Paul McCartney Recalls Meeting Dolly Parton for the First Time in Nashville While She Was Singing With Porter Wagoner’s Band

Paul McCartney’s initial impression of Dolly Parton hasn’t changed over the decades. In an interview with Far Out, the former Beatle spoke about his 1974 interaction with the country legend.

At the time, McCartney was in Nashville for a Wings show. During that visit, he attended the Third Annual Grand Masters Fiddling Contest, where he first came into contact with Parton.

“While we were there, the band of Porter Wagoner played, and the girl vocalist he had with him was this girl called Dolly Parton,” he recalled. “She was very young and very sort of innocent, very sweet. She was very vivacious and full of bubbly joy, like she still is.”

The pair, equally impressed with the other’s musical talents, struck up a friendship. Five years after they first met, Parton recorded her own version of The Beatles’ 1965 hit, “Help!”

Then, in 2023, McCartney and Parton at last came together on a track. At Parton’s request, she and the rocker teamed up for a new version of “Let It Be,” which also featured Ringo Starr.

“She’s one of the greats,” McCartney said of Parton. “She has a great voice, and that was a plus, but she’s a really great writer. If Dolly’s asking me to do it, how can I say no?”

Dolly Parton Talks Working With Paul McCartney

The cover appeared on Parton’s 2023 album Rockstar. In an interview with NPR, Parton recalled how she got McCartney on board.

“I had recorded it, and I thought, ‘Wow, I wonder if Paul would even consider playing and singing on it,’” Parton said. “And so I contacted him. He was so gracious. I’d met him different times through the years. He’s always so nice, and he said he’d be on it, and I was so honored that he was honored.”

After they laid down the track, Parton got another idea.

“I thought, ‘Well, we got to have Ringo, because that’s the last of the Beatles,’” she said. “So I asked Ringo if he would do it. Same thing: ‘I’d be glad to do it.’”

In addition to McCartney and Starr, Parton’s album featured appearances by Steven Tyler, Ann Wilson, and others.

“All the people I reached out to said, ‘Yes, we’d love to,’” Parton said. “I was very honored and very proud and very humbled by that.”

Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images

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