“How Can I Say No?’’: Paul McCartney’s Heartwarming Memory of Meeting Dolly Parton for the First Time

Paul McCartney and Dolly Parton might seem like polar opposites, both aesthetically and sonically speaking. But these two musicians have more in common than might meet the eye. This kindred connection began in June 1974. That year, McCartney visited the Grand Ole Opry to watch the 3rd Annual Grand Masters Fiddling Contest. He was accompanied by his wife, Linda, and their two daughters, Heather, 11, and Stella, 4.

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Among the performers at the Opry contest were country music legends Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton, the latter of whom got her big break performing as the “girl singer” on the former artist’s television show. One would be hard-pressed to find a better welcome committee to the Nashville music scene. And Paul’s later comments about Parton proved that he, just like everyone who met her, was highly impressed.

Parton was riding high on the success of Jolene in 1974, her iconic album that included the titular track about the woman whose “beauty is beyond compare” and “I Will Always Love You”, which Whitney Houston would later elevate to new heights on The Bodyguard soundtrack. Despite this tremendous success, the former Beatle and Wings frontman saw Parton as anything but a diva.

Paul McCartney’s Sweet First Reaction to Dolly Parton

While speaking to Mojo in 2026, Paul McCartney recalled his visit to Nashville with his family. “While we were there, the band of Porter Wagoner played. The girl vocalist he had with him was this girl called Dolly Parton. She was very young and very sort of innocent, very sweet. She was very vivacious and full of bubbly joy, like she still is.” The musicians didn’t often cross paths after that, but the pair maintained respect for one another’s influence and work ethic.

That’s why when Parton reached out to McCartney to collaborate in 2023, his answer was an obvious yes. Parton wanted to work with the ex-Beatle on a new version of “Let It Be” for her rock debut album, Rockstar. (As a cute aside, she started on this album after the news broke that she would be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame—as if Parton needed to do anything else to prove her cred.)

McCartney told Mojo, “She’s one of the greats. She has a great voice, and that was a plus. But she’s a really great writer. If Dolly’s asking me to do it, how can I say no?”

The Two Musicians Aren’t As Different As They Appear

Although Paul McCartney and Dolly Parton have spent the vast majority of their careers on different ends of the musical spectrum, there are plenty of commonalities they share. Both are prolific songwriters, seemingly capable of pulling hit songs out of thin air time and time again. Both are incredibly devoted to their craft, always putting the music first and never being afraid to experiment in the name of artistic development.

And, of course, their work ethics are unmatched. “I’m sure neither of us will ever retire,” Parton said of McCartney, per Mojo. “They’ll have to knock us over the head with somethin’ to make us stop. If they do, I’m pretty sure a song will fall out.”

Photo by David Warner Ellis/Redferns