Dolly Parton had an extraordinary voice, which is why it’s understandable that so many artists wanted to sing with her. Among Parton’s many great collaborations, both in country music and beyond, are these three duets, which all still sound just as amazing today as when they were first released.
“You Can’t Make Old Friends”
Parton first teamed up with Kenny Rogers in 1983 for “Islands In The Stream”. That duet began not only an impressive musical partnership, resulting in several more duets, but also a close friendship. In 2013, the pair released “You Can’t Make Old Friends”. The song, their final duet, was written by Hanna King, Don Schlitz, and Caitlyn Smith. It later became part of Parton’s 2014 Blue Smoke album.
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“You can make new friends that feel like old friends, but there’s just something about the people that have spent years together,” Parton says. “You have a history, and you learn about each other, inside and out. I knew Kenny very well. We’re very similar. We’re like brother and sister, really.”
The chorus of “You Can’t Make Old Friends” says, “You can’t make old friends / Can’t make old friends / It was you and me, since way back when / But you can’t make old friends.”
“Rockin’ Years” with Ricky Van Shelton
In 1991, Parton released ‘Rockin’ Years” with Ricky Van Shelton. The song is part of both Parton’s Eagle When She Flies record and Shelton’s Backroads album. “Rockin’ Years” was written by Parton’s brother, Floyd Parton.
The song begins with, “I’ll do everything I can to make you proud to be my man / And I’ll fulfill all you fantasies / I guess we’re promising a lot, but for now it’s all we’ve got / And I’ll stand by you thru our rockin’ years.“
“Rockin’ Years” became Parton’s last No. 1 single at country radio.
“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” with Elton John
In 2023, Parton released Rockstar, an album of rock songs, in honor of her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With 39 songs on the deluxe edition, Parton is joined on the record by numerous rock stars, including Sting, Joan Jett and the Black Hearts, Steven Tyler, Elton John, and more.
But one of the best duets on the massive project might be “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”. Parton sings the song with Elton John, who wrote the song with Bernie Taupin. John’s version first came out in 1974. But a special kind of magic happened when the two icons in music combined their talents on one legendary song.
“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” says in part, “Don’t let the sun go down on me / Although I search myself, it’s always someone else I see / I’d just allow a fragment of your life to wander free, oh / Oh, but losing everything is like the sun goin’ down on me.”
Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images
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