Dolly Parton says she’s reached out to Elton John in hope that he’ll appear on her forthcoming rock covers album.
The album, due in 2023, was confirmed this week to feature covers of songs by Prince, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
In a new interview with Zoe Ball on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show, Parton also confirmed a cover of Elton John’s ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’ for the album, and revealed that she has reached out to the singer to try and get him to appear on it.
“I just recorded for my rock album and I did [Elton’s] song, ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me’,” Parton told Ball. “And I’ve sent out a message asking if he would sing with me on it and possibly play the piano.
“So if y’all get to see him, say Dolly wants you to sing on her record! So anyway, but I love him, just tell him to enjoy it because it was great fun for me.”
Discussing the album as a whole, she added: “I’m working on that album and that will be coming out sometime next fall hopefully, in time for the Christmas season next year. And so I’m going to do a lot of classic songs that are rock songs and then a few that I’ve written.”
The idea for the rock album stemmed from Parton’s recent induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. The country legend said she “did not mean to start any kind of controversy” when she asked to be withdrawn from the Hall Of Fame nominations back in March, eventually deciding to change her mind and accept it.
The album has also been revealed to be titled ‘Rock Star’, and is tentatively set for release during next year’s fall season in the US (between September 23 and December 22).
The new info comes after Parton shared some ‘Rock Star’ details with Access Hollywood last month. During that chat, she revealed that the album will feature a cover of the Journey song ‘Open Arms’, with Journey’s own Steve Perry making an appearance on it. She also said she wanted to have Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler deliver a guest spot and for Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant to reunite on the album.
Shortly after Parton first teased her rock album, legendary producer/engineer Steve Albini – best known for his work with Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey and The Stooges – offered to produce the album for her.
The post Dolly Parton wants Elton John to appear on her rock album appeared first on NME.
