Dolly Parton Is Releasing a Christmas Album — Her First Holiday Offering in 30 Years
Fran Strine Dolly Parton
Is that holiday bells we hear already?
Dolly Parton will ring in the Christmas season a few months early this year with the release of her first holiday album in decades.
The album, titled A Holly Dolly Christmas, will be released on October 2, Billboard reported Wednesday.
Parton, 74, told the outlet that she wanted the album name to be "cute and clever" and was inspired by the classic "A Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives.
"He used to be on all of my Christmas specials all through the years," Parton said of iconic singer. "I think of him as Mr. Christmas. I thought, ‘Why don't do I call it something cute and clever, like that or Deck the Halls with Boughs of Dolly, something corny like that.' "
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images Dolly Parton
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Parton worked with several other musicians for collaborations on the album, including crooner Michael Bublé for the first single, "Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas."
Jimmy Fallon will join Parton for a rendition of Mariah Carey's iconic holiday hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You" — a decision inspired by an appearance on the host's late night show.
"I thought, ‘What other songs are really hot?’ And I thought, ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You.' Jimmy Fallon, a couple of years ago, I was on his show around Christmas and he asked me to sing that and I didn't know it and I felt so bad," Parton explained.
"So I went and learned it and I was just going to put it on my album and then I went, ‘I’ll ask Jimmy Fallon to sing it with me!’ And he said, yes. So I'm really excited about that," she said.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Dolly Parton
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Willie Nelson, Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus — Parton's goddaughter — will also appear for duets with the country music star, according to Billboard.
Because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Parton and her collaborators recorded their parts separately.
"They had done some of the tracks before the pandemic, but then we went in and started doing our vocals," Parton said. "We've been very smart, very careful, because we're trying to protect ourselves and I'm an older person."
Parton's last holiday album, Home for Christmas, was released in 1990.
