Dolly Parton's 80th spin around the sun has been off to a good start.
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On her big day, she released an update of her classic song, "Light of A Clear Blue Morning." The track includes vocals from Queen Latifah, Reba McEntire, Miley Cyrus, and Lainey Wilson, and some piano from mega-producer David Foster.
Proceeds from the single benefit pediatric cancer research at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville.
The optimistic anthem was written while the singer was stuck in traffic on the way home from a very important meeting. That day changed the trajectory of her entire career. She had just been released from her contract with Porter Wagoner, with whom she starred on The Porter Wagoner Show from 1967 to 1974.
"As I left his office and began to drive toward my home... it began to rain," she wrote. "So did I. I cried, not so much out of a sense of loss, but from the pain that always comes from change. It was a sad kind of freedom."
While the latest song from the Queen of Country is already a hit with fans, it fell just short of the top on one major Billboard chart. We have the details below.
Bruno Mars Is Keeping Dolly Parton From the Top Spot
Unsurprisingly, "Light of A Clear Blue Morning" could have reached the top spot on Billboard's Digital Sales Chart, which measures how many times the song has been purchased on digital outlets, such as iTunes.
However, the song's sales fell short of the number one spot thanks to Bruno Mars' "I Just Might." The track was in the top spot last week, as well.
Parton Has Had Plenty of Success on the Charts
Parton has yet to reach the top spot in the Digital Album Sales chart. "Light of A Clear Blue Morning" is her second appearance as the runner-up.
She last reached that milestone in 2020 with "Islands in the Stream," her duet with the late, great Kenny Rogers. The 1983 song experienced a resurgence following Rogers' death that year.
Parton reached the third spot last year with "If You Hadn't Been There," her tribute to her late husband Carl Dean. Her duet with Zac Brown Band, "Butterfly," and her collaboration with Pitbull, "Powerful Women," also reached that spot.
