Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx is the latest musician to confirmation their participation in Dolly Parton's much-anticipated foray into the world of rock. Sixx broke the news in a brief update on Twitter, casually remarking, "Played bass on a song for Dolly Parton yesterday," before swiftly moving on to matters more mundane.
The booking will surely come as some comfort to Sixx, who only last week was being taken to task by Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice for allegedly relying on backing tapes on Motley Crue's Stadium Tour with Def Leppard last summer.
Parton's much-anticipated rock album is due to arrive this year, and will feature covers of songs by Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Prince and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Entitled Rock Star, it'll feature guest appearances from Elton John, Pink, Brandi Carlile, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, John Fogerty, Steve Perry, Steven Tyler and Cher.
Another musician contributing to the album will be REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin, who told Yahoo’s Totally ’80s podcast last month that he and Parton had recorded a “dark duet” version of the band's 1980 hit Keep On Loving You.
"When I wrote that song, I kind of portrayed myself as more of the good guy than perhaps I was," said Cronin. "Perhaps it takes more than one snake in the grass, ‘all coiled up and hissing,’ to tango – if you catch my drift. That’s the reality of the song, you know?
“So, it gave me the idea that Dolly could sing the first verse, and in the first verse, I’m cheating on her. But then I take the second verse, and in the second verse, I go, ‘Oh yeah? Well, I know all about those men!’ And so now, the song becomes this kind of dark duet – until it gets to the chorus, where they go, ‘I meant every word I said. When I said that I love you, I meant that I love you forever, Dolly.’
"And I sing it in harmony. It just slays me, because that’s how the song was meant to be performed; I just didn’t realise it until Dolly called me the other day. So that’s how we’re doing it, and I’m just so stoked."
Motley Crue and Def Leppard will begin the European leg of the Stadium Tour in The UK in May. Full dates below.
Mötley Crüe/Def Leppard Stadium Tour 2023
May 22: Sheffield Bramall Lane, UK
May 25: Mönchengladbach Sparkassen Park, Germany
May 27: Munich Koenigsplatz, Germany
May 29: Budapest MVM Dome, Hungary
May 31: Krakow Tauron Arena Kraków, Poland
Jun 02: Prague Rocks, Czech Republic
Jun 03: Hannover Expo Plaza, Germany
Jun 07: Solvesborg, Sweden Rock Festival, Sweden
Jun 09: Helsinki RockFest, Finland
Jun 11: Trondheim Rocks, Norway
Jun 14: Copenhagen Copenhell, Denmark
Jun 18: Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting, Belgium
Jun 20: Milan Ippodromo SNAI San Siro, Italy
Jun 23: Lisbon Passeio Maritimo de Alges, Portugal
Jun 24: Rivas-Vaciamadrid Auditorio Miguel Ríos, Spain
Jun 27: Thun Stockhorn Arena, Switzerland
Jul 01: London Wembley Stadium, UK
Jul 02: Lytham Festival, UK
Jul 04: Dublin Marlay Park, Ireland
Jul 06: Glasgow Hampden Park, UK
Aug 05: Syracuse JMA Wireless Dome, NY
Aug 08: Columbus Ohio Stadium, OH
Aug 11: Fargo Fargodome, ND
Aug 13: Omaha Charles Schwab Field Omaha, NE
Aug 16: Tulsa H.A. Chapman Stadium, OK
Aug 18: El Paso Sun Bowl Stadium, TX
