Could a song by Tennessee's very own Dolly Parton become a new state song? If a new bill recently filed in the Tennessee General Assembly is approved, then the answer is yes.
On Monday (January 31), State Sen. Becky Duncan Massey (R-Knoxville) filed S.B. 2148 to make the country music legend's "My Tennessee Mountain Home" one of Tennessee's official state songs, WKRN reports.
Originally released in 1973, "My Tennessee Mountain Home" reminisces on Parton's life growing up near the Smoky Mountains. The tune was even featured in a state campaign last year to commemorate Tennessee's 225th birthday, gently playing as a video took viewers across the small towns, big cities and lush mountains that make up Tennessee.
A companion bill was also filed Tuesday in the Tennessee House by Rep. Kent Calfee (R-Kingston).
If approved, Parton's tune will become the 11th official state song in Tennessee, joining the likes of "Rocky Top," "Tennessee Waltz," "My Homeland, Tennessee," "Smoky Mountain Rain, "A Tennessee Bicentennial Rap: 1796-1996," "When It's Iris Time In Tennessee," "My Tennessee," "The Pride of Tennessee," "Tennessee (1992)" and "Tennessee (2012)".
To learn more about the different songs, check out the state website here.
This would be the newest honor Tennessee would bestow upon one of its most famous residents. In September, the "Jolene" singer was given her very own "Tennessee Music Pathways" historic marker outside the Sevier County courthouse to honor both her musical legacy and her contributions to Tennessee.