Is there anything Dolly Parton can't do? In a recent interview with "Classic Rock" magazine, Dolly was talking about her upcoming "Rockstar" album when the topic turned to her newly-recorded version of the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic "Free Bird."
“When I was getting ready to do 'Rockstar,' (Kent Wells, her bandleader/guitarist) was busy producing an album for Lynyrd Skynyrd. They knew Kent worked with me, so they asked if I would sing on a new version of 'Free Bird.' And it turned out really good. Later on I said to Kent: ‘What about putting 'Free Bird' on my rock album too, if we get permission from them to do it?’ So that’s what we did. Then Ronnie Van Zant’s widow said that she’d let us use his voice on the track. She wouldn’t allow Lynyrd Skynyrd to do it, but she said: ‘I’ll do it for Dolly!’ So we got to use Ronnie on there."
The song also features members of Skynyrd themselves, including original guitarist Gary Rossington and former drummer Artimus Pyle. "Some of them hadn’t gotten together for a while, but one of their daughters said: ‘You gotta do it!’” says Dolly. "So they actually mended some fences there, and I felt very blessed to be part of all that." "Rockstar" comes out this Friday. And, Dolly is the featured halftime entertainment at the Dallas Cowboy's Thanksgiving Day game.
Source: LouderSound