Dolly Parton Never Meant to Cause Trouble, Eyeing Rock Album After Rock Hall Honor
Dolly Parton's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame didn't come without some controversy, but in a new interview, she says that was never her intention.
After she was revealed as one of the 2022 nominees in March, Parton asked to be removed from consideration, saying she hadn't earned the honor and did not want to split the vote. The Hall denied her request and kept her on the ballot. Parton's name was among the 2022 inductees announced on May 4, and she will be inducted on Nov. 5 in Los Angeles.
"I feel great," she tells Billboard of the nod. "I feel honored that all the people that voted for me did. And I appreciate the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame people for staying there with me. I never meant to cause trouble or stir up any controversy."
After hearing the news, she joked with her manager, saying, "Well, I guess I'm a rock star now."
The country icon shares that she hasn't felt like a rock and roll star in the past, but things are changing with this honor.
“People usually [say] ‘Dolly rocks’ or ‘You rock’ or ‘You’re a rock star.’ I thought they just meant that I was cool, and I took that as a great compliment," she reveals. "But now I’m going to have to take it literally!”
Does that mean we have a rock album coming from Parton in the future? The short answer is... possibly. The singer dished on her hopes to record a rock album — hopes that date back before her Hall of Fame nomination — and even shared who she would like to be a part of it. She even has some ideas on which songs she would like to cover.
"I love the Rolling Stones," she confesses. "I’ve always wanted to do the song 'Satisfaction.' That’s one of my husband’s favorite songs. And I may have to drag Mick’s guys up there to help me sing it."
"I may do up a version of something like [Lynyrd Skynyrd’s] 'Free Bird' and do my own versions of some classic things that I think would make good rock ‘n’ roll songs," she adds. Parton also has an idea to write a song called "Rock of Ages" which would incorporate some of the genre's biggest names, whom she has admired over the years.
Although she's not the biggest rock fan, her husband Carl Dean is all about it. The potential project could be a love letter to her spouse of nearly 56 years.
"I didn’t follow rock music that much, but my husband is a rock ‘n’ roll freak," Parton says. "He loves all the groups and all the great stuff. I just liked certain records."
Although a rock project from the 76-year-old has yet to be seen, she plans on working hard to live up to Hall of Fame status.
"If I do, I'm going to sing the hardest style rock 'n' roll song I could ever muster up just to show that I can do it," she proclaims. "I'll do something to make it fun and to be forgiven for my mistake. To earn my title."
Parton has had a busy 2022 so far, from hosting the ACM Awards with Gabby Barrett and Jimmie Allen to releasing both an album and book titled Run, Rose, Run. The novel will be adapted into a film of the same name. A release date has not been revealed, but Reese Witherspoon is set to produce the film through her company, Hello Sunshine.