Entertainment
Dolly Parton Teams Up with Miley Cyrus, Lainey Wilson, Queen Latifah and Reba McEntire for New Version of a 1977 Hit
NEED TO KNOW
- Dolly Parton shared a new version of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” with Miley Cyrus, Lainey Wilson, Queen Latifah and Reba McEntire on Friday, Jan. 16
- The song was was originally released on Parton’s 1977 album New Harvest…First Gathering
- Parton will donate the new collaboration’s proceeds to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville
Dolly Parton is joining forces with four fellow superstars for a good cause.
The country music icon, 79, released a new version of her 1977 hit “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” featuring her goddaughter Miley Cyrus as well as Lainey Wilson, Queen Latifah and Reba McEntire on Friday, Jan. 16.
“I wrote ‘Light of a Clear Blue Morning’ during a season when I was searching for hope, and 50 years later that message still feels just as true. As I celebrate my 80th birthday, this new version is my way of using what I’ve been blessed with to shine a little light forward, especially by sharing it with some truly incredible women,” Parton said in a statement.
In an Instagram post announcing the collaboration earlier this week, Parton noted, “Proceeds from this recording and music video will benefit pediatric cancer research at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN.”
Following the announcement, Wilson, 33, wrote in the comments of Parton’s post, “So excited for y’all to hear this.”
“Light of a Clear Blue Morning” was originally released on Parton’s 1977 album New Harvest…First Gathering and reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart as well as No. 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time.
Cyrus, 33, previously covered the song on the 2021 Mother’s Day episode of Saturday Night Live in tribute to Parton. They’ve also recorded multiple songs together in the past, including “Rainbowland” from Cyrus’ 2017 album Younger Now, “Christmas Is” from Parton’s 2020 album A Holly Dolly Christmas and a version of Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” for Parton’s 2023 album Rockstar.
The new take on “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” marks McEntire and Wilson’s second collaboration after last year’s “Trailblazer” with Miranda Lambert — which is nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the upcoming 2026 Grammy Awards.
Parton and Latifah, 55, previously costarred in the 2012 film Joyful Noise and performed a duet titled “Not Enough” for its soundtrack.
A longtime supporter of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Parton also shared she was undergoing treatment at the hospital after postponing her Las Vegas residency in September.
“Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt [University Medical Center], where I’m kind of having a few treatments here and there, but I wanted you to know that I’m not dying,” she said at the time.
Parton will celebrate her 80th birthday on Monday, Jan. 19.
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