Honky Tonk Angels is a collaborative studio album by Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. It was released on November 2, 1993, by Columbia Records. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 5, 1994, for sales of 500,000 copies.

Background The album had been a long-rumored project between the country singers for over a decade. It was mostly Parton's idea to bring together the women who made their musical breakthroughs in the '60s. These were also the women who changed the texture of the music by weaving strands of modern life into the traditional country patterns they grew up with and helped enlarge the audience for country music. Once Parton talked the others into doing the project–an easy argument, by all accounts–she asked Steve Buckingham to co-produce with her.

Content The album features many country standards, including "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" (which features a guest vocal appearance by the song's originator and the original country queen, Kitty Wells), "Wings of a Dove" (a 1960 hit for Ferlin Husky), "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" (a 1953 hit for the Davis Sisters), "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" (a 1966 Bill Phillips hit that was Parton's first success as a songwriter), "Lovesick Blues" (a country classic known for Hank Williams' 1949 rendition; here the trio sings along with a vintage recording of the song by Patsy Cline), and "I Dreamed of a Hillbilly Heaven", Tex Ritter's 1962 classic that features new spoken dialogue written by Parton.

The original songs by Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette are solo performances by each of them with harmony vocals by Parton and "Sittin' on the Front Porch Swing" is a Parton solo. The album features liner notes written by Ralph Emery.

Critical reception

The review published in the November 27, 1993, issue of Billboard said that the album is "a spirited collaboration that brings together three country music cornerstones and throws in a pinch of Patsy Cline and Kitty Wells for good measure." The review went on to say, "There are a few musically inspired moments here, notably Parton's "Sittin' on the Front Porch Swing" and Wynette's "That's the Way It Could Have Been". But, for the most part, this is more of a nostalgic look back than a celebration of present–day glories."

Kelly McCartney of AllMusic wrote that "for fans of traditional country or great singers, this is a fun listen because it nicely captures three of the best voices around."

Commercial performance The album peaked at No. 6 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 42 on the US Billboard 200 chart. In Canada, the album peaked at No. 6 on the RPM Country Albums chart and No. 44 on the RPM Albums chart.

The only single, "Silver Threads and Golden Needles", was released in November 1993 and peaked at No. 68 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Accolades The album and its single were nominated for several awards. The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 1994 TNN Music City News Country Awards and "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" was nominated for Vocal Collaboration of the Year. "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" also received a nomination at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals and Vocal Event of the Year at the 28th Annual Country Music Association Awards.

37th Annual Grammy Awards

| style="text-align:center;"|1995 | style="text-align:center;"| "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" | Best Country Collaboration with Vocals

28th Annual Country Music Association Awards

| style="text-align:center;"|1994 | style="text-align:center;"| "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" | Vocal Event of the Year

1994 TNN Music City News Country Awards

| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|1994 | style="text-align:center;"| Honky Tonk Angels | Album of the Year

| style="text-align:center;"|"Silver Threads and Golden Needles" | Vocal Collaboration of the Year

Track listing

Personnel Adapted from the album liner notes.

Eddie Bayers – drums Harold Bradley – tic-tac ("Lovesick Blues") Owen Bradley – producer ("Lovesick Blues") Steve Buckingham – producer Patsy Cline – guest vocals ("Lovesick Blues") Don Cobb – editing Floyd Cramer – piano ("Lovesick Blues") Jimmy Day – steel ("Lovesick Blues") Richard Dennison – backing vocals Hank Garland – electric guitar ("Lovesick Blues") Steve Gibson – guitar, tic-tac Rob Hajacos – fiddle Vicki Hampton – background vocals Buddy Harman – drums ("Lovesick Blues") Roy Huskey Jr. – upright bass Bill Johnson – art direction, design Beth Kindig – art assistance Cari Landers – production assistant Jason Lehning – assistant engineer Loretta Lynn – lead vocals, harmony vocals Grady Martin – electric guitar ("Lovesick Blues") Bob Moore – upright bass ("Lovesick Blues") Marshall Morgan – engineer Farrell Morris – vibes Weldon Myrick – steel Louis Nunley – backing vocals Jennifer O'Brien-Enoch – backing vocals, vocal coordinator Gary Paczosa – engineer Dolly Parton – lead vocals, harmony vocals, producer Denny Purcell – mastering Tom Robb – bass Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano Billy Sanford – guitar Alan Schulman – additional engineering Toby Seay – additional engineering Ed Simonton – assistant engineer Adam Steffy – mandolin Bruce Watkins – acoustic guitar Cindy Reynolds Watt – harp Rollow Welch – art direction, design Kitty Wells – guest vocals ("It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels") Bruce Wolfe – cover painting Tammy Wynette – lead vocals, harmony vocals

Note: "Lovesick Blues" was recorded by Patsy Cline on January 27, 1960, and produced by Owen Bradley. The musicians for this session are noted above.

Charts Album Chart (1993–1994) Peakposition Australian Albums (ARIA) N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart. 177 Canada Country Albums/CDs (RPM) 6 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) 44 scope = "row" US Cashbox Country Albums4

Singles Title Year Peakposition USCountry "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" 1993 68

Certifications

References