Dolly Parton honored Tom Petty with a gorgeous cover of his 1985 song, “Southern Accents,” which will appear on the upcoming tribute compilation Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty.
Petty’s original “Southern Accents” is a classic Heartbreakers jam, full of restless, ragged rock and roll energy, which gives a defiant edge to the song’s celebration of Southern roots, as well as its story about a down-on-his luck Florida orange-picker. Parton takes a completely different path, turning the song in a soaring country ballad, and juicing the poignancy further with a music video filled with old archival footage of Petty.
“I was fortunate enough to get to know Tom over the years,” Parton said in a statement. “He’s such an iconic artist and important songwriter. I’m so honored to be a part of this special album and to be able to share my version of one of Tom’s best songs, ‘Southern Accents.'”
Parton is part of a stacked lineup of country stars who contributed to Petty Country, which will arrive June 21 via Big Machine in partnership with the Petty estate. The track features a bunch of contemporary stars, like Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, Dierks Bentley, and the Brothers Osborne, as well as veterans like Steve Earle, Marty Stuart, and George Strait.