Parade recently caught up with Grammy-nominated producer Kent Wells to talk about his impressive career, his friendship with Dolly Parton, and the up-and-coming music artists that he's most excited for the world to hear.
"I grew up in Arkansas, playing in a family band with my dad and my brothers and and I went to college on a music scholarship," Wells tells Parade exclusively. He moved to Nashville in 1984 with one dream in mind: He wanted to play guitar in a band. So, that's what he did.
In those days, Wells played for Parton, Lee Greenwood, and Kenny Rogers, to name a few. After more than 15 years on the road, Wells decided it was time for a change. Although he wasn't sure which direction to take his career, he knew that he wanted to stay in the music business.
In the '90s, while touring with country music legend Reba McEntire, Wells built a home in Nashville with a full recording studio in the basement. He'd spend time recording with some of his friends and one day, one of those friends suggested he start producing music. Wells wasn't sure if that was the direction that he wanted to go, but in 2000, he took a leap of faith when an old friend called him up with an offer.
Related: Dolly Parton’s Longtime Producer Shares Update on Her Health Amid Concerns
"He convinced me to invest in a studio here in Nashville," Wells says. "So I cleaned out my 401K and we built a room here in town, down on Music Row. We literally were starving, we had no clients, no nothing. We were just trying to make it. I couldn't make it work, something from nothing."
But then, something changed in the blink of an eye when Parton called up her old friend and told him that she wanted to work with him. So, Wells went to Knoxville to help Parton on a record, which ended up doing "really well."
"That was my break, so to speak, as a producer, was having none other than Dolly call me," he continues. Wells said that Parton actually did an interview years prior in which she said that Wells would likely wind up being her producer in the future, to which he remembers thinking, "woman, you're crazy!" At the time, he admits, he didn't even know what a producer did.
"I'm not a producer. I'm a guitar player. I just thought she was pouring it on thick, like she does, just trying to make me look good," Wells says. It's something that he and Parton still joke about today. He calls the whole thing serendipitous as he's now produced more than a dozen of Parton's albums.
Wells still works alongside Parton, making "magic" in the studio, and was just with her a week ago, he tells me. "She's got that magic. She can still do it too, as good as she ever, ever was." In honor of Parton's 80th birthday in January 2026, she re-recorded "Light of a Clear Blue Morning," featuring Miley Cyrus, Lainey Wilson, Reba McEntire, and Queen Latifah, which Wells produced.
He's also been working with some brand new artists that he's really excited about. For starters, Wells told me about Chadwick Johnson, an R&B singer from Las Vegas.
"Chadwick's one of the best I've ever done," Wells tells Parade, adding that even Parton was impressed when hearing his vocals. "He's a powerhouse," Wells adds. He's also looking forward to the world hearing from a new artist by the name of Caitlin Mae, whom he says is one to watch. "She's a great, prolific writer, singer, and performer."
There's one person that Wells would still like to work with, and that's Sir Paul McCartney.
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