each member is dedicated to accurately publishing the latest news and historical archives of the living legend that is Dolly Rebecca Parton.

Managing Editor - Jacob Timmons
Creative Director - Sarah Chapman
Team Dolly

‘Just Between You And Me,’ the much-anticipated box set containing the beloved recordings of Dolly and Porter Wagoner was released in 2014 with 13 previously unreleased tracks

Tuesday, May 13, 2014, marked the release of the six-disc box set of Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton songs entitled – “Just Between You and Me: The Complete Recordings 1967 – 1976.” The set was released on Bear Family Records who specialize in retro collections. Dolly and Porter released 13 albums together (every song is included in the box set), had 21 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts, and had 139 duets during that period – they also released a single during the 2000’s (a re-recording of the Gospel standard “Drifting too Far From the Shore).

Despite the massive output, the pair had an often fiery relationship as Dolly mentioned in 2012 (Dolly has attributed the development of some of her Doralee character from “9 to 5” to her time with Wagoner),

“He was in charge, and it was his show, but he was also very strong willed. That’s why we fought like crazy, because I wouldn’t put up with a bunch of stuff. Out of respect for him, I knew he was the boss, and I would go along to where I felt this was reasonable for me. But once it passed points where it was like, your way or my way, to prove to you that I can do it, then I would just pitch a damn fit. I wouldn’t care if it killed me.”

Despite the years of drama, the pair made up around 1988 and remained friends until Porter Wagoner’s death in 2007.

Disc 1

Disc 2

Disc 3

Disc 4

Disc 5

Disc 6

The Box Set includes 13 previously unreleased tracks as well as some alternate takes of songs that had previously been released and an 80 page hardcover book including more details on all of the songs as well as commentary from important contributors. Emmylou Harris wrote the forward.

Team Dolly‘Just Between You And Me – The Complete Recordings 1967 – 1976’

‘From Here to the Moon and Back’ duet with Willie Nelson

Published May 1, 2014 / Last Updated August 23, 2015
Team Dolly is a collaboration of writers, editors, and publishers assembled by Dolly Parton Productions. Each member is dedicated to accurately publishing the latest news and historical archives of the living legend that is Dolly Rebecca Parton.

Managing Editor - Jacob Timmons
Creative Director - Sarah Chapman
Team Dolly

Dolly re-records ‘From Here to the Moon and Back’ as duet with Willie Nelson, marking their third duet together

A newly recorded version of Dolly’s song “From Here to the Moon and Back” featuring Willie Nelson as her duet partner appears on Willie’s 2014 album of duets.

The duet originally appeared on the soundtrack for “Joyful Noise,” a movie starring Dolly as a choir member opposite her choir director portrayed by Queen Latifah, with whom Dolly’s character butted heads as the group tried to win a national choral competition.

Willie said in an interview,

“Dolly’s song is a great song, ‘From Here to the Moon and Back,’ it’s one of my favorites.”


Dolly and Willie had a Top 10 duet with the song “Everything’s Beautiful (In It’s Own Way)” in 1982 and also paired up for 1983’s “I Really Don’t Want to Know.” Willie appeared with Dolly in the 1989 television special “Kenny, Dolly, & Willie.”

 

Team Dolly‘From Here to the Moon and Back’ duet with Willie Nelson

‘You Can’t Make Old Friends’

Published March 1, 2014 / Last Updated September 14, 2015
Team Dolly is a collaboration of writers, editors, and publishers assembled by Dolly Parton Productions. Each member is dedicated to accurately publishing the latest news and historical archives of the living legend that is Dolly Rebecca Parton.

Managing Editor - Jacob Timmons
Creative Director - Sarah Chapman
Team Dolly

‘You Can’t Make Old Friends,’ GRAMMY-nominated duet with Kenny Rogers

One of the highlights of Dolly’s 42nd album ‘Blue Smoke‘ is the duet ‘You Can’t Make Old Friends,’ recorded with one of her most beloved singing partners Kenny Rogers. The song is a poignant reflection of enduring friendship.

Rogers said of this, his first duet with Dolly since 1985’s ‘Real Love,’

“We really are those kind of friends, where you can’t make old friends. Dolly knows me like a book, and I know her like a book. So this is the perfect idea for a song for us.”

Dolly calls Rogers her “best friend” and talks about how she is glad she got to “walk that road” with the man she sang one of the most loved duets of all time, “Islands in the Stream.”

The song was nominated for a 2014 GRAMMY Award in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category. This was the third GRAMMY-nominated collaboration for Dolly and Kenny! Other nominated collaborations include ‘Islands in the Stream‘ and ‘Real Love.’

Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers in the studio recording latest duet, "You Can't Make Old Friends"
Image courtesy of Warner Bros.
Lyrics for "You Can't Make Old Friends" by Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers
Image courtesy of Warner Bros.
Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers in the studio recording latest duet, "You Can't Make Old Friends"
Image courtesy of Warner Bros.
Very Young Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers
Image courtesy of Warner Bros.
Very Young Dolly Parton
Team Dolly‘You Can’t Make Old Friends’

‘I Will Always Love You’ duet with LuLu Roman

Published January 15, 2013 / Last Updated August 23, 2015
Team Dolly is a collaboration of writers, editors, and publishers assembled by Dolly Parton Productions. Each member is dedicated to accurately publishing the latest news and historical archives of the living legend that is Dolly Rebecca Parton.

Managing Editor - Jacob Timmons
Creative Director - Sarah Chapman
Team Dolly

Dolly records new version of ‘I Will Always Love You’ as duet with LuLu Roman

LuLu Roman, known throughout the world as one of the most beloved stars of the long-running show “Hee Haw,” teamed up with Dolly for a new version of Dolly’s classic, “I Will Always Love You.”

The new version, which appears on LuLu’s 2013 album, “At Last” brings two friends of over 40 years back together.

LuLu said of the collaboration,

“Well, going into the studio this time was a great time. It really was. Dolly is just this, ‘What you see is what you get!’ Dolly is Dolly. She just lights up the room and lights up the attitudes. She’s just absolutely precious.”

Dolly was thrilled to hear the results,

“I have known and loved LuLu since the days of ‘Hee Haw.’ I have always known she was a great singer; but I did not know how great until she did this album. Hearing her sing my song “I Will Always Love You” gave me the chills. And being able to sing with her on it really got the goose bumps going. I am so proud of her. Hope you enjoy our version of the song.”

The song “I will Always Love You” was written by Dolly in 1973 for her early singing partner Porter Wagoner and originally appeared on her 1974 album “Jolene.”  Possibly the most famous version of the song was recorded by the late Whitney Houston on the soundtrack for the movie “The Bodyguard” released in 1992. Another version of the song is on the soundtrack as well – a musical version by Jon Doe. Linda Ronstadt also did a cover of the song on her 1975 album “Prisoner in Disguise.”

Team Dolly‘I Will Always Love You’ duet with LuLu Roman