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Country Throwback: Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn Belt ‘Silver Threads and Golden Needles’ in 1993

Country music’s most talented women came together for a surprise performance of a lifetime during the 1993 CMA Awards. That year’s award show host, Dolly Parton, invited her colleagues Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn to join her onstage.

The legends, all visions in white, ended the ceremony by debuting their new single “Silver Threads and Golden Needles.”

The song was apart of Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn’s collaborative album Honky Tonk Angels. 

Wanda Jackson originally recorded the tune in 1956, The Springfields recorded a version, and later on, the three featured it on their 1993 album. 

The song received a high number of airtime from networks such as CMT and TNN, despite having a disappointing performance on the charts.

Due to this and their fans’ support, the track is one of the most widely-recognized songs from the album. 

Penned Jack Rhodes and Dick Reynolds, the group’s version of “Silver Threads and Golden Needles,” peaked at No. 68 on the “Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks” chart. It’s hard not to get emotional while listening to the powerfully poetic lyrics.

Silver threads and golden needles
Cannot mend this heart of mine
And I dare not drown my sorrows
In the warm glow of your mind

Honky Tonk Angels soon became a crossover hit and was Lynn’s highest-charting pop record until her album Van Lear Rose

The project was one of the last country music successes for Wynette, who passed away in 1998 at 55.

Dolly Parton Brings Together County Music’s Leading Ladies For Joint Project

For over a decade, the album had been a secret project between the country singers. It was mostly Dolly Parton’s idea to bring together the women who made their country music debuts together in the ’60s.

Dolly Parton and the other women were vital in transitioning country music by combining modern life into the traditional country stylings they grew up with, which undoubtedly created a larger audience for the genre. 

Numerous awards show nominated the album for various accolades. At the 1994 TNN Music City News Country Awards, the album was up for “Album of the Year.”

The 37th Annual Grammy Awards also nominated it for “Best Country Collaboration with Vocals” and “Vocal Event of the Year” at the 28th Annual Country Music Association Awards.

Go back in time and listen to the beautiful harmonies of Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Tammy Wynette in the video below.