When three of country music’s most respected women, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris, joined forces in 1987, fans were thrilled. They called themselves Trio, and their first album was a massive success. It sold over four million copies and won a Grammy.
But behind the beautiful music, things weren’t always smooth. Away from the spotlight, things were reportedly messy between them, and it affected the release of their second album. As Linda later revealed, her decision to step away from Dolly wasn’t about fame but frustration.
Linda Ronstadt claimed Dolly Parton became difficult to work with
By the early 1990s, the women were ready to record a second album, Trio II. It should have been simple. However, according to Linda, Dolly Parton became hard to work with. She often canceled recording sessions, sometimes the night before. One of the most costly delays happened when Dolly pulled out just before a session to film an infomercial, Linda said. That last-minute change allegedly cost around $20,000.
In a later interview, she said, “I can’t work like that. I love Dolly, but I need people who will show up when they say they will.” For someone like Linda, who was known for her serious approach to music, the delays were more than just annoying; they were disrespectful. She made the difficult decision not to keep recording with Dolly, which meant Trio II was put on hold. Songs were recorded, but they remained unreleased for years.
The Trio released their second album more than ten years after the first
Dolly didn’t fight back with harsh words. Instead, she took a softer tone. In interviews, she admitted that working with close friends can get complicated. She even joked that “change-of-life mood swings” might have caused some of the tension during that time. Though things were tense for a while, the Trio story didn’t end there. In 1999, more than ten years after their first album, Trio II was finally released. Even though it didn’t match the first album’s huge sales, it still received praise and even won a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.
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Later, in 2016, a special box set called The Complete Trio Collection was released. It included both albums plus 20 previously unreleased songs. It was a gift to fans and a reminder of what the three women could do when they harmonize their voices.