The “A Holly Dolly Christmas” album, the newest work from Dolly Parton, was inspired by a decades-old holiday song brimming with nostalgia and written during the Covid shutdown earlier this year.
That kind of makes it the perfect album to put a pin on 2020.
On Wednesday, Vanity Fair posted its multi-faceted interview with Parton, the delightful country superstar who touched on all sorts of topics. She chatted about Porter Wagoner, Miley Cyrus, and the movies “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias.”
And she ended it with why she decided to release a Christmas album. It’s her first holiday-themed collection of work since she released “Home for Christmas” in 1990.
“This is a perfect year to do it,” Parton said. “People pretty much will be in house.”
Parton said she did most of the work during the pandemic shutdown in the spring. And she got her idea for the album title from Burl Ives’ classic, “A Holly Jolly Christmas.”
Remember the song? Ives was the snowman narrator in “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” a stop-motion animated Christmas special that premiered in December 1964.
Dolly Parton Says She Loves Christmas
Parton announced her album in August. The late-summer heat inspired anything but a snowy, cozy Christmas scene. But Parton could make it work.
“I love Christmas,” Parton told “Vanity Fair.” “I love everything about it.”
“It’ a wonderful album. I’m very proud of it. We’ll see how it does. Merry Christmas.”
“Cuddle Up Cozy Down Christmas” featuring Parton with Michael Bublé was the first song released off the album. Parton also collaborated with other stars, including Billy Ray Cyrus, her goddaughter Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon and Willie Nelson. Parton’s younger brother, Randy, also is featured on the album.
Because of Covid 19 restrictions, the other singers on the album recorded their parts separately.
