OUT TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME!
OWEPAR ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES WIDE RELEASE OF THE CROPS CAME IN
FROM FREIDA PARTON
LISTEN HERE
10-SONG FAN FAVORITE COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL MUSIC WAS ONCE A LIMITED, CASSETTE-ONLY RELEASE UNTIL NOW
Nashville, TN — Freida Parton is finally bringing a long-hidden chapter of her musical story into the light with the release of The Crops Came In, a newly remixed and expanded album that captures her deep Appalachian roots and family legacy. Released today on Owepar Records (via Virgin Music Group Distribution), Parton finally gives a wider audience access to a deeply personal, long-lost collection of songs rooted in family, faith, and life in the Smoky Mountains as a member of the Owens/Parton family and their long musical heritage.
Parton first stepped into the spotlight with her 1984 debut Two-Faced, a hard-charging rock record that earned MTV airplay. But when Dollywood opened its gates in 1986, Freida felt the pull of home. Her sister Dolly asked her to return to Tennessee and join the park’s family show — an invitation that opened the door for a new kind of songwriting.
“So I decided to come back with new songs — songs about the mountains, my family, how it was for us growing up, how I saw Daddy, and what Momma meant to me — everything about the Smoky Mountains,” says Parton.
Drawing from personal memories and family stories, Parton began writing songs inspired by her experience growing up in a family with such a deep musical foundation in East Tennessee. As she performed them at Dollywood, numerous fans would continually ask if there was a recording they could take home. She teamed up with her cousin Richie Owens, who recorded the songs at his homemade studio. The result was Pleasant Memories, a cassette-only release sold exclusively at Dollywood for a short time. Though largely unknown outside of those fortunate enough to land a copy, the album became a treasured cult favorite.
One big fan was her sister Dolly Parton, who selected “The Crops Came In” for her 2024 family album project Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith & Fables, produced by Richie Owens. For that release, Owens remixed the track, added new backing instrumentation, and featured Dolly’s backing vocals, expanding the song’s sonic scope.
The overwhelming response to “The Crops Came In” sparked a larger idea: to revisit and remix the entire album. Now released for the first time in its complete form by Van-Par Productions and Owepar Records, The Crops Came In restores a lost treasure for all to experience.
More than an album, The Crops Came In is a living portrait of family and the Smoky Mountains. This is music made without ambition but full of intention — songs meant to last, meant to be remembered, and meant to sound like home and finally ready shared far beyond the hills where they were born.
Listen to The Crops Came In at your preferred DSPs HERE
Visit FreidaParton.com
Click HERE for more information about Owepar Records and the Owepar Master Series of legacy recordings to order available titles
About Owepar Entertainment
Owepar Music was founded in 1967 by Dolly Parton and her uncles Bill Owens and Louis Owens to administer their songwriting business. Over the years Owepar has published songs recorded by artists including Porter Wagoner, Linda Ronstadt, Olivia Newton-John, Emmylou Harris and many more. In 1972, Owepar purchased two properties on Music Row and moved their offices into a larger building and began construction on a state-of-the-art recording facility. Fireside Studios opened in March 1973 and immediately began cutting hits for Merle Haggard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Emmylou Harris, Marty Robbins, Bill Monroe, and many other artists. Active as a publishing company until 1981, and relaunched in 2019, Owepar Entertainment handles a vast collection of legacy recordings and publishes songs by contemporary artists including Jada Star and Richie Owens.
For press information about Owepar Entertainment, please contact:
Jim Flammia jim@alleyesmedia.com at All Eyes Media