Dolly Parton’s career as a country singer is the stuff of music legend – but her latest move is something very few may have expected. The iconic songwriter is taking her talents to the world of rock ‘n’ roll with a new song and album.
In her acceptance speech at the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last month, Dolly announced, “If I’m going to go in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I’m going to have to earn it.” She then later confirmed that she will be releasing a rock album.
Dolly also debuted her new rock song at the ceremony – an upbeat tribute to the genre titled “Rockin’.” It includes references to legends of the genre as well as some of the most iconic rock songs like “Great Balls of Fire” (which she covered on her 1979 album of the same name). It’s still quintessentially a Dolly Parton record though. The song references her upbringing in the “smoky hills of Tennessee” and her “country soul,” suggesting this new album won’t stray too far from the Dolly we know and love.
Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Dolly has since confirmed that the new album will be titled Rock Star, and will release in 2023. It will reportedly feature both covers and original songs, along with appearances from famous faces, such as Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and possibly Mick Jagger (for a rumored cover of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”). Dolly has also confirmed she’ll be covering “Stairway to Heaven” and would like to reunite with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant for the song. She cited Journey’s Steve Perry as another possible collaborator for the album.
This isn’t the first time that Parton has explored other genres. In 1999, she released her first all-bluegrass album, The Grass Is Blue, to wide critical acclaim and has included bluegrass-inspired songs on other albums. She’s also specified that the choice to commit to a rock album has personal motivations, as her husband Carl Dean “is a rock ‘n’ roll freak,” so she’s excited to make an album “mainly just for him.”
To brush up on your rock and roll knowledge ahead of Dolly Parton’s new album, check out SiriusXM’s collection of rock channels or get into the spirit of Tennessee with country music channels, all available on the SXM app.
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