Dolly Parton Is Still Doing That Rock Album, Wrote Song For Her Induction
Dolly Parton will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday (11/5). The class of 2022 also includes Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Lionel Richie, and Carly Simon.
Dolly talked with Pollstar and vowed to earn her spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She said she plans to do a full rock and roll album. “When I got nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I thought, ‘Well, no better time to do it. I had always wanted to do it. My husband is a big hard rock’ n’ roll fan, and for years I thought, ‘One of these days I’d like to do an album mainly just for him, just to kind of do it.'”
She added, “When I got nominated, I thought, ‘Why not just go ahead and do it while the iron’s hot? Maybe have some of the greats, the legends of rock ‘n’ roll, sing along with me.”
Due to her busy schedule, she has not worked on the new album yet; Parton said, “I’m gathering all that stuff and notifying a few people. When I get leveled out from finishing the movie [Run, Rose, Run]; hopefully, I’m going to have a real good album. I’m looking forward to it.”
Dolly is no stranger to rock music and has done covers of rock and pop songs for years. “All those things from the rock field were my husband’s idea. Though he did not like it when I was going to do [Led Zeppelin’s] ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ I did it kind of bluegrass-style when I did it, but when I do the rock album, I’m going to actually re-record it – and do it more true to the regular record.”
She is even trying to get some rock royalty to join her, “I’m trying to see if [Led Zeppelin singer] Robert Plant might sing on it. Maybe [Led Zeppelin guitarist] Jimmy Page might do the pick-up part on it. I’m looking forward to dragging in some of the great classic people, girls, and boys, to sing on some of the songs. I’m not far enough along to discuss who and what, but I am going to do an album.”
As for this weekend’s induction, she said, “I have to honestly say, I’m very grateful and honored, but I’m also the kind of person – I had to do a rock album because if I’m going to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I’m going to by God earn it! (laughs) That’s my attitude toward it. There’s no way I’m not going to do an album, so people can see that I could and can do it.”
She added, “I was like a whole lot of people; I always felt the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was for rock ‘n’ roll people who spent their lives, time, energy, and talent in the rock ‘n’ roll field. I didn’t realize all the people who had gotten in who weren’t really rock ‘n’ roll, but I still stand by my thing. When I said I didn’t want to do it, I didn’t want to take votes from someone who’d spent their life in that. But I said, if they put me there, I will accept gracefully. And I will. I even wrote a song about the whole situation to sing at the ceremony. A fine, cute little rock ‘n’ roll song that’ll probably go on the rock ‘n’ roll album. It’s called “Rockin’’’: “You know I’ve been rockin’ since the day I was born…” You know, listening to Elvis and Journey and Chuck Berry, all those great people. It’s a fine little song, and it’s real rock-y, so I’ll have something fun to play off of to ease some of the tension.”
21 Rock And Pop Songs That Dolly Parton Made Her Own
