Dolly Parton Teased A Big Announcement On Monday (Jan. 12)
On Monday, January 12, Dolly Parton shared a post on her Instagram Story. She teased something "new" with a photo of herself looking out at the horizon.
"Something new is on the horizon…" the text read.
Fans were encouraged to reply to the Story to be added to a list where they'd find out the news sooner than the rest. And while no email came, she didn't wait long for the surprise!
Dolly Parton Revealed The Announcement On Tuesday (Jan 13)
Just 24 hours after her initial tease, Dolly Parton revealed what the big news was: a new recording!
On Tuesday morning (January 13), the country legend announced that she had re-recorded her 1977 song "Light Of A Blue Clear Morning," which was originally included on her New Harvest…First Gathering album.
In past interviews, Parton shared that she wrote "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning" about the pain she felt following the dissolution of her working relationship with Porter Wagoner. She left his band in 1974, but he took legal action against her, making the following years a nightmare for her. She wrote the song after she felt a weight being lifted off her as her career was finally taking off due to her stepping away from Wagoner.
She also recorded a version in 1992, changing the second verse for the 1992 movie Straight Talk.
In 2003, the song was included on her album For God and Country.
Dolly's announcement not only revealed that she re-recorded the song, but also that she had four superstar guest vocalists join her!
Those guest vocalists include four superstar singers: Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus, Queen Latifah, and Reba McEntire. The song will be available on Friday, January 16th. You can pre-save the song on Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, or Amazon Music here.
While Queen Latifah might seem like a surprise collaboration, the two go way back. They starred in the 2012 movie Joyful Noise together and have clearly remained friends since then.
This New Song Is The First Since Dolly's Health Struggles
On September 28, 2025, Dolly Parton announced that she would be postponing her Las Vegas residency, originally scheduled for December 2025, to September 2026.
She assured fans she was going to be okay, but needed just a little more time to get to her "best."
"I want the fans and public to hear directly from me that, unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming Las Vegas concerts. As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my hundred thousand mile checkup, although it's not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!" she wrote.
Fans grew concerned after Dolly's sister was asking for prayers for her legendary sister on Facebook, but we were assured she was alright. Dolly herself said she just needed to be close to Vanderbilt Hospital to have "a few treatments here and there," but was feeling better every day.
She not only postponed shows, but she also cancelled appearances at Dollywood, and she already announced she wouldn't be able to make it to her upcoming 80th birthday party at the Grand Ole Opry.
We hope to see Dolly back on stage soon, and we're thrilled about the new song!