by Ben Childers

Miles Away, the debut album by Shelley Rená, Dolly's cousin, was released on Friday, October 17, 2025, by Owepar Records. It may come as a surprise to some, considering her family's musical legacy in the Country, Bluegrass, and Americana genres, but the album is an 11-track collection of Soul and R&B inspired music. 

After honing her craft for years singing with family and performing at Dollywood, Shelley Rená arrives a fully formed artist who knows exactly what she wants to say. The title track serves a a sort of mission statement from the singer, with lines like, "I'm not stealing the spotlight, just making my own way." Shelley co-wrote seven of the album's 11 tracks, mostly with musician Peter Keys and her sister Karen Light. The album features a cover of her cousin Dolly's "Blue Me" from the 1992 soundtrack of Straight Talk, and two collaborations with her cousin Sabyn (Randy Parton's son). Other notable moments include a cover of the Bill Withers classic "Use Me" and Muddy Waters' "Can't Be Satisfied."

I interviewed Shelley about the creation of the album and her musical inspirations recently. Check out the full interview below!

Miles Away is available now on all streaming platforms and is also available as a download and CD from the Smoky Mountain DNA store here.

The Dolly Parton Discography: Where did the album title Miles Away come from? Did you decide on it for the album title before or after the song was written?
Shelley Rená: The title Miles Away actually came with the music accompaniment by Peter Keys. And then my sister Karen [Light] and I got together and wrote it from that title.

TDPD: What was the songwriting experience like, and how did you go about selecting the songs included?
SR: The songwriting is honestly one of my favorite parts of the process. Getting to just sit together with likeminded people that you love and trust to just be creative with is the best experience. When choosing which cover songs to use, Richie [Owens], Peter, Karen, and I would share playlists of funky songs and we all ended up agreeing to the ones chosen.

TDPD: Can you talk about the recording process, the musicians, and where the album was recorded?
SR: The album was recorded at Stoner Creek Studios, which is owned and operated by Peter Keys. There are quite a few musicians on the album. There is Peter Keys on keyboards, piano, Hammond B3, and programming. There is Bob Ocker and Richie Owens on guitar. There is Miqui Gutierrez on saxophone and Pino Squillace on percussion. 

TDPD: Why did you decide to cover your cousin Dolly's "Blue Me" from the Straight Talk soundtrack?
SR: The song "Blue Me" was actually suggested by John Zarling and his team at Results Global Marketing. They thought my soulful sound would be perfect for that song and I absolutely love that song so it was an easy YES from me!

TDPD: It might surprise some people because of your family's history primarily in Country and Gospel music, but Miles Away is a Soul album. Not including family, who are your musical influences?
SR: Outside of my own family, my musical influences growing up were Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Jett, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Terri Gibbs, Ray Charles, and Whitney Houston.

TDPD: What are your feelings towards singing Country and Mountain Music since this album is Soul?
SR: I still love me some good ol' Mountain Music, it was my musical beginning. It's what made me interested in music, well that and listening to my daddy play saxophone.

TDPD: Did your grandmother Dorothy Jo's music, and that of her siblings (The Kinfolks), have influence on you, and if so, how?
SR: The Kinfolks Show itself is what made me want to be a performer. I memorized all their lines and would picture myself up there performing with them. I remember this one time at a family get together, Uncle Bill [Owens] told everyone to be quiet so I could sing "Coat of Many Colors." In fact, I think there is a VHS out there somewhere with that recording.

TDPD: Last time we spoke, you mentioned being a member of the Gospel group The Generations with your grandmother and dad. Can you tell us more about that?
SR: My grandmother, Dorothy Jo, and my dad, Dale Puckett, were always having me come sing at church with them, and one day Mama Jo said that we should start a group. That lit a fire under my daddy and he got to working on what songs we could do and finally decided that we should be called The Generations. So we instantly got into the studio, made an album, and then toured around Tennessee to different churches singing and Mama Jo would preach afterwards. 

TDPD: Your dad Dale played the saxophone. Did his musical style inspire you in any way?
SR: My dad playing the saxophone is a huge part of why I love Soul, Blues, R&B, and Jazz so much. He would hit those soulful saxophone riffs, and I would try to mimic them with my voice because I didn't know how to play an instrument.

TDPD: Do any of your siblings or children sing or perform music? 
SR: Yes! My sister, Karen, is actually on my new album doing background vocals. My sister, Angela, used to be in a band but no longer performs. All four of my kids are musically talented, some sing, some play instruments and some rap and write.

TDPD: Do you have musical plans for the future? Would you ever consider headlining a solo show of your own at Dollywood? 
SR: My musical plans for the future are to keep doing what I love, and that is to write music, sing music, and perform music. Now where that takes me,  I will leave up to divine intervention. But I will be grateful every step of the way. If Dollywood were to offer me a solo show, I definitely wouldn't turn it down. But for right now, I am very happy with being in the family show.

TDPD: What does being part of the Owens-Parton musical legacy mean to you?
SR: It means everything to me. I am so proud and honored to be able to carry on the gifts that were given to me. Every day I try to make my daddy and Mama Jo proud. Everyone always comments about how I have the biggest smile on stage but what most people don’t know is that when I hit that stage, there may be hundreds of people in the audience, but I am performing for my dad and my Mama Jo, and for all the other ancestors that were involved in passing down that musical gift.

Dolly's debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, was released 58 years ago, on September 18, 1967, by Monument Records. Produced by Fred Foster, the album peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. It includes Dolly's first two singles to appear on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart: "Dumb Blonde" (number 24) and "Something Fishy" (number 17). The album marked Dolly's official entrance into the country music industry. The road from the foothills of the Smoky Mountains to country music stardom was a long road, one that Dolly had been traveling since she was a child, filled with ups and downs, setbacks, delays, and disappointments.
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Dolly began performing as a child, singing on local radio and television programs in the East Tennessee area. By ten, she was appearing on The Cas Walker Show on both WIVK Radio and WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee. She made her first professional recording at age 13 when she recorded "Puppy Love" for Goldband Records. The single, released in April 1959, did not chart. After making musical connections while performing on The Cas Walker Show, Dolly and her uncle, Bill Owens, managed to get a guest spot on the Grand Ole Opry on July 25, 1959. Jimmy C. Newman agreed to give up one of his regular Saturday night spots to allow Dolly to perform. She was introduced by Johnny Cash before performing a cover of George Jones' "You Gotta Be My Baby" and receiving three encores. Dolly and Uncle Bill were signed to Tree Publishing and released one single together on Circle-B Records prior to Dolly signing a one single deal with Mercury Records in January 1962. The single, "It's Sure Gonna Hurt", was released in August and failed to chart. Dolly recorded six songs in 1963 for the Somerset Records budget compilation album Hits Made Famous by Country Queens. Three selections were songs made famous by Kitty Wells and the three others were traditional ballads.

After graduating high school in May 1964, Dolly moved to Nashville the next day. Her initial success came as a songwriter, when Fred Foster, owner of Combine Music and Monument Records, signed her to a publishing and recording deal. During this early period at Monument, Dolly wrote songs that were recorded by a variety of artists, including Bill Phillips, Skeeter Davis, Hank Williams Jr., and even Kitty Wells. Foster originally felt that Dolly's voice was not suited for country and tried to market her as a pop singer with the release of her first five singles for the label: "What Do You Think About Lovin'" (1964), "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby" (1965), "Busy Signal" (1966), "Don't Drop Out" (1966), and "The Little Things" (1966). The most successful of these releases was "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby", which managed to peak at number 108 on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart.

Following the success of Bill Phillips' recording of the Parton-Owens composition "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" (featuring uncredited harmony by Dolly) in 1966, Foster was finally persuaded to allow Dolly to record country material.

"Dumb Blonde" was released as a single in November 1966 and debuted at number 64 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated January 21, 1967. It peaked at number 24 on the chart dated March 18, its ninth week on the chart. It charted for a total of 14 weeks. It also peaked at number 10 on the Cashbox Country Singles chart.

"Something Fishy", was released in May 1967 and debuted at number 61 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated June 10. It peaked at number 17 on the chart dated August 5, its ninth week on the chart, becoming Dolly's first top 20 hit. It charted for 12 weeks. It also peaked at number 16 on the Cashbox Country Singles chart.

