It’s official:Dolly Partonis a certified rock star.
On Friday, the country music legend, 77, dropped her highly anticipated, rock-inspired albumRockstar, which she released in part because she wasinducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The expansive 30-track project is full of both originals and covers of rock classics, including a stand-out rendition ofPrince’s “Purple Rain.”
Dolly Parton and Prince.Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty; Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty; Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
A shredding country-rock guitar and the commanding tone of pop icon’s Tennessee twang carry Parton’s updated version of the iconic power ballad off the late music legend’s hit 1984 album. As soon as the choir comes in at about two minutes, and especially as the song bursts into a stunning arrangement of harmonies and ‘70s-esque guitar solos, Parton takes fans straight up to rock Heaven.
“I only want to see you bathing in the purple rain,” the pop icon emotionally repeats, as if she’s calling out to the late rock star himself.
Dolly Parton’s ‘Rockstar’ album cover.Vijat Mohindr
Many fans have already taken to social media to shout-out “Purple Rain” as their favorite cover onRockstar. “Dolly Parton singing Purple Rain is honestly transcendent,” oneXuser posted on the platform (formerly known as Twitter).
Meanwhile, another fan said the track brought them to tears. “Dolly Parton’s version of Purple Rain is breathtaking. I cry every time I listen to it,” they wrote onX. “Thank you, @DollyParton, for this beautiful tribute to Prince.”
The song, which comes in at just under eight minutes, is among several rock epics on the new release (out on Butterfly Records and Big Machine). The “9 to 5” singer also teamed up withLizzoand herflute— known among fans and featured as Sasha Flute — for an mystical-sounding, nearly-eight-minute cover ofLed Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” Then to close out the project, she andLynyrd Skynyrdjam out on their classic “Free Bird.”
Dolly Parton.Vijat Mohindr
Many other A-listers make an appearance throughout the project. Fellow legends likePaul McCartneyandRingo Starrjoin her on “Let It Be,” she teams up withElton Johnon “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” andJoan Jett& the Blackhearts make an appearance on “I Hate Myself for Loving You.” There’s even a handful of contemporary names, includingMiley Cyrus, who joined her godmother on a duet of“Wrecking Ball”andPinkandBrandi Carlile, who offered their own flare onThe Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
Parton spoke to PEOPLE last yearahead of her inductioninto theRock and Roll Hall of Fameabout her vision for a rock project — which she then officially announced in May of this year.
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“I’m gonna have to live up to it if I’m gonna be in the Hall of Fame,” she said at the time, “so I’m gonna go ahead and do a rock ‘n’ roll album, and I’m gonna pull people from the rock ‘n’ roll field to sing with me on it. … I’m gonna actually pull on some of the greats and do a lot of the great rock songs.”
She also explained that she planned on makingRockstarwith her husbandCarl Thomas Deanin mind. “I’m doing the rock ‘n’ roll album because of him,” she added. “I had often thought about doing a rock ‘n’ roll album for him with his favorite songs. And so when this all came about, I decided that I am gonna go ahead and do it. … It was just the perfect storm. OK, it’s time.”
source: people.com
