Dolly Parton’s little-known Welsh roots remembered following her death
Amelia Jones
Dolly Parton’s long-standing connection to Wales has come back into focus following the death of the country music legend.
Following her death aged 80, attention has turned to Parton’s Welsh family links, with relatives tracing her mother’s side of the family back to Conwy.
The singer’s connection to Wales was something she herself spoke about, even telling fans during a Cardiff concert that some of her mother’s family came from the country.
Her Welsh ancestry was explored as part of a documentary about her family history, during which comedian Rob Brydon travelled through the American South exploring the history of country music. The discovery even prompted jokes that Dolly was, in fact, Welsh.
Her connection to Wales went beyond her family tree. Parton performed in Cardiff in 2008, where she spoke about her Welsh ancestry to fans.
She later told WalesOnline: “Some of my mother’s people, the Owens, are from there [Wales].”
She added: “I’ve been there about three times and it always feels good because it feels like family.
“Many years ago we took a little tour there because some of my mother’s people are from Wales.
“But we performed there last March and I have a cousin, Ritchie Owens, who plays in my group and he went off and spent the day looking around, trying to find out as much as he could about various family members.
“He brought me a rock that I took home and put on my mantle. I ‘d love to spend some time there exploring.”
In another particularly Welsh twist, Parton also found herself connected with Wrexham AFC.
The club’s Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney enlisted the country superstar for a video after her Welsh ancestry became known.
The pair have helped transform Wrexham’s global profile since taking over the club, with their Welcome to Wrexham documentary introducing the city and Welsh football to audiences around the world.
The unlikely connection between the country music icon and the Welsh football club came as Parton’s family links to Wales were receiving renewed attention.
In the video, Parton said: “Well, hey everybody. You may have seen my recent announcement about possibly having Welsh ancestry.
“Well I was tickled t learn that and I was even more tickled when I received a lovely gift from the Welsh Board of Tourism and Docudramas.
“They sent me this beautiful scarf and asked if I’d say a few words about Wales. I hope these aren’t written in Welsh.”
Parton’s appearance provided another opportunity to put Wales in front of an international audience, while also giving Welcome to Wrexham another famous face.
There were even reports that Parton and members of her family had begun learning some Welsh after discovering more about their roots.
Tributes
Welsh music legend Tom Jones has paid tribute to the singer, while Welsh performers and musicians including West End star Amber Davies and Radio DJ Bronwen Lewis have also spoken about her influence.
In an Instagram story, Jones said: “Losing Dolly leaves a great emptiness. She had an angelic but powerful voice with vast influence on generations to come. A wonderful and generous person with an amazing story, RIP Dolly.”
Parton also had a direct connection with Davies, having produced the stage adaptation of 9 to 5 in which the Conwy-born actress made her West End debut.
In a social media post, Davies said: “Dolly, you gave me my first YES. One of the very first to believe in me. This will always be a highlight of my lifetime. The world will not be the same without you. From the entire world, Thank you.”
On her radio show, BBC Cymru DJ and Y Llais judge Bronwen Lewis also shared an emotional tribute to the country star.
She said: “Anyone who has known me for even five minutes knows that I fell in love with country music, songwriting and singing in general to be honest because of one woman. Dolly Parton.
“I have said for years, there are two main women in my life, my mother and Dolly. So this morning the world feels a lot less sparkly, and to see the news yesterday absolutely knocked the wind out of my sails is an understatement.
“I don’t know if you felt the same, but it felt like losing a family member. That friend that keeps my company in tough moments, who soundtracked the good times, who decorated my entire life and lives of so many with her music.”
BBC Cymru Wales have now announced that there will be a special tribute with three hours of Parton’s music on Country with Bronwen Lewis at 7pm.
You can listen here.
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