Dolly Parton is mourning the loss of her Uncle Bill Owens, the man who came to Nashville with her in the 1960’s to make her musical dreams come true.
Dolly posted to Instagram, “I’ve lost my beloved Uncle Bill Owens. I knew my heart would break when he passed, and it did. I’ll start this eulogy by saying I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t been there. He was there… there in my young years to encourage me to keep playing my guitar, to keep writing my songs, to keep practicing my singing. And he was there to help build my confidence standing on stage where he was always standing behind me or close beside me with his big ol’ red Gretsch guitar.”
She continued, “He was there to take me around to all of the local shows, got me my first job on the “Cas Walker Show.” He took me back-&-forth to Nashville through the years, walked up-&-down the streets with me, knocking on doors to get me signed up to labels or publishing companies. It’s really hard to say or to know for sure what all you owe somebody for your success. But I can tell you for sure that I owe Uncle Billy an awful lot.”
Dolly Parton’s Top 75 Songs
75 – “Straight Talk” – 1992
ShareFrom the movie with the same name. Dolly played a radio talk show host.
74 – “These Old Bones” – 2002
ShareThe old lady voice she makes in this song she says sounds just like her own mother.
73 – “Here I Am” – 2018
ShareFrom the Netflix movie, Dumplin'.
72 – “Holdin’ On To You” w/ Elle King – 2018
ShareDolly Parton's top 75 songs. What a list!
71 – “Not Enough” w/ Queen Latifah – 2012
ShareFrom the movie soundtrack.
70 – “Don’t Think Twice” – 2014
ShareA Bob Dylan song.
69 – “Lay Your Hands On Me” – 2014
ShareYep, it's a cover of the Bon Jovi classic.
68 – “Better Day” – 2011
ShareDolly Parton's top 75 songs. What a list!
67 – “When Life Is Good Again” – 2020
ShareWe all needed to hear this song in 2020, a year that Dolly brought a bit of light to.
66 – “Backwood Barbie” – 2008
ShareDolly Parton's top 75 songs. What a list!
65 – “If I Were A Carpenter” w/ Joe Nichols -2005
ShareWith country singer Joe Nichols.
64 – “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” w/ Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn – 1993
ShareThis album was so good and what a teaming of country icons.
63 – “Red, White and Bluegrass” – 2003
ShareDolly Parton's top 75 songs. What a list!
62 – “Better Get To Livin'” – 2008
ShareA song that reflects Dolly's optimism on life.
61 – “Lovesick Blues” w/ Patsy Cline, Loretta, Tammy – 1993
ShareDolly Parton's top 75 songs. What a list!
60 – “Halos and Horns” – 1998
ShareDolly Parton's top 75 songs. What a list!
59 – “Down From Dover” – 1970
ShareShe cites this as a favorite tune she has written.
58 – “Seven Bridges Road” – 2000
ShareA great cover of the Eagles song.
57 – “Travelin’ Prayer” – 1999
ShareA Billy Joel cover.
56 – “Honky Tonk Songs” – 1998
ShareDolly Parton's top 75 songs. What a list!
55 – “I Still Miss Someone” – 1999
ShareDolly's remake of a classic Johnny Cash song.
54 – “Time and Tears” – 1998
ShareDolly Parton's top 75 songs. What a list!
53 – “The Camel’s Heart – 1998
ShareDolly Parton's top 75 songs. What a list!
52 – “The Grass Is Blue” – 1999
ShareTitle cut from this album that won a Grammy in 2000 for Best Bluegrass album.
51 – “The Salt In My Tears” – 1998
ShareThis album called Hungry Again came out soon after the death of Tammy Wynette. Dolly in an interview for this record revealed she had written some unfinished songs with Wynette.
50 – “Me and Little Andy” – 1977
ShareThis song was never a single but is a favorite of many Dolly fans for its unique subject matter and Dolly using a childlike voice to sing a part.
49 – “To Daddy” – 1994
ShareDolly wrote this song in the 1960's and gave it to Emmylou Harris to record as a single.
48 – “After The Goldrush” w/ the Trio – 1999
ShareThis song won a Grammy in 2000.
47 – “Starting Over Again” – 1980
ShareThis is a Dolly classic that Reba remade in the 1990's.
46 – “Single Women” – 1982
ShareThis album Heartbreak Express was the followup album to Dolly's huge 9 to 5 album. This was a number one song.
45 – “Heartsongs” – 1994
ShareThis was Dolly's live album recorded in her native East Tennessee. This is a title song.
44 – “Yellow Roses” – 1989
ShareA classic Dolly love song.
43 – “You Can’t Make Old Friends” w/ Kenny Rogers – 2014
ShareThis collaboration won Kenny and Dolly a Grammy in 2015.
42 – “Pure and Simple” – 2016
ShareThis song is one of my personal favorites and the whole project is special because I worked on the tour for the project.
41 – “Traveling Man” – 1971
ShareOne of Dolly's early hits that she shared her mother didn't really care for because of the subject matter.
40 – “Don’t Call It Love” – 1985
ShareOne of my faves that when I hear I can't get out of my head for days.
39 – “All I Can Do” – 1976
ShareLove this, it's a quick ride of a song.
