Dolly Parton Unveils Soulful Rendition of 4 Non-Blondes’ “What’s Up?” Featuring Linda Perry
Internationally renowned artist Dolly Parton has unveiled her latest musical masterpiece, a heartfelt rendition of the 4 Non-Blondes’ classic hit, “What’s Up?” This emotional track is a sneak peek from her upcoming Rock n’ Roll album, “Rockstar,” slated for release on November 17th through Butterfly Records.
In this powerful rendition, Dolly Parton collaborates with the original song’s writer and lead singer, Linda Perry, delivering a soul-stirring performance that captures the essence of the original while infusing it with her signature angelic and hopeful voice. The song delves into the overwhelming pressures of the world and the universal yearning for release, offering a ray of hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Dolly Parton expressed her admiration for Linda Perry and the song, stating, “First of all, I love Linda Perry. Second of all, I love this song written by Linda. Third of all, I love being a part of this video to try to make people think about what’s going on in this world today. Shout out to the little children that helped with the video! If our children don’t make it, then what will? Again, I ask ‘What’s Up?’ Enjoy.”
Linda Perry, the creative genius behind 4 Non-Blondes’ original masterpiece, was deeply moved by Dolly’s rendition, remarking, “How is one supposed to react when the greatest and most prolific songwriter in the world wants to cover a song YOU wrote? Her version of What’s Up? is so good. Her spin on it made me feel like it was her song. No surprise there. Being on set making the video was a comfortable easy experience. The vibe on set was chill and Dolly and I got to catch up and laugh a lot. I could go on and on, obviously I’m a fan!”
The music video for this remarkable collaboration was filmed at Eakin Elementary School in downtown Nashville, adding to its nostalgic and heartfelt atmosphere. Directed by Steve Summers and produced by NOZ Entertainment, the video premiered exclusively on MTV and CMT/CMT Music/CMT on Pluto TV (check local listings for times) and graced their iconic Times Square billboard.
ABOUT DOLLY PARTON:
Dolly Parton is the most honored and revered female Country singer-songwriter of all time and was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Achieving 27 RIAA-certified gold, platinum, and multi-PLATINUM awards, she has had 26 songs reach No. 1 on the Billboard country charts, a record for a female artist. Parton is the first artist to have topped the Billboard’s Adult Contemporary, Christian AC Songs, Hot Country Songs, Christian Airplay, Country Airplay and Dance/Mix Show Airplay radio charts. Parton became the first Country artist honored as GRAMMY® MusiCares Person of the Year given out by NARAS. She has 48 career Top 10 Country albums, a record for any artist, and 110 career-charted singles over the past 50+ years.
In 2014 the RIAA recognized her impact on recorded music with a plaque commemorating more than 100 million units sold worldwide. She has garnered 11 Grammy Awards and 51 nominations, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, 10 Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year; five Academy of Country Music Awards, also including a nod for Entertainer of the Year; four People’s Choice Awards; and three American Music Awards. In 1999, Parton was inducted as a member of the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame.
In 2020, she released the Christmas album “A Holly Dolly Christmas” which went No. 1 on the Billboard Country and Holiday charts, as well released the bestselling coffee table book “Songteller: My Life in Lyrics.” In 2021, she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie for the film “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square” and in December 2022, she released on NBC an all-new original holiday movie called “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas” with her starring as well as producing; it was the most watched film of that year and the two years prior.
To date, Parton has donated over 215 million books to children around the world with her Imagination Library. Her children’s book, “Coat of Many Colors,” was dedicated to the Library of Congress to honor the Imagination Library’s 100 millionth book donation. In March of 2022, Parton released the book “Run Rose Run” which she co-authored with James Patterson which sat at No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller’s List for five weeks, a record for this decade. She also released an accompanying album of the same name with original songs inspired by the book which reached No. 1 on three charts simultaneously — Country, Americana/Folk and B
