Freida Parton releases new album she says Dolly asked her ‘to get recorded’

(PIGEON FORGE, Tenn.) SMOKIES.LIVE – Freida Parton, sister to Dolly Parton, has released a new album with Parton family stories she says shares the love her family has.

In a ballroom at the DreamMore Resort at Dollywood, family and friends gathered to hear the newest album released by the Parton Family. This is “The Crops Came In” by singer/songwriter Freida Parton.

“I’m here at DreamMore, the happiest place in my life. I’ve got good friends here, they’ve got great food, that’s a Parton song,” Freida Parton said to open the interview.

She said the songs in the new album are her memories, her family’s memories and what she remembers about momma and daddy and sisters and brothers.

She said the songs tell about how not to feel bad about being poor, “it was the best gift we ever had not having nothing,” she said. “Make the most of it, you’ve got love.”

The first story Parton told was about her momma coming down a dusty road to her house ‘wheeling in’ and when mom got out, ‘she’d been crying.’

She said her momma started the story, telling about how when she was a little girl she prayed for one pair of shoes. She told how hard it was back then, and how mom was grateful for everything she had now.

From the lyrics in the song, Parton said “with tears down her face she asked me today, daughter, throw my shoes away, the rocky road is now paved with gold, she said, but daughter I can’t throw my shoes away. She said when I was a young girl, I had no shoes to wear, I prayed for God to give me just only one pair and I walked the rocky road. My shoes are too worn to give to the needy and I’ve tried to throw my shoes away, so find a quiet place with daisy’s all around and gently place them on the ground, say a prayer for me, and say a prayer for the needy, and say a prayer for the rocky road.”

Parton said after mom left, she recorded those words in a tape recorder and saved those words from her mom.

“I loved the idea for the name of the album, because the crops came in, daddy was whistling, he could feed us kids right through the winter, cause the crops came in,” Parton added.

Parton said when someone listens to this album, she “Wants people to know they’re not alone, they’ll have some spiritual feelings in there, they’ll also know that if they’re having a hard time, that it’s OK because everybody does and you will survive if you keep praising and keep going towards good things.”

She said she understands how tough life is and reflects on how she felt when her twin brother Floyd died. She said at the time she didn’t know how to live without him, “but I had too,” she said she had her family.

She said Dolly asked her to think about releasing the recordings on that old cassette tape working with Owepar Entertainment, Dolly’s record label.

She said the whole album was a lifetime in the making. “Momma and daddy’s lifetime: it’s been our Smoky Mountain DNA.”

She said her family’s deep belief in prayer is why she asked everyone to pray for Dolly a few months ago when Dolly announced she had to cancel shows due to an illness.

Frieda said “She’s good. Why? Because I asked everyone to pray? Everybody can pray for me, too. We pray for everything; I don’t apologize for that.”

“I’m excited for you to hear ‘The Crops Came In’ the new album, by my sister Freida. Freida is such a talented singer and songwriter, and this is a project that she’s been working on bringing to life for many years,” said Dolly Parton. “She’s been working with our cousin Richie to remaster these tracks and bring them to a whole new generation of listeners.”

The new album is available wherever you download your music.