New Releases from Stella, John Henry, Avie Lee, Richie Owens, and Leroy Brown

by Ben Childers

After a near four-month hiatus while I sorted out moving to a new apartment, I hope to resume more regular updates to The Dolly Parton Discography blog. We return today with new releases from Stella Parton, Avie Lee Parton, John Henry Owens, and Leroy Brown.

Stella Parton returned to music after a 7-year break on June 3, 2026, with the release of her new single "Stand by Me." The Ben E. King cover was intended to hit streaming services on June 1, but was delayed. It is the first look at Stella's new album that she had described as "inspirational," but not necessarily "religious." The new album should arrive this summer.

Owepar Records on May 22, 2026, re-released Avie Lee Parton's 1990 cassette only album, Smoky Mountain Mama, digitally for the very first time. Recorded primarily in 1979 in anticipation of what would become her first and only tour as a performing folk artist, the album captures Avie Lee performing traditional mountain ballads and Appalachian folk songs with full-band accompaniment. Though some material dates back to earlier sessions in the 1970s, the collection was ultimately assembled and released in 1990 by Louis Owens. The 2026 reissue was ​restored from surviving reel-to-reel masters.

On April 16, 2026, John Henry Owens' 1977 album, The Smoky Mountain Vagabond Sings, was reissued for the first time by Owepar Records. The collection was originally released on LP by the Royal American label. The album features many of his previous singles and John Henry's original solo version of "I Just Stopped By" which was used to create a duet with his niece Dolly for the 2024 Owens-Parton family album, Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables.

Richie Owens and Bob Ocker released Appalachia: Ballads, Bloodlines, and the Long Journey Home, Volume One on April 10, 2026. The album is a companion piece to Richie's new book by the same name. The album features spoken introductions by Richie for each song. The tracks from the album correspond with chapters from the book.

Leroy Brown released his debut single "Living Through a Car Window" on May 20, 2026, by Owepar Records. Leroy is the son of Dolly's niece, Rebecca Seaver. The song was recorded and engineered by Dolly's niece, Jada Star. The song is performed over an acoustic style track mixed with audio from home videos. It is the first track to be released from Leroy's upcoming album.