38 – “Light Of A Clear Blue Morning” – 1977
ShareA song Dolly put on a few of her albums the first in 1977. It's one of those songs that you listen to when you need to feel better about something. It's full of hope.
36 – “High And Mighty” – 1993
ShareThis is another song that Dolly put on a few of her albums. When she really believes in a song she just releases it again for a new generation of listeners.
35 – “Wildflowers” – w/ Trio – 1987
ShareThis album called Trio won a Grammy in 1988 for Dolly, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt.
34 – “Appalachian Memories” – 1983
ShareA song she later re-recorded as "Smoky Mountain Memories" about her people in East Tennessee.
33 – “Calm On The Water” – 1983
ShareAn album cut from Dolly's Burlap and Satin album that is an all-time favorite.
32 – “The Seeker” – 1975
ShareAn early hit for Dolly that leaned toward inspiration.
31 – “Heartbreak Express.” – 1982
ShareThe title cut from her Heartbreak Express album. Coming out after 9 to 5, the album sold over a million copies.
30 – “The Bargain Store” – 1975
ShareA song that Dolly said is about finding love.
29 – “The PMS Blues” – 1994
ShareA comical look at what women deal with on a monthly basis. Yeah, it's what you think it is and it's hillarious.
28 – “Baby I’m Burning” – 1978
ShareThis is a catchy song that Dolly had remixed to a dance mix and released on pink vinyl that same year. It's my husband's favorite Dolly song and he's a heavy metal guy. Go figure.
27 – “Applejack” – 1977
ShareNever a single but always played in every Dolly concert since she first recorded it. She plays a mean banjo too.
26 – “Love is Like A Butterfly” – 1974
ShareClassic Dolly and her love of butterflies has always been her trademark.
25 – “Hush Bye Hard Times” – 1980
ShareWhat a great song on her huge 9 to 5 album. Every song on that album could have been a single.
24 – “Twelfth of Never” w/ Keith Urban – 2005
ShareJust as Keith Urban started to become a country superstar he record this classic with Dolly. He sang it with Dolly at his New Faces Show at CRS in Nashville in 2005. The song ends with Keith saying, "You give me chills Dolly."
23 – “What A Heartache” – 1991
ShareA song Dolly has put on a couple of her albums. A serious heartbreak of a song.
22 – “Stairway To Heaven” – 2002
ShareYep, Dolly covered this classic and it's great.
21 – “Eagle When She Flies” – 1991
ShareA powerful song for a powerful woman. This song even inspired a series of greeting cards.
20 – “Tennessee Homesick Blues” – 1984
ShareA great song for the Rhinestone movie with Sylvester Stallone. She held a huge party for the movie at her home in Tennessee for the movie's opening.
19 – “Down” – 1979
ShareA great album cut Dolly wrote from her Great Balls Of Fire album.
18 – “Why’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That” – 1989
ShareLove this and the video is awesome as well. Number one song.
17 – “Lonely Comin’ Down” – 1974
ShareAnother stellar album cut from the same album that gave us "Jolene" and " I Will Always Love You."
16 – “Old Flames ( Can’t Hold A Candle To You)” – 1980
ShareClassic Dolly, but a song written by pop singer Kesha's mom, Pebe Sebert.
15 – “My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy” – 1969
ShareThe boy on the album cover is Dolly's not often seen husband Carl Dean.
14 – “One Emotion After Another” – 1984
ShareYeah, the movie (Rhinestone) got panned and Sly Stallone singing was rough, but Dolly on the soundtrack and this song is amazing.
13 – “Islands In The Steam” – 1982
ShareOne of the biggest selling songs of all time. Written by The Bee Gees. I can't hear this one enough.
12 – “It’s Such A Heartache” – 1985
ShareThe perfect heartbreak song.
11 – “Two Doors Down” – 1977
ShareThis is a the song that Jane Fonda heard on the radio that inspired her to cast Dolly in 9 to 5.
10 – “Think About Love” – 1985
SharePerfect for the Real Love album and one of my very favorites.
9 – “Nickels and Dimes” – 1978
ShareAn album cut that tells the story of her first taking her guitar out to sing on the streets. She wrote the song with her brother Randy Parton.
8 – “Jesus and Gravity” – 2008
ShareA single she released in 2008. I always say this song is just as powerful as Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take The Wheel."
7 – “He’s Alive” 1989
ShareDolly won a Dove award for this powerful Easter song.
6 – “Joshua” – 1971
ShareDolly's first number one solo song. It's a great story song.
5 – “9 to 5” – 1980
ShareWhat more can be said of this classic country and pop song? Can you think of Dolly without thinking about this song?
4 – “Here You Come Again” – 1977
ShareA Grammy winner for Dolly. Believe it or not, she didn't write this one, but what a hit it was for her.
3 – “Coat Of Many Colors” 1971
ShareDolly says this is her favorite song that she's written. It's of course a true story of what her mother had sewn her to wear to school as a kid.
2 – “I Will Always Love You” – 1974
ShareDolly says this is her favorite song to sing. It's what she is known for, not to mention the Whitney Houston hit.
1 – “Jolene” – 1974
ShareThis song is a marvel and it's been my ring tone since 1995. You know, Dolly says she can't totally remember but speculates that she wrote this song and "I Will Always Love You" on the same day. What a day!