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Dolly Parton secretly recorded a song that fans will hear for the first time in 2045
27th August, 2026 08:06 AM
Country music icon Dolly Parton left behind one final musical surprise for her fans, a song that has been locked away for decades and will not be heard until the future.
Parton recorded the previously unreleased song “My Place in History” and placed it inside a time capsule at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The recording was deliberately sealed away with instructions that it should not be opened until 2045.
The revelation has resurfaced following Parton’s death on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80.
Her death marked the end of an extraordinary career spanning music, film, television and philanthropy, but her plans ensured that her music would continue reaching audiences long after her passing.
Dolly Parton’s secret song
Parton wrote “My Place in History” in 2015, around the time she opened the DreamMore Resort. Rather than releasing the song immediately, she recorded it and placed the recording inside a special wooden chest known as the Dream Box.
The box is displayed behind glass at the resort and contains a CD with the song, as well as a CD player so that it can still be played when the time capsule is eventually opened. The display also includes a piece of wood from the porch of Parton’s childhood home in Sevierville, Tennessee.
The song was intended to serve as a musical message from Parton to future generations and was written with the idea that it could become her final song.
Why fans have to wait until 2045
Parton had previously spoken about the unusual time capsule and her instructions for keeping the song sealed.
In a 2022 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, she admitted that keeping the song hidden had become frustrating because she believed it was good enough to share with the world.
She also discussed the song in her memoir Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, explaining that she did not know whether she would live long enough to hear it released herself.
The planned date has been widely reported as 2045, when Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort is expected to mark its 30th anniversary. Some earlier accounts, however, state that the box is to be opened on January 19, 2046, what would have been Parton’s 100th birthday.
The discrepancy appears to stem from Parton referring to both dates in different accounts. Recent reports following her death have predominantly cited 2045 as the release year.
Long-term music plan
The secret song is only one part of Parton’s long-term plans for her music.
Before her death, the singer had spoken about having hundreds, and reportedly thousands, of unreleased recordings that could be used in future projects. She had prepared vocal recordings and instructions that would allow producers to work on some of the material after her death.
Her approach was deliberate: Parton wanted her music to continue reaching audiences even when she was no longer alive to record new material.
That makes “My Place in History” particularly fitting. The song was deliberately created as a message for a future audience, and now, following Parton’s death, it has taken on an even more poignant meaning.
For fans, however, there is still a long wait. The recording remains sealed inside the Dream Box, meaning the world will have to wait nearly two decades before hearing the mysterious song Dolly Parton described as a “really good song”.
