A hidden Dolly Parton time capsule may give the world a new song in 2046. In his Brownwood News column, Todd Howey reflects on Parton’s legacy and the chestnut box she placed beneath the Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa in 2015.
The box, known as the “Dream Box,” is scheduled to be opened on Parton’s 100th birthday, January 19, 2046. According to Howey’s account, it contains physical copies of a new song Parton wrote and recorded but that no one has heard.
A song sealed for the future
Parton’s time capsule was not described as a collection of ordinary personal keepsakes. The chestnut box reportedly holds a song intended to be released as her final recording, preserving both the music and the mystery for decades.
A note inside the box explains its purpose:
“The chestnut ‘Dream Box’ is a repository of Dolly’s wishes and memories for the future. It will not be opened until Dolly’s 100th birthday on January 19, 2046. The Dream Box itself is tribute to her original mentor and uncle, Bill Owens, who has worked tirelessly to preserve the American Chestnut tree. As a final tribute, Dolly placed a song which she has written to be released as her last. Entitled ‘My Place In History,’ only Dolly will know its melody and content until 2046.”
Howey describes the idea as unusual even by the standards of a major songwriter and performer: Parton created and recorded a song, then placed it somewhere that listeners would not be able to access it until a specific future date. The eventual opening could create renewed attention around the music and the artist’s place in popular culture.
Howey’s own time-capsule question
The Dolly story led Howey to consider what he might preserve for his own 100th birthday. He writes that he would turn 100 on November 24, 2063, and wonders what the world—and his family—might look like then.
After struggling to think of an item worth sealing away for that long, Howey says he searched online for ideas. The suggestions he found focused less on creating a spectacular artifact and more on documenting an ordinary life as it exists today.
- A letter to a future self
- A current to-do list or daily routine
- Present goals and dreams
- A note describing current feelings
- A photograph of a bedroom or desk
- Predictions about the future
Howey contrasts those everyday records with Parton’s unreleased song. He jokes that his own life is not especially dramatic, noting that he spends much of his day talking to his dog, Cash, and cannot play guitar and sing.
A message for family in 2063
Rather than leave behind a grand object, Howey settles on a letter describing what he hopes his family will be like in 2063. His hopes center on unconditional love, forgiveness, grace, faith, resilience and gratitude.
He also hopes his family will continue trying to become the people they want to be, remain proud of who they become and remember that love, family, friendship, self-belief and hope matter most. The message is far simpler than an unreleased Dolly Parton song, but Howey presents it as a meaningful record of the values he wants to endure.
Howey concludes that Parton might agree with those priorities. His “Under the Stetson” column appears Fridays on BrownwoodNews.com. Comments can be sent to [email protected].