In a recent interview with SiriusXM’s Eddie Trunk, Dolly Parton talked about the possilibity of releasing a metal album. The country singer who stepped into the rock scene at the age of 77, when asked if she was going to release a metal album, laughed and said ‘I don’t think so.’
Then the interviewer Eddie commented on her song ‘Bygones,’ which she sang with Rob Halford, jokingly saying that she came close to a metal record. Dolly Parton then commented on the subject as below:
“Did I? I didn’t realize, but I did love Rob Halford. We got to talk a lot ’cause he went in the [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame when I did. And so I got to visit a lot of these people that are on the record … that were put in the Hall Of Fame at the same time I was. And so when I talked to Rob, I asked him if he would be willing to sing on my record if I called on him. He said, ‘I sure would, ’cause my mom, my grandma, my kids, we’ve all loved you through the years.”
Clearly, we won’t be seeing a metal album from Parton, based on her answer to the question.
Her Single ‘Bygones’ Had Sparked Discussions Of Her Going Metal
In June, Parton released her collaboration with Halford, ‘Bygones,’ featuring Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx. Even though Parton had said she was going to make a rock and roll album, her fans were not expecting such a drastic style shift. The fact that ‘The Metal God’ Rob Halford also took part in the song was a cherry on top.
Now we know she has no intention of going metal, but for even a little while, it was wild to even talk about that possibility.
Rob Halford Calls Dolly Parton A ‘Rock Chick’
One of Parton’s biggest and perhaps oldest fans is Rob Halford. Back in November 2022, Halford spoke to the San Antonio Current. He praised Parton and called her a ‘rock chick.’ He said:
“When Dolly walks into the room, you feel this regal presence. She’s just got this aura about her personality. She’s a genuinely beautiful light of love and caring and philanthropy and humanity. I know her work because I’ve lived as long as Dolly, and I was aware of Dolly as a young person growing up and seeing her on British television. And here I am, this kid from a public housing estate in the West Midlands in England, and I’m standing next to Dolly fucking Parton, who is now a rock chick.”
In a more recent interview with Classic Rock Magazine, Halford said he has been a Parton fan almost his entire life. When asked what he thought when he first heard ‘Bygones,’ Priest singer said:
“When they sent me the demo, it was just immediate. It was in my world — it wasn’t metal, but it was a tough song, and when you crank it up, it’s roaring. And it’s a wonderful lyric. She’s talking about overcoming the past and how love is stronger than yelling at each other — although I think people that are in love do yell at each other, and that’s a healthy relationship. It’s this great message that love always rises and wins”
Halford seems to have fulfilled one of his aspirations by singing on Dolly Parton’s latest album.
