Dolly Parton wants to reunite Led Zeppelin for a ‘Stairway To Heaven’ cover on the new rock album she’s promised to make.
Earlier this year, Parton made headlines when she was nominated for the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, but asked to be taken out of consideration for the honour.
In her explanation, Parton said that the nomination, which she eventually admitted she would accept if voted in, had “inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock ‘n’ roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do!”
With legendary producer Steve Albini offering his services to produce the album, it seems that Parton is actually set to follow through with the project.
In a new interview with Pollstar, the legendary singer revealed that she wants to record a new cover of ‘Stairway To Heaven’ for the album, and to reunite Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant in the process.
Parton had previously covered the iconic track on her 2002 bluegrass album ‘Halos & Horns’.
Asked if she was working on the rock’n’roll album, she said: “Well, I am. 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.’”
She added: “I’m gathering all that stuff and notifying a few people. When I get levelled out from finishing the movie [Run, Rose, Run], hopefully I’m going to have a real good album. I’m looking forward to it.”
Of her attempts to get Led Zeppelin back together, Parton added that her husband “did not like it” when she revealed plans to cover ‘Stairway To Heaven’, saying: “But I’m going to redo that really on the money. 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.”
Elsewhere, last month saw Parton and Kelly Clarkson release a reimagined version of Parton’s iconic hit ‘9 to 5’. The updated duet of the song — which featured on the soundtrack of the 1980 film of the same name — was first previewed in March, at the premiere of the documentary Still Working 9 to 5. The documentary chronicles the lasting legacy of the film, which starred Parton alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
