Dolly Parton recently collaborated with Motley Crue on a new version of their 1985 hit, “Home Sweet Home.” It’s the latest chapter in her ongoing salute to rock following her 2022 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
But the country legend has long been a fan of music from many different genres. Collective Soul vocalist and songwriter Ed Roland found that out firsthand when Parton reworked the band’s ’90s hit “Shine” in the early 2000s.
As it turns out, the singer had run up against some resistance when she revealed her plans to cover the song. During a 2003 interview with Rolling Stone, she talked about her varied choices over the years, from George Gershwin to Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” So while she had a history of going against the grain, “Shine” was the song that tipped the scales at the record label. “Everybody thought I was nuts when I said I was going to do it, and I won a Grammy off that,” Parton proudly told the outlet.
You know how we learn important things sometimes from our parents? That’s how Roland found out that Parton had covered “Shine” for her Little Sparrow album. “I was in Arizona at the time, and I was having dinner with some friends,” Roland recalls during a new conversation with UCR. “My father called me from Georgia, so there was a three-hour difference, and he said, ‘I just watched David Letterman and Dolly Parton played ‘Shine.” I was like, first, ‘Dad, what are you doing up so late, and why are you watching David Letterman?’ And second of all, I excused myself from the table, said, ‘I’m going home to watch this. And it was just amazing.”
Watch Dolly Parton’s ‘Shine’ Video
Dolly’s Version of ‘Shine’
Like everything she does, Parton put a lot of thought into her approach to the song — and she was a fan.”When that record came out years ago, my husband and I were riding in the car and heard it,” she remembered in a 2001 interview. “We listened to see who it was and went and got it and played it off and on in the house for years. I’ve been trying to think of how I can sing it without all the rock stuff; it sounds spiritual and all that, and the melody lent itself well to some bluegrass harmonies. I figured we’d kick it around and if it didn’t work, we wouldn’t put it on. But it worked out great.”
It came at a time when the legend was, as always, looking to continue to expand the things she was known for stylistically, without getting boxed into the expected treatment that came with certain genres. She had very specific goals with the Little Sparrow album. “I didn’t want to get pigeonholed just into bluegrass,” Parton explained in the same interview. “I wanted to do more mountain music, more things with Irish flavor. I call it my Smoky Mountain DNA; this music, I live it, I feel it, I grew up with that. These are the songs I came out of the mountains singing and moved to Nashville and tried to make a living with. You can’t make much money with this music, but it feels good to be back singing it.”
How Did the Band Feel About Dolly’s Version?
As we know, sometimes our parents end up being right about something, even if we don’t want to admit it. So Roland had an interesting experience, hearing Parton’s take on “Shine,” which came through a different lens. “I loved the organic [feel of it],” he says. “At the time, I was starting to get into the mandolin and a little more of the bluegrass-y type of vibe. I was starting to study it — not playing it, but just studying it. I just love that she made it a little bit more gospel-y, which it basically is a gospel song. If you stripped it away from the riffs and all of that, if you sit there and play it on acoustic, it’s basically a gospel song. My dad used to tell me that all the time and I was like, ‘No, it’s not!’ When she did her version, I could hear it.”
Parton continues to rock in her own unique fashion. Her Rock Hall induction caused the singer to make good on a promise to record a proper rock album to go along with the honor, 2023’s Rockstar. It features a dizzying guest list including Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Elton John and former Journey vocalist Steve Perry, among others.
READ MORE: Every Rock Song and Rock Star on Dolly Parton’s ‘Rockstar’ Album
What’s Collective Soul Up to Now?
As always, they’ve been keeping busy. They’re currently on tour with Live and celebrating the release of their career-spanning documentary, Give Me a Word: The Collective Soul Story, which is available for on-demand viewing as well as on physical media. The songwriter continues to work on new music for the band consistently. But he’d still love to get a chance to say thank you to Parton in person. “I sent her flowers. We’ve tried to hook up multiple times,” he confirms. “It’s just that her schedule’s crazier than mine, “But to have someone of her caliber of songwriting pick a song that I wrote [to] record and win a Grammy [is a big honor].”
Watch Collective Soul’s ‘Shine’ Video
