Longtime Dollywood Performer (and Dolly’s Niece) Heidi Parton to Release Album
Musical roots run deep in the Parton family tree! This October, Dolly’s niece Heidi Parton will release her very first album. Regular visitors to Dollywood may recognize Heidi from her appearances in the My People show at the theme park. Visit My Smokies has all the details on Heidi’s debut record.
Meet Heidi Parton
When Heidi visited Greenville, SC earlier this month to shoot the cover for her album, she chatted with Jennifer Martin of local news station WSPA. You can watch Heidi’s TV interview below:
A Natural Born Performer
Heidi Parton has been an entertainer for virtually her entire life! Since the age of four, Heidi has performed at Dollywood with other members of the Parton clan. While Aunt Dolly has of course been an inspiration, Heidi’s musical hero is her father, Randy Parton. Heidi recalls seeing her dad on stage as a child and thinking, “that’s who I want to be”.
Heidi and Randy both star in My People, one of Dollywood’s most popular shows. Written by Dolly herself, this moving musical tells the story of Parton’s early life growing up in Locust Ridge, TN. The show’s cast is composed of Dolly’s family members.
According to Heidi, all of the Partons share one trait: they are workaholics. In her interview with WSPA, Heidi joked that she hopes to die on stage.
A Long Awaited Debut Album
Heidi’s first album has been in the works for the past five years. At the beginning of 2017, Parton drilled down to finally complete the record. To craft her unique sound, Heidi drew on songs that she had grown up listening to and music that had inspired her over the years.
In March, Heidi’s world was turned upside down when her sister Trever tragically passed away at age 36. Trever had been one of Heidi’s biggest supporters and her loss gives the forthcoming album a sense of vulnerability and unvarnished emotion. Titled This Kind of Love, Heidi’s album tells a story of how love begins and changes throughout the course of a relationship.
As the niece of a music legend, comparisons between Heidi and her famous aunt are inevitable. Fortunately, Heidi seems very comfortable being associated with Dolly while simultaneously forging her own identity. The first track on the upcoming album is Dolly’s classic song “Think About Love”, but the rest of the album goes in a “different direction” that is true to who Heidi is.
Speaking to WSPA, Heidi said, “I hope [the album] inspires a lot of people because it has inspired me and it has really changed me in a lot of ways. And I’m just so excited; I can’t wait for everybody to hear it.” This Kind of Love is expected to drop this October.
Visiting Dollywood
If you can’t wait until Heidi’s album is released, a trip to Dollywood is the perfect way to tide yourself over with some amazing music! To get the best deal on Dollywood tickets (and free cancellation), click the green box below:
