Dolly Parton has been there and done pretty much all there is to do in the music industry.
And yet… and yet the country music icon is still finding ways to challenge herself and broaden her scope of magnificence.
As per reports, fans the world over are reacting with joy over reports that Dolly is finally set to release her first-ever rock album! You may remember that the 77-year-old was inducted into the Hollywood Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, one year on from having turned down the nomination as she felt she hadn’t “earned the right”.
Though Dolly eventually accepted her entry, it would appear she’s eager to ensure no one can say she doesn’t belong. Dolly previously promised to release a rock album to commemorate her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and we now have a release date!
If sources are to be believed, Parton was initially reluctant to be in the conversation for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Jolene singer was said to be of the opinion that since her career consists mostly of country music, others were perhaps more suited.
In the end, however, the people spoke, and voters decided that Dolly did belong there. In November 2022 she was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and immediately set about trying to ensure that her selection was justified.
Her new rock album is now one step closer to becoming a reality, with Dolly herself having confirmed it will be titled ‘Rockstar’ and is due to drop November 17.
As per reports, there are 30 tracks in total on the album, nine of which are original. The remaining 21 consist of collaborations with other artists and feature new versions of tracks made famous by said featuring artist. A new take on Every Breath You Take by Sting will be on the album, for example, as will Wrecking Ball by Dolly’s goddaughter, Miley Cyrus
Other distinguished guests set to appear on the album include Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, and Steven Tyler.
Reflecting on her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Dolly told The View earlier this year:
“I just didn’t feel like I had earned it but they explained to me why I was in it and all that so I said, ‘Well, if you insist on giving it to me, I’ll take it’.”
“But if I’m gonna be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I’m gonna have to do something to earn it.”
The full list of songs on the album is reportedly as follows:
‘Rockstar’ (special guest Richie Sambora)
‘World on Fire’
‘Every Breath You Take’ (feat. Sting)
‘Open Arms’ (feat. Steve Perry)
‘Magic Man’ (feat. Ann Wilson with special guest Howard Leese)
‘Long As I Can See the Light’ (feat. John Fogerty)
‘Either Or’ (feat. Kid Rock)
‘I Want You Back’ (feat. Steven Tyler with special guest Warren Haynes)
‘What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done for You’ (feat. Stevie Nicks with special guest Waddy Wachtel)
‘Purple Rain’
‘Baby, I Love Your Way’ (feat. Peter Frampton)
‘I Hate Myself for Loving You’ (feat. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts)
‘Night Moves’ (feat. Chris Stapleton)
‘Wrecking Ball’ (feat. Miley Cyrus)
‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ (feat. P!nk & Brandi Carlile)
‘Keep on Loving You’ (feat. Kevin Cronin)
‘Heart of Glass’ (feat. Debbie Harry)
‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ (feat. Elton John)
‘Tried to Rock and Roll Me’ (feat. Melissa Etheridge)
‘Stairway to Heaven’ (feat. Lizzo & Sasha Flute)
‘We Are the Champions’
‘Bygones’ (feat. Rob Halford with special guests Nikki Sixx & John 5)
‘My Blue Tears’ (feat. Simon Le Bon)
‘What’s Up?’ (feat. Linda Perry)
‘You’re No Good’ (feat. Emmylou Harris & Sheryl Crow)
‘Heartbreaker’ (feat. Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo)
‘Bittersweet’ (feat. Michael McDonald)
‘I Dreamed About Elvis’ (feat. Ronnie McDowell with special guest The Jordanaires)
‘Let It Be’ (feat. Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr with special guests Peter Frampton & Mick Fleetwood)
‘Free Bird’ (feat. Ronnie Van Zant with special guests Gary Rossington, Artimus Pyle and The Artimus Pyle Band)
As per Billboard, Dolly said in a statement: “I am very honoured and privileged to have worked with some of the greatest iconic singers and musicians of all time, and to be able to sing all the iconic songs throughout the album was a joy beyond measure.
“I hope everybody enjoys the album as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together!”
I’m so happy to see Dolly still making music and still enjoying her work even at 77!
Are you a fan of Dolly Parton and her music? Let us know in the comments box.
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Single Dad Takes in Unwanted Boy with Down Syndrome—What He Discovers Years Later Will Shock You
A man who lost his family chooses to adopt a little boy that no one wants because he has Down syndrome. Years later, a lawyer contacts him with surprising news.
David walked back and forth in the hospital waiting room. His brother Jack said, “Calm down, Dave! You’d think no one ever had a baby before!”
David smiled. “I know,” he replied. “I’m just really nervous! I’ve always wanted to be a dad!”
Source: Unsplash
Jack smiled and patted his brother on the back. “Get ready to be a dad, my man!” Just then, the doctor walked in and went straight to David. The look on his face made all the laughter stop, and David knew something was wrong.
