How Dolly Parton’s Grandfather Was First “Streamer” Decades Before Advent of Internet

Before Dolly Parton became one of the most iconic and enduring country acts of all time, her grandfather, Reverend Jacob Robert “Jake” Owens, was a musical innovator in his own right, becoming a “streamer” decades before the advent of the internet. Indeed, almost an entire century before musicians would share their music with listeners via their smartphones, Owens was doing the same thing with windup telephones in the mountains of East Tennessee.

While we certainly don’t need any more proof of Parton’s inherent musicality, the stories of the musicians who came before her add another impressive layer to her story as an artist.

Dolly Parton’s Grandfather Was a “Streamer” Before The Internet

Dolly Parton’s 2024 album, Smoky Mountain DNA, is a 2-CD, 3-LP collection featuring the country singer’s family’s rich musical history. The entire collection spans five generations of East Tennessee songwriters, ranging in genre and style to create a cohesive tapestry of Parton’s upbringing and the legacy she forged in her own career. One of the notable musicians in her family was Reverend Jacob Roberts “Jake” Owens, Parton’s grandfather.

Born in 1899, Owens lived to be 92 years old, which meant he was able to see his granddaughter enjoy her stunning ascent to fame and the successes she enjoyed in the decades that followed. Aside from the usual family pride, neither Owens nor Parton likely forgot the musical legacy the patriarch established while Parton was still growing up in Sevierville, Tennessee. Richie Owens, Parton’s cousin, spoke to Rolling Stone about his family’s musical background.

“[Dolly’s grandfather] was very well-known up in the mountains for his clawhammer banjo style and his singing,” Richie explained to the magazine. “People would get on their old-time windup telephone and wind it up so it would ring, then everyone would know by the number of rings that he was going to perform for them. The song he was noted for was “Sourwood Mountain.” We joke that he was probably the first streamer because he got everybody on their phone.”

“He was coming up in the era of radio and knew his family had that kind of talent,” Richie continued. “So, he started getting his daughters and sons on the radio as family groups. As they got older, after World War II, they went out and started getting opportunities on their own in Knoxville and eventually made their way in the late ‘50s into Nashville.”

Owens Laid The Groundwork For The Future Country Star

When Dolly Parton’s grandfather, Rev. Jacob Roberts Owens, laid the groundwork for his granddaughter’s future career, he likely had no idea just how far Parton would go with her music. Parton began performing on the type of East Tennessee radio programs Owens pushed for his family to be on in the 1950s before moving to Nashville the day after she graduated high school in 1964. Parton started as a songwriter and pop singer before linking up with country star Porter Wagoner in 1967.

From there, the rest is history. Parton’s star would continue to rise (and rise and rise) until she became one of the most beloved and prolific country stars of all time. Nevertheless, Parton never forgot her roots. She frequently released songs about her childhood in Tennessee, including the 1971 ode to her mother, “Coat of Many Colors,” and her 1973 track “My Tennessee Mountain Home.”

Of course, Parton’s 2024 release, Smoky Mountain DNA, is no exception. This, too, pays direct homage to the musicians who came before her, including her revolutionary “streamer” grandfather, Jake.

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