Dolly's First Posthumous Single Released

Single cover. Compass (digital single) (2026)

Dolly's first posthumous release is here. "Bound to Ride," a new recording with The First Ladies of Bluegrass, was released September 9, 2026, through Compass Records. The song serves as the first single from Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of the Stanley Brothers, a forthcoming tribute album to the legendary bluegrass duo. Dolly is joined on the recording by Alison Brown, Becky Buller, Sierra Hull, Missy Raines and Molly Tuttle, collectively known as The First Ladies of Bluegrass.

"Bound to Ride" was released by the Stanley Brothers in September 1964. For the new version, The First Ladies of Bluegrass created a fresh arrangement of the song, incorporating an eight-bar bridge based on an obscure verse.

The recording itself dates to 2022 during a COVID-19 surge. Dolly recorded her vocal separately at her own studio, while the First Ladies recorded the instrumental track independently. Becky Buller initially provided a scratch vocal as the musicians worked out the arrangement, and Dolly later added her finished vocal to the completed performance.

The resulting recording is notable not only as a new interpretation of a bluegrass classic, but as the first new Dolly recording to be released following her death. The recording is also a fitting continuation of Dolly's long-standing connection to bluegrass and the musical traditions that influenced her throughout her career.

"Bound to Ride" is now available digitally and will appear on Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of the Stanley Brothers, set for release on October 16, 2026.