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45 single, Side A. RCA Victor (74-0243) (1969)
Image credit: shagger158 at 45cat.com
"My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" is a single by Dolly Parton. It was released on September 8, 1969, by RCA Victor as the third single from her album of the same name. It was written by Dolly and produced by Bob Ferguson. The single peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Track listing

Side A
  • My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy (Dolly Parton) 3:27
Side B
  • 'Til Death Do Us Part (Dolly Parton) 3:03
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Magazine advertisement (1969)

Background

Dolly described the song in her 2020 book, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, as being "about a girl whose dream was to get out of the country. She didn't leave to become a prostitute, but that's what she wound up doing in order to make a living." She went on to say, "This was during my early years in show business, and may goodness, I was writing about a girl becoming a prostitute, but I never shied away from any topic."

Recording

"My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" was recorded on May 20, 1969, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. "'Til Death Do Us Part" was recorded on May 14.

Dolly re-recorded "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" in 1982 for her Heartbreak Express album.

Audio

Critical reception

The single was reviewed in the September 20, 1969 issue of Cashbox. The review described the song as a "tender," "unhappy ode" and said it was "delivered with strong feeling and emotion." The publication felt that it "should find happy results on the charts."

Billboard did not formally review the single, but did include it in the Chart Spotlights section of the September 20, 1969 issue, predicting it would reach the Hot Country Songs chart.
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Cashbox review, September 20, 1969.
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Billboard review, September 20, 1969.

Commercial performance

"My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" debuted at number 61 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated October 18, 1969. The single peaked at number 45 on the chart dated November 15, its fifth week on the chart. It spent eight weeks on the chart. It also peaked at number 27 on the Cashbox Country Singles chart. The single peaked at number 22 in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the 2009 box set, Dolly ("My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy").
  • Joe Babcock – background vocals
  • Jerry Carrigan – drums
  • Pete Drake – steel guitar
  • Bob Dyson – bass
  • Dolores Edgin – background vocals
  • Bob Ferguson – producer
  • Mack Magaha – fiddle
  • George McCormick – guitar
  • Wayne Moss – guitar
  • June Page – background vocals
  • Dolly Parton – lead vocals
  • Jerry Reed – guitar
  • Hargus "Pig" Robbins – organ
  • Buck Trent – banjo
  • Bob Wilson – piano