Shaboozey Reveals How Dolly Parton Helped Shape His Country Music Roots Through His Nigerian Father

Shaboozey’s family counts themselves as Dolly Parton fans. In an interview with People, the singer revealed that the late singer of one of his dad’s “favorite country artists.”

“He was born in Nigeria and grew up there,” he said. “The fact that he knows Dolly Parton just shows you how much of a global impact she had on the entire world, not just Nashville.”

Parton’s singing voice isn’t the only reason Shaboozey looks up to the late Parton.

“Just her activism and just her wanting to just see country music become what it is today, I think she accomplished that, man,” he said. “Dolly Parton forever.”

Shaboozey Opens Up About His Musical Influences

During an appearance on American Songwriter’s Off the Record podcast, Shaboozey revealed how he developed his eclectic musical tastes, which encompasses everyone from Parton to Creed.

“There was really no influence. There was no one I listened to or looked to. There was nothing,” he said. “I think being where I’m from in Virginia, [I was] a fan of all types of music growing up. My dad did listen to country music, so he did play it. But then my sister’s also like, ‘Here’s Brandy and Usher and this.’ And then you’re also on the TV, and you’re like, ‘All right, that’s Nickelback and Creed.’”

Shaboozey also credits the time he was born as being responsible for the music he came to love.

“I was born in ’95, so I think being born in that era, it was a weird time for music in general in the early 2000s,” he said. “Hip hop and R&B had finally become super commercial. It was the biggest thing. And then also alt-rock and Nirvana… I think everything was becoming mainstream. Everything’s getting pushed to you on the radio, so you’re listening to it all.”

When it came to developing his own sound, Shaboozey made it a point to “find my own voice and my own identity,” he said.

“It just came from looking inward more than anything,” he said. “[I was] just looking at what I valued… the things I still value in my life.”

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