REO Speedwagon Kevin Cronin Honored Dolly Parton Duet Rockstar Album

Dolly Parton's 2023 rock album Rockstar features a duet with REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin. The album also features famous artists.

Country music legend Dolly Parton is set to release a star-studded rock album titled Rockstar in 2023, and it features a duet version of the classic REO Speedwagon ballad "Keep on Loving You" that pairs her with the band's frontman and main songwriter, Kevin Cronin. In a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Cronin expressed his honor at being chosen to collaborate with Parton, especially when considering the other famous artists who contributed to the album.

Cronin noted that Parton had her pick of any artist she wanted to collaborate with, including Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Sting, among others. Despite the impressive list of artists on the album, Cronin was grateful to be mentioned in the same sentence as those individuals.

The Rockstar version of "Keep on Loving You" features Parton singing the first verse and taking the first line of the second verse before Cronin comes in with a harmony vocal. Cronin admitted that he had a disagreement with Parton about this arrangement, as he believed it made sense for him to sing the entire second verse. However, he ultimately came to an agreement with Parton and was pleased with the final result.

Parton's decision to sing the line in the second verse, according to Cronin, turned the song into a "dark duet," where she acknowledges his infidelities instead of the other way around. Despite their disagreement, Cronin was happy with the way the record turned out.

"Keep On Loving You" was one of REO Speedwagon's biggest hits, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart in March 1981 and achieving Platinum certification for sales of more than 1 million copies in the U.S.

Interestingly, "Keep On Loving You" isn't the only REO Speedwagon song that Parton has covered. In 1989, she released a bluegrass version of the band's 1978 song "Time for Me to Fly," which Cronin praised for its Americana elements.

Looking ahead, REO Speedwagon will be hitting the road again in 2024 with a series of U.S. headlining shows confirmed for the spring, as well as two three-date Las Vegas residency engagements at The Venetian Theatre in May and October.

Fans can find the band's full list of tour dates at REOSpeedwagon.com, and tickets for the shows are available for purchase at various outlets, including StubHub.

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