Country Singer from Dolly Parton’s Hometown Recalls Opening for the Late Legend as a Kid (Exclusive)

Kristian Bush has never known a world without Dolly Parton. The country singer took the stage during CBS’ America’s Tailgate special, playing mandolin during Gabby Barrett’s performance of “Jolene.”

Ahead of his performance, Bush spoke to American Songwriter about the late Parton, who’s someone he’s looked up to as long as he can remember.

Before he began speaking about Parton, Bush pulled out his phone is show off his background, which featured a photo of him performing as a kid.

“That’s me opening for Dolly Parton,” he proudly said. “I might have been five or six.”

Opening for Parton at a young age isn’t Bush’s only connection to the late legend. The singer, who’s one half of Sugarland, happens to hail from the same east Tennessee town as Parton.

“We’re from the same hometown. I grew up in Sevierville,” he said. “I joke with people all the time that there were really only two ways to get out of Sevierville, one was to play football and the other was to play music. If somehow you were able to pull off either of those things, you could get out. So to me, it was just an option, very improbable, but it was an option.”

“She’s pretty much just stitched into the whole community,” Bush added. “I mean, I stole the Dolly Parton Parkway sign when it was a rite of passage. It sits in my studio to this day.”

With that in mind, it’s no surprise Bush was quick to agree to join Barrett, whom he’s known and mentored since her 2018 stint on American Idol, for her America’s Tailgate performance of “Jolene.”

“I like her version,” Bush said of Barrett’s cover of the song. “I’m playing mandolin tonight, and just sort of jumping around and generally being myself.”

Kristian Bush Teases Sugarland’s Tour and New Music

The performance came ahead of a busy time for the singer, who’s gearing up to head out on the Ride or Die Tour with his Sugarland partner, Jennifer Nettles.

“The coolest part of what we’re about to do is the show itself, because I build them and it’s one of my passions” Bush teased of the trek, which will kick off on Oct. 1 in Florida. “Now that we have things like the Sphere and the Eras Tour, ginormous is a thing that happens.”

“One of the strange things about Sugarland is we were sort of an underdog band, so we had to exist with nothing,” he continued. “As we put the show together, they wanted to bring all that. We were like… ‘Just let us be like Pearl Jam on a stage.’”

The tour is set taking place in honor of the 20th anniversary of the duo’s breakout sophomore album, Enjoy the Ride.

“There were a lot of eyeballs sort of looking at us to fail and suddenly we had three or four number ones off that record. It was crazy,” Bush said. “… That record changed our lives. I can’t wait to play that music for our fans.”

Bush said that he and Nettles won’t just be playing the oldies on tour, but some new material too.

“Jennifer had just come to me and said, ‘Hey, we should probably make some new music.’ I was like, ‘Yeah,’” Bush said. “We are fearless about making stuff. The problem is we move really quick. If anyone says go, we’re ready. We decided that we’re just gonna start playing some new songs in the set.”

Looking back on his journey, Bush had some words of wisdom for his younger self.

“You’re going to get a new hat. Don’t freak out. Keep going,” Bush said. “It’s an odd thing for a band who lasts past eight years. To be a band for 20 or more? It’s insane.”

Photo courtesy of Kristian Bush

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