Stevie Nicks is looking back on a treasured week she spent making music with Dolly Parton, calling the experience one of the most meaningful collaborations of her career. The Fleetwood Mac legend shared the memory shortly after Parton’s death at 80 following a brief battle with cancer.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, The Stevie Nicks and Dolly Parton friendship came into especially sharp focus when Nicks remembered traveling to Nashville to record “What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done for You” for Parton’s 2023 album Rockstar. Nicks said she watched Parton fully embrace the rock world and described the experience as something close to a master class.
Stevie Nicks Says Dolly Parton Gave Her a ‘Master Class’
Nicks recalled spending a full week with Parton in Nashville while they worked on the duet. She said Parton had set out to prove she could become a rock star and, from her perspective, absolutely did it.
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For Nicks, the week became more than a studio session. She described Parton as a brilliant teacher and reflected on how much she learned simply by watching her work. The collaboration appeared on Rockstar, an album that mixed original material with Parton’s versions of songs, including “Heart of Glass” and “Purple Rain.” Nicks ended her tribute with a handwritten poem, imagining Parton carrying her songs with her to heaven and singing them to those she meets there.
Their Duet Became Part of Dolly’s Rock Era
The Stevie Nicks and Dolly Parton collaboration arrived during one of the more unexpected chapters of Parton’s career. After decades as a country icon, she leaned into rock music with Rockstar and invited a long list of major artists to join her. “What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done for You” fit naturally into that project, pairing two women whose careers had taken very different paths but who shared unmistakable voices and larger-than-life stage personas.
Nicks was one of many artists honoring Parton after her death. Harry Styles and John Mayer both performed “I Will Always Love You,” while fans in San Francisco gathered to celebrate her life. Still, Nicks’ tribute stood out for its personal memory of one week in Nashville, two legendary singers, and a song that brought their worlds together.