The release of Hello, I'm Dolly was likely pushed back several times. In Dolly's 1994 autobiography, My Life and Other Unfinished Business, the release date is given as February 1967, but this date is contradicted by an interview Dolly gave in June 1967, where she states that the album "should be out by the end of this month." The album's release was announced for September 1967 by Cashbox, and Record World, following Dolly's debut as a regular on The Porter Wagoner Show on September 5. It was finally released September 18, 1967, on LP.

The Grascals on Friday, August 29, 2025, released "Broken Angels", a duet with Dolly, as the first single from their upcoming album on Billy Blue Records. The song was written by band member Jamie Johnson and Dolly about a mutual friend struggling with addiction and depression. The song is available now on all music platforms. 

The following Friday, Zac Brown Band released a duet with Dolly titled "Butterfly" from their Love & Fear album, due in December from Master of None, LLC. It was released as a double A-side single with "Give It Away", serving as the album's third and fourth singles. "Butterfly" was written by Zac Brown, Sasha Sirota, and San Auerbach. A music video for the track was released the same day. The single is available now on all music platforms.

Coming on November 7, 2025, Opry 100: Country's Greatest Songs, will feature live tracks of some of the greatest songs to be performed on the Grand Ole Opry. Dolly's 2007 performance of "I Will Always Love You" with Patty Loveless and Marty Stuart from Porter Wagoner's 50th Opry anniversary show is included on the album, marking the performance's first commercial release. The album is available for pre-order on CD and LP from the Opry Shop here. 

Dolly has joined Mötley Crüe for a new version of their 1985 hit, "Home Sweet Home", to commemorate its 40th anniversary. The collaboration serves as the lead single from the band's new compilation album, From the Beginning. A music video was released alongside the single and can be viewed below. A portion of the proceeds from the single will benefit Covenant House, a nonprofit organization that provides safe shelter, meals, and more to youth experiencing homelessness. The single is available now from all digital music retailers and streaming services.

by Ben Childers

Owepar Records on Friday, June 6, 2025, released Heidi Parton's sophomore album, Reflections. A followup to her 2017 debut, This Kind of Love, the album features a mix of covers and original songs that find Heidi honoring her family's musical legacy while blazing her own trail. Among the album's thirteen tracks are songs written by Heidi's father Randy Parton, aunts Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton George, uncle Floyd Parton, and Heidi herself.

The title track was written by Dolly in the mid-1990s, possibly for the album that later became Treasures (Reflections was one of the album's working titles at the time). Heidi does a superb job interpreting this unheard composition from Dolly's catalog. Also included is a cover of Dolly's 1992 duet with Les Taylor, "Burning", written by Dolly and Bill Owens for the Straight Talk soundtrack album, and a cover of "Sure Thing" from Dolly's 1978 album, Heartbreaker.

Heidi covers "Radio Man", a song written by her uncle Floyd Parton, and recorded by her father Randy on his America, From Where I Stand album in the 1990s. Heidi adds her own unique flavor to the song while also staying true to the original.

"Countryfied" (Randy Parton, Jimmy Lee Bryant), "Get Back" (Randy Parton, Jimmy Lee Bryant), "Hey Hey" (Rachel Parton George), and "Thank You Very Much (I'm Outta Here Goodbye)" (Randy Parton, Jimmy Lee Bryant, Deb Parton) were all originally written for and performed by Honey Creek, a short-lived country-rock group from the 1990s consisting of Randy, Rachel, Jimmy Lee Bryant, and Lakieta Bagwell-Graves. This group of songs comprise a third of the album and are some of the strongest tracks.

Heidi composed "A Kiss of Red" with Jimmy Lee Bryant. It's a fun song with a great beat and melody. Irresistibly catchy!

The highlights of the album for me are the closing two tracks. "Dollywood Lights" is a cover of a song written by Randy with his wife Deb as a gift for Dolly and originally recorded by Randy in the early 1990s. Hearing Heidi sing this song made me a little emotional. She takes it to a whole new level and I know Randy would be so proud of her performance. The album closes with "The Gift". Written by Heidi with Jimmy Lee Bryant and performed as a duet with Dolly, the song was the first Heidi wrote after her father's passing in 2021. The song is a heartwarming tribute to Randy Parton, Bill Owens, and the gift of music that has touched this family for generations.

Reflections is a masterclass in how to appreciate your past while not letting it define you. Heidi is forging her own path with her family by her side.

The album is available now on all digital platforms and the Smoky Mountain DNA store.