Parton's Final Recording Session
Dolly Parton left bed rest in June to record her final song, a collaboration with U2, according to the band's frontman Bono. The country music legend died on Aug. 25 at age 80. Her last vocal performance was for the track 'Torn,' which will appear on U2's forthcoming album 'Carnaval De Luz,' scheduled for release on Nov. 19. Bono, 66, told Rolling Stone on Thursday that he cannot bring himself to listen to Parton's contribution since her death.[S1]
Bono described how Parton got out of her bed to sing the song despite her illness, and said that her effort is audible in the recording. He praised her performance, expressing disbelief that it came from an 80-year-old woman. The U2 singer also recalled that he had hoped to work with Parton on the entire album, but she felt the material was a little too Irish for her taste. Instead, she suggested the song 'Torn' and asked if he could take it somewhere else.[S1]
A Cherished Collaboration
Bono called the experience of having such intimate moments with a figure like Parton very moving. He noted that her absence now is sobering, and that she can only be reached through her songs. Parton had the opportunity to hear the song before she died from cancer, and she loved the final mix, according to producer Garret 'Jacknife' Lee. Lee said on Thursday that Parton was proud of her vocal and the recording, and that while the team was nervous she might not approve or might feel uncomfortable, she was thrilled with it.[S1]
Snow Patrol member Johnny McDaid shares songwriting credit on 'Torn,' which a press release characterized as a gentle country tune about fractured family relationships with broader meaning. This marks the second posthumous Parton release, following her rendition of 'Bound to Ride' earlier this month. That recording dates to 2022 and appeared on the tribute compilation 'Where the Soul Never Dies: Celebrating 80 Years of the Stanley Brothers,' which featured numerous artists.[S1]
