Dolly Parton Wants Led Zeppelin to Reunite for Her Upcoming Rock Album
Dolly Parton has spent decades as a country music legend, delivering many classic songs that are still celebrated today. However, the “Jolene” singer may be trying out a different genre with her first rock and roll album. Dolly Parton has enormous ambitions for this album as she revealed she’s trying to reunite Led Zeppelin to appear on her rock album.
Dolly Parton is working on her first rock album
While Parton has been an iconic figure in country music, she recently received a nomination for the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. While Parton asked to be taken out of consideration for the honor, it inspired her to create her first rock album. In an interview with Pollstar, the “9 to 5” singer revealed she always wanted to make one and figured this is perfect timing.
“When I got nominated for the Rock & 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.” 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. 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 Parton wants Led Zeppelin to appear on her rock album
Dolly Parton has always been a massive fan of Led Zeppelin. In 2002, Parton released her cover of the band’s famous “Stairway to Heaven” on her album, Halos & Horns. She did some ad-libbing on the song but received approval from guitarist Jimmy Page and lead singer Robert Plant. 20 years later, Parton says she wants to get the two to reunite to re-record “Stairway to Heaven” for her rock album.
“I’m going to redo that really on the money,” Parton told Pollstar. “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. I’m trying to see if Robert Plant might sing on it. Maybe 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.”
Robert Plant liked aspects of Parton’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’
Seeing Plant and Page reunite for a “Stairway to Heaven” cover with Parton would be a dream come true for rock and roll fans. It is a possibility, as Plant did enjoy Parton’s cover. However, he did have some disagreements with the lyric changes she made.
“You know, the thing is that she’s not wailing–she’s keeping it within the genre, and she’s a good singer,” Plant said (via Sleaze Roxx). “Maybe she didn’t get the last bit properly, and maybe that’s sort of how the idioms have changed so much, that maybe it doesn’t matter–maybe that’s the way to do it.”
It’s not confirmed if they are coming back, but seeing the three team up is something that would be immortalized in rock and roll history.
