McCartney Recalls First Meeting With Parton in 1974, Decades Before Beatles Reunion

Dolly Parton has never been one to shy away from a challenge, and when the country icon set out to make her first rock album, she knew exactly which song had to feature the two surviving Beatles.

Parton's 2023 album, Rockstar, features a rendition of "Let It Be" with Paul McCartney on piano and vocals and Ringo Starr on drums, joined by Peter Frampton on guitar and Mick Fleetwood on percussion. The pairing marked one of the rare instances of the two Beatles teaming up outside their own solo projects, following their 2020 collaboration on Starr's "Here's to the Nights" and Starr's surprise appearance at the close of McCartney's 2019 tour.

Parton's admiration for the Beatles stretches back decades. In 1979, she recorded a bluegrass-flavored version of "Help!" on her album Great Balls of Fire, an early sign of the crossover appeal she would later fully embrace with Rockstar.

Getting McCartney and Starr on board for "Let It Be" required a simple, personal touch. Parton explained that she reached out to both musicians through a love note sent via their managers, letting them know what she was working on.

"I've always loved that song. I recorded the song without them, and then I thought, 'Wow. Wouldn't it be great if Paul McCartney would agree to play piano and sing on it?!' And then I thought, 'wouldn't it even be greater to have Ringo Starr — because that's the last of The Beatles — play on that track?" the country icon shared in 2023. Despite being the living legend she is, the "Jolene" hitmaker admitted she was "very humbled" when both Beatles responded with an eager "yes."

Source: country1037fm.com/Jennifer Eggleston

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