A year after her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Dolly Parton is releasing her first rock album, “Rockstar,” on Friday, November 17th. The 30-song set (33 on a Home Shopping Network edition) features collaborations with a Who's-Who from the rock world — including Peter Frampton on two tracks. Frampton plays on Parton's version of “Let It Be,” which also features surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr as well as Mick Fleetwood, as well as her take on his “Baby, I Love Your Way.” Frampton tells us Parton's co-producer Kent Wells reached out about having him work on the album:
“I'm on the phone with Dolly's producer, Kent Wells, and he said, 'I hear you want to do a guitar solo.' I said, 'yes, I would love to do it.' He said, 'Is that all you want to do, a guitar solo?' I said, 'Well, I low-balled you with the guitar solo. I figured you had all your duets done.' He said, 'Well, would you ever think about doing one of your own songs with Dolly?' I said, 'Lemme think about it. Yes!' So he said, 'Lemme call you back.' So he calls me back in, like, 10 minutes. He said, 'Dolly would love to do 'Baby, I Love Your Way' with you.' So we did, and it's pretty phenomenal. She takes it to a whole other level. It's such an honor she wanted to do that.” :58 OC: to do that
In addition to Frampton and the “Let It Be” guests Parton's “Rockstar” also features collaborations with Elton John, Sting, John Fogerty, Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Blondie's Debbie Harry, Judas Priest's Rob Halford, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Lizzo, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Duran Duran's Simon LeBon, Steve Perry, REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin, Sheryl Crow, Michael McDonald and many more.
While Parton wrote some new songs for the album — “Rockstar,” “Bygones,” “I Dreamed About Elvis” — “Rockstar” is primarily composed of covers, up to and including Led Zeppelin's “Stairway to Heaven” and Lynyrd Skynyrd's “Free Bird.”
In conjunction with the release Parton will hold midnight listening parties at participating Waffle House locations on Friday, a special activation at the University of Tennessee football game on Saturday, Nov. 18 and a halftime performance at the Dallas Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day Game on Nov. 23, airing on CBS.