Rockstar (Deluxe)

When the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame extended an invitation to Dolly Parton in early 2022, the preternaturally unshy megastar demurred. While Parton knows she’s forever changed the country music genre with her historic career, she admitted that she didn’t feel it was appropriate for her to accept one of the biggest honors in rock music, as she’d never made rock music of her own. With a little convincing, Parton eventually accepted the honor—but she wanted to put out an actual rock ’n’ roll album to prove her bona fides and make her enshrinement feel more legit. With *Rockstar* she does just that, enlisting the help of some of the genre’s biggest artists for creative reimaginings of classics. Guests include Elton John, Ann Wilson, Stevie Nicks, Lizzo, Paul McCartney, and many more—proof that Parton’s Rolodex alone justified her Hall induction. John, a true rock star if there ever was one, tells Apple Music he had a remarkable time joining Parton on “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” an updated version of the song John originally made famous on his 1974 album *Caribou* and which later grew more popular as a duet with the late George Michael. “She\'s always led by example,” John tells Apple Music of Parton. “I duet with her, and it\'s the first time I\'ve really ever sang with her. It was just the most incredible experience. So I think she\'s quite a remarkable woman. She\'s in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, thank god.” Parton tackles a number of eras and styles of rock music—and hosts a number of legendary guests—across *Rockstar*’s ambitious 30 tracks. Among the other luminaries are none other than Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr (“Let It Be”), Stevie Nicks (“What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done for You,” a previously unreleased cut from Nicks’ 1985 solo album *Rock a Little*), Heart’s Ann Wilson (“Magic Man”), and former Journey singer Steve Perry (“Open Arms”). Miley Cyrus and Chris Stapleton are also on hand to represent the current class of stars with Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” and a version of Bob Seger’s “Night Moves,” respectively. Though the Rock Hall induction is certainly a prominent new feather in Parton’s cap, she tells Apple Music’s Kelleigh Bannen that she hopes her legacy extends beyond her musical accomplishments to include the philanthropic efforts she’s spent so much of her life pursuing. “I do hope, more than anything, that I\'ve been an inspiration, that I can be an inspiration for all the days that I\'m living and even long after I\'m gone, that I can leave something behind, maybe something I\'ve said or something I\'ve done that might make some difference, maybe sometimes big difference,” she says. “And just to say, ‘Well, if she did it, I can do it. She was just a poor girl from the mountains.’”