Beck recalls meeting “warm, kind and open” Dolly Parton as a child: “I was taken aback”

Beck has recalled meeting Dolly Parton during his childhood, saying that he was “taken aback” by her kindness.

• READ MORE: Beck tells us about ‘Ride Lonesome’: “It took a long time to get that kind of courage to be this direct and emotional”.
• READ MORE: Dolly Parton, 1946-2026: the Queen of Country was a unifying force in a divided world.

The alt-rock artist shared the story during a recent interview on BBC Radio 2, where he was asked about the “icons” he’d crossed paths with in the past, and which had left a lasting impression.

His first pick was Neil Young, with Beck remembering going on tour with the legendary singer-songwriter when he was younger.

He continued: “It was like, ‘Does she think we’re somebody else?’ ‘Cause she shouldn’t be this nice to us, but she was. She was just almost over the top friendly and welcoming.

Beck concluded: “She had all the biggest stars in Hollywood there at her house, and she was just focused on us.”.

His mother is performance artist, musician, actress and writer Bibbe Hansen, and he was born and raised in Los Angeles.

The musician appeared on Radio 2 to promote his new album, ‘Ride Lonesome’, which was released last week. In a glowing, four-and-a-half-star review, NME hailed the collection as “a drop-dead gorgeous meditation on heartache and solitude”.

Speaking to NME about the LP recently, Beck explained: “In another era, it probably would have come out a year and a half ago. I was initially going to finish this record and have it come out in 2023, but I ended up shelving it for two years.

I wasn’t sure about the songs, I didn’t think they were strong enough, and I just wasn’t in the mood for what the record would require to really fully live it and bring it to life.”.

He added: “It’s kind of a heartbreak record. It’s pretty obvious! A lot of the writing is very direct. It’s about reckoning with loss, letting things go, navigating these emotionally impossible places and trying to get through those moments.”.

Beck is currently out on a North American headline tour – you can find any remaining tickets here.

Meanwhile, Parton is set to posthumously appear on U2’s new song ‘Torn’ from the band’s upcoming album ‘Carnaval De Luz’. The collaboration will mark the late country legend’s final recorded performance.

In other news, Dolly Parton posthumously accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Americana Honors & Awards, appearing in a pre-recorded video clip at the ceremony.

Her sister shared a statement this week denying that there is any family “feud”, following news that the singer’s nephew was fired and hit with a restraining order.

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