Dolly Parton was much more than a country music singer-songwriter. Through theme parks, hotels, dinner shows, baking products and everything in between, she created one of the most recognizable brands in entertainment and business.
And that won’t stop after her death.
Parton’s longtime manager Danny Nozell revealed the businesswoman was working on several new ventures before she died Aug. 25. And she had already handpicked a team to follow a roadmap she created to continue her legacy for decades to come.
"Dolly worked up until the day she died," Nozell said in statement. "She loved seeing her dreams come to life, and loved knowing her work brought people joy.”
Here are seom new things to expect from Parton, including products, shows, hotels, attractions,
books, unreleased music and more.
SongTeller Hotel and Life of Many Colors Museum
Within just a few weeks of her death, fans will be able to experience two major projects on which Parton was working.
Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel is scheduled to begin welcoming guests on Sept. 14, with a grand opening planned for Sept. 29.
The Life of Many Colors Museum, which is inside SongTeller Hotel, will have its grand opening on Sept. 29, too. The 20,000-square-foot museum tells Parton’s story from the Smoky Mountains to Nashville and Hollywood, with exhibits covering her music, family, philanthropy and career.
Rebecca Seaver, Parton’s niece and longtime archivist, curated the items for the museum. Parton also was deeply involved in its planning.
‘DOLLY: A True Original Musical’
Dolly’s life and music are headed to Broadway! Another personal project Parton was working on before she died was “DOLLY: A True Original Musical.”
The musical, which features new music written by Parton, is scheduled to begin Broadway previews Dec. 7, with opening night set for Jan. 19, 2027.
Tickets for the previews are currently on sale for performances through Nov. 21 2027.
Cup of Ambition Coffee
It’s no longer just an iconic line in the song “9 to 5.” Soon you’ll be able to drink an actual “cup of ambition" in your kitchen.
Parton’s Cup of Ambition Coffee was created in partnership with Community Coffee. Already served at Dolly's Tennessean Travel stop, which opened in Cornersville in June, the product line is scheduled to launch online on Sept. 29, with a wider retail rollout planned for spring 2027.
Dolly Dolls, dog treats, bedding and more!
Way beyond coffee, Parton had plenty of consumer products lined up for fans (and dogs) to enjoy.
Dolly Dolls are scheduled to launch online on Sept. 15. A holiday-themed project, “Dolly On The Holly,” will be ready just in time for the 2026 holiday season.
A Kendra Scott x Dolly “9 to 5” limited-collection jewelry collaboration is expected in January 2027. A line of dog treats through Purina is expected to hit dog bowls in early 2027. And a Dolly bedding and home décor collection is planned for the third quarter of 2027, too.
Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stops
In one of her final public appearances, Parton surprised guests in June for the opening of the Dolly’s Tennessean Travel location in Cornersville, Tennessee.
The reimagined travel experience welcomes everyone from professional truckers to families on road trips, all while embracing Parton’s Southern charm. There’s even live music at the truck stop.
The flagship location is in Middle Tennessee, nearly four hours away from Knoxville. But more Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stops are planned across the Southeast and beyond, including in East Tennessee.
"We love East Tennessee and would love to be in there,” Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop general manager Tara Polk told Knox News in June. “We are working through it now and we plan to expand. Stay tuned!”
Polk did not specify a timeline or where in East Tennessee a travel stop might open, but Knox and Sevier counties' proximately to the heavily trafficked interstates I-40, I-75 and I-81 is a positive factor.
“There’s a lot that goes into choosing the locations, but we are definitely prioritizing high truck and traffic areas,” Polk said.
Dollywood hotels and campground
The master plan for Dollywood’s future – which Parton helped shape – includes additional lodging properties on the theme park’s massive campus.
According to the park’s rolling 10-year strategic plan, three new resorts are in the work, plus a unique outdoor RV park and campground experience. Dollywood currently has two resorts: DreamMore Resort and Spa and HeartSong Lodge and Resort.
Dollywood President Eugene Naughton is already strategizing for the park’s next big thing to open in 2029 or 2030.
More Dolly Parton stories for the screen
Nozell also confirmed that an avatar project featuring Parton, a documentary about the Broadway musical, a Parton biopic, a docuseries, a scripted series and an animated “Billy the Kid” series based on her children's books about her god-dog, are all in development.
There aren't any release dates for those projects yet. Nozell said more details will be announced later.
The Dolly Parton song that won’t be heard until 2045
Parton released 49 albums and wrote more than 3,000 songs in her lifetime, according to BMI. And there are even more on the way.
Nozell specifically mentioned unreleased music and books among the projects Parton personally worked on or approved. Her team has not announced exactly what or when those releases will be.
However, we do know when one of those unreleased will be set free – literally.
The country music icon recorded a top-secret song in 2015 and locked it away in a time capsule vault that won’t be opened until 2045. She recorded the song for DreamMore’s opening. The locked vault at the resort also includes a CD player and cassette player. Parton instructed the song be released for the resort’s 30th anniversary.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Dolly Parton’s work isn’t done. Music, shows and more still to come
