The legendary musician Dolly Parton called the “ultimate rock singer”
For many reasons, the convergence of Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt was a match made in heaven.
As three of the world’s most powerful voices in music, the trio presented a marvellous blend of country and folk-rock magic, culminating in two of the most melodically charming records of all time: Trio and Trio II. Even better was that none of it seemed to be done in vain: these songs really came from wanting to make great art, and that is exactly what they were.
For this reason, many of them became pivotal songs in the entire country genre, including their gorgeously timeless version of ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’, the ethereal ‘Wildflowers’, and the heartfelt rumination on betrayal in ‘Telling Me Lies’. Across both records, the trio’s different styles and tones complemented each other well, resulting in a sound that felt unique and yet familiar all the same.
However, despite the genius of each singer, things were far from perfect behind the scenes. As with most one-off projects with big names attached, there are bound to be certain parts that work better than others, or specific people whose unhelpful antics end up impacting the overall productivity of the creative process or recording sessions.
And while you wouldn’t think this person would have been Parton, especially considering how excited she was to be working with two people she adored, her apparent tardiness throughout the entire thing left a bitter taste in Ronstadt’s mouth, so much so that she later vowed she was unable to work with the country star ever again.
Apparently, Parton would often wait until the night before a session to let the others know that she wasn’t going to be able to make it, a recurring mishap that understandably irked Ronstadt, giving her the impression that she wasn’t the most reliable person to work with.
“I can’t work with her,” she later said, citing this as the main reason why.
Of course, Parton had a different version of the story. In fact, while she didn’t dispute the fact that she was sometimes late or didn’t show up at all, she pinned the entire fallout down to the fact that emotions were high, saying that “you never know a true feeling from a hot flash”. Whatever her reasons, it’s unlikely that they were personal, given her previous praise of both Ronstadt and Harris.
Ronstadt, especially, is someone that Parton considers a pivotal figure in rock, especially her voice, an unmatched quality that she views as second to none. In 2023, for her Rockstar album, Parton paid tribute to Ronstadt by covering a version of ‘You’re No Good’ with Harris and Sheryl Crow, telling HITS that she wanted to honour both Ronstadt herself and their work on Trio.
And in her eyes, having Crowe involved was the ideal missing piece. “Sheryl is just the sweetest girl in the world,” she said. “I knew Linda wasn’t able to sing anymore, but I wanted something for her because she was, for me, the ultimate rock girl singer back in the day. She had some of the greatest records […] I thought Sheryl would be great; we’d have a great Trio sound.”
