Variety reports that a time capsule was buried by the Parton team with her blessing in 2015, containing cassette and CD recordings of a new song—previously confirmed to exist by Parton herself in 2022 on The Kelly Clarkson Show—that has gone unheard by us. Variety also notes that the recordings are packed alongside “their corresponding players,” because Dolly was good like that, making sure everyone had what they needed. The chestnut “Dream Box” has been buried under the famous Dollywood DreamMore Resort And Spa, which is to remain unopened until the resort’s “30th anniversary in 2045,” just before Parton’s 100th birthday on January 19.
“There is a song,” Parton told Clarkson. “I figure it’ll probably disintegrate, probably nobody ever hears it. That’s what bothers me, to think that it’s gonna be a song that nobody’s ever gonna hear if it rots in there before they open it. It’s a really good song. But yes, I have a song that’s buried that nobody’s gonna hear—I don’t know whose damn idea that was.”
“The chestnut ‘Dream Box’ is a repository of Dolly’s wishes and memories for the future,” a placard reads on the box. “It will not be opened until Dolly’s birthday on January 19, 2046. The Dream Box itself is tribute to her original mentor and uncle, Bill Owens, who has worked tirelessly to preserve the American Chestnut tree. As a final tribute, Dolly placed a song which she has written to be released as her last. Entitled ‘My Place In History,’ only Dolly will know its melody and content until 2046.”
Dolly’s fans can expect more posthumous Parton goodness as they eagerly await the artist’s seemingly final unreleased recording. Her “Life Of Many Colors” museum and hotel is set to open in Nashville later this year; she’s endorsed a line of Purina dog treats planned for 2027; a coffee brand called “Cup Of Ambition” is expected to launch later this year; and a Broadway musical about her life, Dolly: A True Original Musical, opens on January 19, 2027. All this comes amid an energetic campaign by Nashville comedian Lydia Popovich to rename the Nashville International Airport to “Dolly Parton International Airport,” an ambitious yet modest tribute to an entertainer who kept busy giving so much that her generosity continues to impress us even now that she’s at rest.
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