Dolly Parton photo courtesy of Dolly Records.

Dolly Parton is one of the most sought after artists in the business when it comes to collaborations, but just because you’re talented, doesn’t mean she’ll work with you. Rocker Jack White — who’s produced records on Loretta Lynn and Wanda Jackson – has made no secret of his desire to work with the country icon, but Dolly tells The Q she’s not so sure a duet is in their future.

“There’s been a lot of talk about Jack White wanting to work with me and I’ve always admired him and of course he lives in Nashville too,” she said. “But I’m so picky about my music. I would never say never because he’s so talented and I loved the way [White's former band] The White Stripes did “Jolene,” it’s just that my music is so personal to me and I’m not going to work with someone just to have a hit.”

Dolly is also someone other artists turn to when looking for cover tracks. Whitney Houston’s take on “I Will Always Love You” turned into a monster hit, though Dolly wouldn’t quite call it her favorite cover (even though it is rather high on her list). Continue Reading

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Hank Williams photo courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will present a special program honoring Hank Williams on April 16. Titled “I Saw the Light: Songwriters Salute Hank,” the program will feature Rodney Crowell, Ashley Monroe, The Secret Sisters and Steve Young. I Saw the Light, which is presented in conjunction with the Museum’s exhibition Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy, Presented by SunTrust, will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Museum’s Ford Theater; it is included with Museum admission and is free to Museum members.

During the program, which will be hosted by Family Tradition co-curator Michael McCall, each artist will perform one or more of Hank’s classic songs, as well as some of their own compositions that were influenced or inspired by Williams. They will also discuss how Hank influenced their work. Continue Reading

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Loretta Lynn photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

Loretta Lynn was not the Lynn that earned acclaim for recording “Rose Garden” — that would be Lynn Anderson.

But Loretta can grow her very own, self-named rose garden now, thanks to the creation of the Loretta Lynn Van Lear Rose. The apricot-colored hybrid was created by Brad Jalbert of Select Roses in British Columbia. He named it after Loretta’s Grammy-winning album Van Lear Rose after being approached by Sony Music Nashville, which then presented the flower to her. Loretta will receive a shipment of the strain at her home in Tennessee this spring, and it will go into wider distribution next fall.

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Loretta Lynn photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

In the 1960s and early ‘70s, when Loretta Lynn was at her commercial peak, country hits were notably short musical affairs.

“Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)” ran a quaint two minutes and nine seconds. “Fist City” came in at 2:13. “You’re Lookin’ At Country” was a scant 2:20.

So it was apropos that when the Recording Academy honored the Coal Miner’s Daughter Tuesday, it took just 45 minutes — short and sweet and pretty neat. Host Reba McEntire started the night off with a zippy western-swing version of “If You’re Not Gone Too Long,” bolstered by the Time Jumpers’ triple-fiddle section, pass-around solos and a walking stand-up bass.

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Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley.

Jaw-dropping.

There’s probably not a better phrase to describe an all-star band that’s being put together by producer T Bone Burnett. Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, who sung the Grammy-winning “O Death” on T Bone’s O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, will share the stage with keyboard players Elton John and Leon Russell, eclectic rocker Elvis Costello, Americana artist Neko Case and actor Jeff Bridges under the banner T Bone Burnett’s Speaking Clock Revue. They’ll be assembled Oct. 24 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif., during the second day of Neil Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit.

The rock-and-country mix in T Bone’s ensemble is reflective of the multi-genre texture of the event’s larger lineup. Country-rock pioneers Buffalo Springfield will reunite for the weekend, and country’s Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson will play the same stage as Americana’s Lucinda Williams, classic-rockers Jackson Browne and Billy Idol, and modern-rock bands Pearl Jam and Modest Mouse.

The link between country artists and their pop and rock peers is strong these days. And it’s in full force in a lot of ways. Among other notable examples:

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Emmylou Harris photo by Rocky Schenck, courtesy of Nonesuch Records.

Country Music Hall of Fame member Emmylou Harris and superstar Faith Hill both paid a visit to the White House on Wednesday, performing in front of President Barack Obama as Paul McCartney was honored with the Library of Congress’ third annual Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

Faith sang “The Long And Winding Road,” according to the Associated Press, while Emmylou turned in a version of “For No One,” a song that originally appeared on the Beatles’ Revolver album in 1966. Emmy recorded it for her 1975 release Pieces Of The Sky, her first album to appear on the country chart.

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Faith Hill photo by Andrew Southam, courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.

Intentionally or not, a number of country’s bedrock performers — including Faith Hill, Diamond Rio, Trace Adkins and Tracy Lawrence — have all found themselves linked to politics or politicians this week.

For two artists, those connections involve actual campaigning for gubernatorial candidates. The others are tied to honoring people’s lives or accomplishments: Faith and Emmylou Harris will be performing at the White House; Trace and Diamond Rio paid their respects to 11 workers whose deaths are part of the tragic oil spill that has become a political nightmare.

The stories:

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Wanda Jackson in the '50s; Wanda and fellow rockabilly artist, Jerry Lee Lewis in 2009. Photo courtesy of myspace.com/wandajacksonmusic.

Wanda Jackson, the rockabilly queen who’s been enjoying a resurgence in attention, is about to follow in the footsteps of Country Music Hall of Famer Loretta Lynn. Wanda’s enlisted Jack White, the Nashville-based White Stripes rocker, to produce her next album.

He is “one of the biggest stars on the planet I guess right now,” Wanda told The Oklahoman.

Jack has found success not only with the Stripes, but also as a member of the Dead Weather and with the Raconteurs, who were Musical Event of the Year nominees at last week’s CMA awards for a collaboration with Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe.

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