The Dolly Parton Duet With George Jones That You’ve Probably Never Heard—a Future No. 1 Written by Her Late Brother

Dolly Parton isn’t the only talented songwriter in her family. Her late baby brother, Floyd, also had a powerful pen. He was just a little less prolific than his older sister. He wrote several songs that appeared on her albums over the years. The one that stands out, though, is “Rockin’ Years.” Dolly and Ricky Van Shelton took it to the top of the country chart in 1991. Before that, though, she recorded the song with George Jones.

Videos by American Songwriter

Parton and Van Shelton’s chart-topping rendition was more than a great duet. It showcased two generations of country stars. More than that, it proved that the young artist could hold his own while singing with one of the biggest stars in the genre’s history. Despite it only topping the chart for a week, it was a highlight in a decade full of great releases.

Three years before that duet topped the chart, Parton recorded “Rockin’ Years” with Jones for his collaborative album Friends in High Places. The duets album featured Ricky Skaggs, Buck Owens, Emmylou Harris, Randy Travis, and many more. However, when the album dropped, his duet with Parton was absent. It would be nearly two decades before the song saw the light of day.

George Jones Releases His Dolly Parton Duet

In August 2008, George Jones released Burn Your Playhouse Down–The Unreleased Duets. As the title suggests, the album gathers duets that were cut from previous projects. Per Country Universe, most of the songs were cut from his 1994 duets album, The Bradley Barn Sessions. Three were recorded for Friends in High Places. It also includes duets with Tammy Wynette and Georgette Jones.

Dolly Parton’s duet with Ricky Van Shelton showcased two generations of country music. The Jones-Parton duet gave fans a look at two of the genre’s biggest stars coming together. Their voices, instantly recognizable and honed by years of use, blend almost perfectly on the song’s chorus, and both are in top form during the verses. In short, this duet was worth the 20-year wait between its initial recording and eventual release.

Featured Image by Rick Diamond/Getty Images