Dolly Parton is offering another sample of her upcoming rock album, Rockstar.
Videos by American Songwriter
On Friday (June 16), Parton dropped two new songs off the project, one that she wrote and another that’s a cover of a rock and roll hit from 1975. The original track “Bygones,” featuring Rob Halford from Judas Priest, Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx and guitarist John 5, follows a couple at odds having both hurt one another, each begging for forgiveness by the time the chorus kicks in. I’m sorry, so sorry/How long must you punish me/Why can’t we just move on/Let bygones, be bygones/But you never will, Parton and Halford wail in unison.
“It is one of my very favorites on the whole album,” Parton praises of “Bygones” in a press release. “The song fits with so many couples and coupling my voice with Rob, one of my all-time favorites, made it even more special.”
In addition to showing off her songwriting prowess, Parton also dishes out a series of covers, including Heart’s “Magic Man.” The country superstar adds her mystical voice to one of Heart’s classic hits. She’s joined by Heart’s lead singer, Ann Wilson, and former Heart guitarist Howard Leese. The singers’ voices naturally join forces.
“I’ve always wanted a reason to sing ‘Magic Man’ by Heart and it was one of my first choices for the album,” Parton says. “I was so happy that Ann Wilson agreed to sing it with me. Nobody can outsing Ann, but I gave it my darndest, and we added a few lines that were not in the original. We wanted to have a few things that made it seem like ours. Hope I’ve made you proud. I think it’s magic!”
Before her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, Parton announced that she was working on her first rock album. The final product is Rockstar, a 30-track album that also features collaborations with Sting, John Fogerty, Peter Frampton, Joan Jett and many others.
She previously shared “World on Fire,” which she debuted at the 2023 ACM Awards. The album arrives on November 17.
Photo by Kevin Kane/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
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