The doctor said it was one of those rare accidents that had cost Rita and their baby their lives. David listened calmly and nodded in the right places.
He didn’t even cry, but when he tried to walk, his knees gave out. A crying Jack had to help his brother and carry him home like a child.
Days later, after Rita and their baby were buried, and everyone seemed ready to forget, David woke up in a quiet house. He reached out to Rita’s side of the bed. Empty.
Parents often make heartbreaking decisions for their children’s welfare.
He got up and walked down the hall to the nursery and turned on the nightlight that shone soft stars on the ceiling. He and Rita had filled that room with both hope and sadness. Now it was all gone.
David sat in the rocking chair Rita insisted they needed and cried. His heart and home were empty, and his dreams were lost. He wanted to tear that nursery apart to escape that emptiness.
Suddenly, a thought came to him. “You can’t fill a hole with anger, only with love.” Who said that? David wondered. He had heard it somewhere before. Maybe that idea could save him.
David contacted social services to ask about adopting or fostering a child. At first, the social worker hesitated. “We don’t usually give children to single parents,” she said. “But it’s becoming more common.”
“I have a good life,” David said. “I have so much love to give a child. My wife and I dreamed of being parents, and I want to make that dream come true.”
The social worker picked up a file with colorful stickers. “Would you consider a child with special needs?” she asked.
David shrugged. “All children are special. They all have needs,” he said softly. “We never know what life might bring. I want to help the child who needs me.”
David had to go through many interviews and attend parenting workshops, but soon, the big day arrived. They told him he had a son.
“We have a little boy who has been in three different foster families,” the social worker said. “His name is Sam, and he is two years old. He has Down syndrome…”
“Where is he?” David asked.
“Sam has some health issues you should know about,” the social worker replied.
“I’ll take him to the doctor,” David said. “Whatever he needs, he will get.”
When David met Sam, it was love at first sight. Sam was the cutest little boy he had ever seen!
At first, Sam was shy, but when he felt David’s love and care, he slowly opened up. David couldn’t understand how anyone could not want such a sweet child!
It took Sam a little longer to reach his milestones, and the doctor said they needed to watch his heart, but in almost every way, he was perfect!
The best part of David’s day was when he picked Sam up from daycare, and his little boy ran to him with open arms. David would lift Sam high and tickle his belly, and his heart was filled with joy.
“Rita,” he’d whisper to his late wife as he watched Sam sleep. “I made our dream come true. I filled the hole you and our baby left in my life with love.”
The years passed, and Sam grew just like any other child. The doctor said his heart was doing well. He was a happy boy who made friends with everyone he met. No one could resist Sam and his big smile!
The phone rang constantly with invites for sleepovers and playdates, and David could hardly keep up with Sam’s busy social life!
When Sam turned twelve, he wanted to hang out with friends on his own like the big boy he was. It was hard for David, but like every parent, he learned to give his son space.
One day, he got a phone call from a lawyer. “Mr. Wallace,” the man said. “I’m calling about your adoptive son’s birth parent…”
“What do you want?” David asked sharply.
“I would like to talk to you…” the lawyer replied.
“I’m not interested,” David said. “Those people abandoned my son. There’s nothing you could say that I want to hear.”
“Please, Mr. Wallace,” the lawyer said. “For Sam’s sake.”
Reluctantly, David agreed to meet the lawyer. When he arrived, the man handed David a letter. “This will explain everything much better than I can, Mr. Wallace,” he said.
David opened the envelope and began reading: “Dear Mr. Wallace, if you are reading this, I am finally at peace with my wife. Thank you for loving my dear Sam and taking care of him.
“Before Sam was born, the doctors told us he had Down syndrome, but it didn’t matter to us. We welcomed him with joy. We thought we would have many happy years as a family, but it was not to be.
“When Sam was three months old, he had some tests at the hospital. My wife, Emily, and I went to pick him up, and we were hit by a truck.
“Emily died instantly, and I survived but became paralyzed. For twelve years, I felt like a dead man who still breathed and cried.
“I was not the father Sam deserved. I wanted better for him, so I placed him for adoption. I was right, Mr. Wallace, because you took my boy in and have been the best father.
“One day, I hope you can tell Sam that his birth parents loved him and wanted him. I never want him to think we abandoned him.
“Please, tell him! My lawyer will give you the papers for Sam’s trust fund, which will be in your care. Thank you again, Mr. Wallace, for loving my Sam and for being the father I should have been.”
The lawyer gave David access to Sam’s trust fund, which was worth $1.2 million. David promised to use the money to secure his son’s future, just as his biological father wished.
David thought about the families who had turned away from Sam. Would they have rejected him if they had known about the money? Sam’s biological father was right to hide the fortune so that his son could be loved for who he truly was.
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