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.
The record will feature a handful of special collaborations, too, like Willie Nelson and his son, Lukas, covering “Angel Dream No. 2”; Wynonna Judd and Lainey Wilson doing “Refugee”; and Ryan Hurd and Carly Pearce performing “Breakdown.” A couple of Petty’s old Heartbreakers bandmates will also appear on the record, with Mike Campbell joining Margo Price for “Ways to Be Wicked,” and Benmont Tench linking up with the Silkroad Ensemble and Rhiannon Giddens for “Don’t Come Around Here No More.”
Petty Country Track List
1. “I Should Have Known It” – Chris Stapleton
2. “Wildflowers” – Thomas Rhett
3. “Runnin’ Down A Dream” – Luke Combs
4. “Southern Accents” – Dolly Parton
5. “Here Comes My Girl” – Justin Moore
6. “American Girl” – Dierks Bentley
7. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” – Lady A
8. “I Forgive It All” – Jamey Johnson
9. “I Won’t Back Down” – Brothers Osbourne
10. “Refugee” – Wynonna Judd & Lainey Wilson
11. “Angel Dream No.2” – Willie Nelson & Lukas Nelson
12. “Learning To Fly” – Eli Young Band
13. “Breakdown” – Ryan Hurd feat. Carly Pearce
14. “Yer So Bad” – Steve Earle
15. “Ways To Be Wicked” – Margo Price feat. Mike Campbell
16. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” – Midland
17. “Free Fallin’” – The Cadillac Three feat. Breland
18. “I Need To Know” – Marty Stuart And His The Fabulous Superlatives
19. “Don’t Come Around Here No More” – Rhiannon Giddens feat. Silkraod Ensemble and Benmont Tench
20. “You Wreck Me (Live)” – George Strait