Image credit: Slow Hand Photography
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Rebecca Ann Keikilani Seaver* (b. 1986) is a singer, songwriter, author, archivist, and burlesque performer. They are the child of Dolly's sister Cassie Parton Griffith. Growing up in a large musical family in Appalachia, they were already dancing, singing, playing the guitar, and composing their own songs by the time they turned 13. They have performed with various bands, burlesque groups, and drag shows across the United States. Rebecca established Nashville's The Rhinestone Cabaret in 2016, creating a distinctive space within the underground performance scene. It has since become Nashville's longest-running, queer-founded burlesque show and was the inaugural burlesque performance featured at Nashville Pride in 2024.
In 2008, Rebecca joined their cousin Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau as a vocalist on the band's first album, Farmhands Unite! and the follow-up album, Music from the Farm. |
Rebecca is the Director of Archive and Museum Services for The Dolly Parton Archive Collection and has curated exhibits for the Grammy Museum (2019), Grand Ole Opry (2019), Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2022), Lipscomb University (2023), Dollywood's The Dolly Parton Experience (2024–present), and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (2025–2026). They co-authored the 12-week New York Times best-seller, Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, with their aunt Dolly and Holly George-Warren in 2023.
Rebecca has collaborated closely with Dolly's creative team, contributing to many of her projects. They were the creative production manager for Pure & Simple (2016), A Holly Dolly Christmas (2020), Run, Rose, Run (2022), and Rockstar (2023). They have provided backing vocals on Dolly's 1990 album, Home for Christmas, and cousin Jada Star's 2023 album, Tell Me I'm Your Angel. Rebecca made several contributions to the 2024 family album, Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables, among them a duet with Dolly on "Where Will We Live Tomorrow?" and backing vocals on the album's title track.
* Rebecca uses she/they pronouns.
Rebecca has collaborated closely with Dolly's creative team, contributing to many of her projects. They were the creative production manager for Pure & Simple (2016), A Holly Dolly Christmas (2020), Run, Rose, Run (2022), and Rockstar (2023). They have provided backing vocals on Dolly's 1990 album, Home for Christmas, and cousin Jada Star's 2023 album, Tell Me I'm Your Angel. Rebecca made several contributions to the 2024 family album, Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables, among them a duet with Dolly on "Where Will We Live Tomorrow?" and backing vocals on the album's title track.
* Rebecca uses she/they pronouns.
Studio albums
Album cover. KlearTone (1108) (2008)
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Farmhands Unite! is the first studio album by Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau. It was released on September 15, 2008, by KlearTone Records. The band consisted of Richie Owens, Rebecca Seaver, Bob Ocker, Randy Hunt, Kathy Burkly, and Jason Fletcher. The album's current digital release features alternate artwork and "Love Has Run Away" has been removed from the track listing.
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Track listing
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Personnel
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Album cover. KlearTone (2008)
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Music from the Farm is the second studio album by Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau. It was released on October 29, 2008, by KlearTone Records. The band consisted of Richie Owens, Rebecca Seaver, Bob Ocker, Randy Hunt, Kathy Burkly, and Jason Fletcher. The album's current digital release features alternate artwork.
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Album notes from CDBaby (2008):
What really strikes the listener when enjoying Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau is that you can truly feel the "realness" of the music. They are not trying to be bluegrass. They are not trying to be the blues. They are not trying to be alternative, country, or rock. They are not trying to be anything other than what they are: a damn fine band. This band is a square peg that slides smoothly right into a square hole. Though Richie, a born and bred Smoky Mountain native, could certainly ride his pedigree right down the 'biscuits and gravy circuit," his band's music is a simple heartfelt expression of life experience, earnestly shown through accessible yet stirringly poetic lyrics, that is exciting, honest, dynamic, and entertaining beyond any sort of regional pigeon-holing. The music is the best of what Americana strives to be without any evidence of unnatural effort or formula. It touches the heart. It's relevant. It's fun to listen to. The songs are great and the musicianship is superb. Take some mountain music, the blues, a little Celtic influence, some old school country western and some hard driving rock and roll, throw it in a blender, add ice and some twelve year old sour mash and you end up with the potent blend called Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau. I'd hate to meet the fellow who doesn't enjoy it.
Do your ears a big favor and give them a listen. You'll be more than glad you did.
What really strikes the listener when enjoying Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau is that you can truly feel the "realness" of the music. They are not trying to be bluegrass. They are not trying to be the blues. They are not trying to be alternative, country, or rock. They are not trying to be anything other than what they are: a damn fine band. This band is a square peg that slides smoothly right into a square hole. Though Richie, a born and bred Smoky Mountain native, could certainly ride his pedigree right down the 'biscuits and gravy circuit," his band's music is a simple heartfelt expression of life experience, earnestly shown through accessible yet stirringly poetic lyrics, that is exciting, honest, dynamic, and entertaining beyond any sort of regional pigeon-holing. The music is the best of what Americana strives to be without any evidence of unnatural effort or formula. It touches the heart. It's relevant. It's fun to listen to. The songs are great and the musicianship is superb. Take some mountain music, the blues, a little Celtic influence, some old school country western and some hard driving rock and roll, throw it in a blender, add ice and some twelve year old sour mash and you end up with the potent blend called Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau. I'd hate to meet the fellow who doesn't enjoy it.
Do your ears a big favor and give them a listen. You'll be more than glad you did.
Track listing
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Personnel
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Other album appearances
TITLE / ARTIST / ALBUM / YEAR
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Dolly Parton* / Home for Christmas / 1990
- Where the Soul Never Dies / Leslie Jordan and Dolly Parton* / Company's Comin' / 2021
- Singing His Praise / Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man / Bill Owens, Louis Owens, and Family* / Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables / 2024
- Smoky Mountain DNA / Dolly Parton* / Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables / 2024
- Where Will We Live Tomorrow? / Rebecca Seaver and Dolly Parton / Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables / 2024
- When It's Family / Dolly Parton and Family* / Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables / 2024
* Rebecca provided backing vocals on these tracks.