For our November cover story, Consequence brought together Dolly Parton and Paramore’s Hayley Williams for a thoughtful conversation around artistry, philanthropy, and much, much more. Reflecting on the experience, Editorial Director Ben Kaye and Associate Editor Mary Siroky had their own dialogue about watching these two icons meet and converse for the first time. Read their Letter Chat from the Editors below, then read Dolly Parton: Rockstar Forever and check out the exclusive cover image ahead.
Also, read an introductory letter from Williams herself.
Mary: So, Ben — what was your reaction when you heard we were officially going to be bringing Dolly Parton and Hayley Williams together for our November cover?
Ben: Some combination of “We’re not worthy,” and “How did we actually pull this off?” It was one of those moon-shot ideas: Let’s get this music icon doing her first rock album together with another rockstar from the same city. Getting time with Dolly would have been enough, but for Hayley to jump so enthusiastically at the opportunity was… I still hardly believe it happened.
Mary: Me, too. I said the other day that it sort of feels like a dream.
Ben: Mary, there are photos of all of us together. This was real. We were there. We witnessed this. There’s a picture of us in Dolly’s archives!
Mary: You’re so right! It was really special — Hayley was incredibly prepared for the interview, and Dolly was so present. Did you have a favorite moment during the interview? I have a few.
Ben: Honestly, I was just pacing behind you while you were moderating, silently fist pumping every time they said something I knew would be gold. But the moment I keep revisiting was actually when they first met. Dolly came in, walked right up to Hayley, and they started chatting. And just before Dolly left for some final prep, she brushed back Hayley’s trademark red hair and goes, “You look just like Jolene.”
I think we both died right then.
Mary: Kudos to Hayley for remaining upright, because I might have collapsed, in her shoes.
Ben: I joked with her about it afterward and she just stared at me, jaw dropped. But you actually got to sit right there, right behind the lights while they spoke for an hour. What was it like witnessing it so close?
Mary: I think I almost started crying a couple of times. I related to a lot of what Hayley said about wanting to use her voice for good, but not always being able to do so in the most graceful way — and hearing Dolly speak to her own worldview, and the deep, deep empathy at the root of that, had me incredibly emotional.
And on the flip side, there was the point when I was crying laughing, listening to the anecdote about the abandoned church. But that’s Dolly, I guess — she balances the heartfelt and the hysterical like no one else.
Ben: There were moments that didn’t even make it into the story itself where they really got deep. It felt like Dolly was giving Hayley really personal advice, and it’s kind of nice that they get to keep those moments to themselves. (And, well, us.)
Mary: I love that at the end, Dolly said she forgot they were doing an interview. It was our dream come true; just two incredible artists in conversation.
Ben: It was also amazing watching Hayley start off like she was a professional interviewer and slowly slip into realizing Dolly sees herself as just a fellow musician. Like when Dolly name dropped Hayley’s solo album, Flowers for Vases, Hayley freaked! But then Dolly just kept going, “Hey, you’re a songwriter, just like me; you know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Mary: Agreed. Living in Nashville, it’s not uncommon to have a famous person reach over you to grab their favorite snack at Whole Foods, or awkwardly watch you try to parallel park in front of Frothy Monkey. But it’s almost like Dolly knows that she’s a celebrity among celebrities, the idol of idols, and works to make people feel that much more comfortable.
Ben: That’s what makes her a real rockstar. Sure, she’s putting out what is honest to gosh one of the best rock albums of the year (and that’s not pandering!), but she’s still one of the realest people you’ll meet. I think that comes through in this conversation, and I’m so excited for our audience to get to read it.
Mary: Thanks for letting me be part of it. I hope you come back to Nashville, even if we don’t get to hang with Dolly and Hayley for a few hours.
