Stevie Nicks recalls Nashville sessions with Dolly Parton
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Stevie Nicks has paid tribute to Dolly Parton following Parton’s death, recalling their Nashville recording sessions as the “best week ever”. Nicks said the time spent with Parton felt like a masterclass, praising her as a generous teacher and remembering her determination to broaden her rock repertoire.
The pair recorded “What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done for You” for Parton’s 2023 album Rockstar; the track, originally written for Fleetwood Mac, is ninth on the record. Parton died aged 80, prompting tributes from artists and public figures including Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Miley Cyrus and all living US presidents.
- Nicks remembered recording with Parton as a “masterclass”.
- Their duet appeared on Parton’s 2023 Rockstar album.
- Parton’s death at 80 prompted widespread tributes.
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Dolly Parton is an American singer, songwriter and actor best known for country music, with a career spanning more than six decades. Stevie Nicks is an American singer and songwriter who became widely known as a member of Fleetwood Mac and later as a solo artist.
Parton’s 2023 album Rockstar brought together musicians from rock, pop and country for new songs and cover versions. One track, “What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done for You”, was written by Nicks and was originally intended for Fleetwood Mac.
Full account
Stevie Nicks has reflected on recording with Dolly Parton in Nashville, describing their time together as the “best week ever” in a social-media tribute following reports of Parton’s death. Nicks shared photographs of herself with Parton and of a handwritten message recalling the sessions for Parton’s 2023 album Rockstar.
The pair recorded ‘What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done for You’, a song associated with Nicks and Fleetwood Mac, for Parton’s move into rock music. Nicks said the visit had felt like a masterclass: she had tried to absorb as much as possible from Parton, whom she portrayed as both generous and instructive during their few days in the studio.
Nicks also recalled Parton’s determination to embrace rock repertoire. She wrote that Parton had said she could become a rock star and that Nicks had watched her do so, adding that the country singer was still collecting songs she hoped to record. Her message ended with a short elegiac poem referring to Parton carrying her songs “right up to heaven” and declaring, “I will always love you”.
The tribute places Nicks among a wider group of musicians publicly remembering Parton and her cross-genre influence. Both reports link the collaboration to Rockstar, while the second also notes other contributors to the album, including Paul McCartney, and quotes a separate tribute from Parton’s goddaughter Miley Cyrus.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 says Parton died on Tuesday and concentrates on Nicks’s post, Parton’s career and the breadth of subsequent tributes. Source 2 gives a date, says a family video and representatives confirmed the death, reports a brief battle with cancer, and adds comments from McCartney and Cyrus as well as a forthcoming Nicks festival appearance.
Source 1 identifies the duet as the album’s ninth track and calls it a song originally written for Fleetwood Mac; Source 2 describes it more broadly as one of Nicks’s songs and does not give its track position.
More coverage
- Far Out — Stevie Nicks remembers her “best week ever” with Dolly Parton: “There’ll never be another you”
- Louder — "She said she could become a rock star – and I watched her do it." Steve Nicks pays tribute to Dolly Parton, and recalls "best week ever" recording with her in Nashville
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Originally published by Rolling Stone as “Stevie Nicks Remembers ‘Best Week Ever’ Recording Music With Dolly Parton”.