Friday is Dolly Parton Day and the late country icon remains a gift that keeps on giving.
Just months before her death in August at age 80, Parton had recorded a duet with Bono that will be included in U2’s upcoming album, “Carnaval de Luz,” the band announced Thursday. It is reportedly her final recording.
“When she got ill … she got out of her bed to sing this song. And you can hear that,” Bono told Rolling Stone. “And I can’t even listen to it now.”
The Irish singer told the outlet that he had approached Parton to ask her to collaborate on a different side project inspired by Irish folk music. She ultimately turned down that request for being “a little too Irish” for her, but countered by offering Bono one of her songs, titled “Torn,” to see if he could “take it somewhere else, maybe.”
According to Bono, he and Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid rewrote the lyrics and Parton agreed to sing that version. Parton shares writing credits for the track with members of U2 and McDaid.
“She sang her heart out,” Bono said. “And I cannot believe that’s an 80-year-old woman.”
“Torn,” which features lyrics around a mother who is watching her family get torn apart, will be the closing track of “Carnaval de Luz,” which will be released Nov. 13.
Parton was reportedly able to listen to the final mix of the song to give her approval.
“Dolly loved it,” the album’s producer, Garret “Jacknife” Lee, told Rolling Stone. “She was so proud of her vocal and the recording. She was thrilled with it. We were very nervous that she might not approve, or would be uncomfortable with it, but she loved it.”
For fans that can’t wait until November, 20th Century Studios and Disney on Friday announced that a newly restored version of “9 to 5” will hit theaters for a special week-long run in October. Proceeds from ticket sales to see the workplace comedy from Oct. 9 to 15 will be donated to the Dollywood Foundation to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
The announcement was made to commemorate “Give Like Dolly Day,” established by the Dollywood Foundation and also observed on Friday in Parton’s honor.
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