Dolly Parton is attempting to reunite former bandmates Robert Plant and Jimmy Page to work on her cover of “Stairway to Heaven.”
The former Led Zeppelin stars came together as Page and Plant in the 1990s, and last reunited in 2007. But in a new interview with Pollstar, Parton expressed a hope that she could get both of them on the same track for that rock and roll record she’s been talking about ever since her nomination for the Rock Hall of Fame.
“When I got nominated, I thought, ‘Why not just go ahead and do it while the iron’s hot?’” Parton said of the album. “Maybe have some of the greats, the legends of rock ’n’ roll sing along with me. I’m gathering all that stuff and notifying a few people.”
Asked about her past covers of rock songs, she said, “All those things from the rock field were my husband’s idea. Though he did not like it when I was going to do ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ But I’m going to redo that really on the money.”
She explained, “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.”
Page has said numerous times over the year that he’d love to revive Led Zeppelin again, but Plant has been persistently uninterested. Earlier this year he claimed that it wouldn’t “satisfy my need to be stimulated,” and last year he complained that legacy rockers come across as “sadly decrepit.” But if anyone can manage an unlikely reunion, Parton can.
For now, Parton has already written a “fine, cute little rock ‘n’ roll song,” which she planned to perform at the Rock Hall induction. She added: “It’s called ‘Rockin’: ‘You know I’ve been rockin’ since the day I was born.’ You know, listening to Elvis and Journey and Chuck Berry, all those great people. It’s a fine little song, and it’s real rocky, so I’ll have something fun to play.”
The 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place November 5th in Los Angeles before streaming later in the month. This year’s class includes Parton as well as Eminem, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Carly Simon, Lionel Richie, and Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo.
Parton recently appeared in Taco Bell: The Musical and launched the canine product line Doggy Parton. She’s not sitting on her money, though, and over the summer donated $1 million to pediatric infectious disease research
