Michael Buble “didn’t even listen” to her song before he agreed to a duet.
The 80-year-old crooner has shared a letter he received from the late country icon, who died on Tuesday (25.08.26) aged 80, pitching a collaboration on a tune she’d written called Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas, which they ended up releasing in 2020 on her A Holly Dolly Christmas LP.
Taking to X, Michael wrote: “Dolly once wrote me a letter asking if I’d listen to a song she’d written and consider singing it with her.
“The truth is, I didn’t even listen before I said yes. When Dolly Parton asks, you say yes.
“When God made Dolly, He broke the mold. This one really hurts.”
He also included a screenshot of the letter he received from Dolly, who began by praising him as “an incredibly talented man” and “a great guy”.
She wrote: “I know you have a lot of fans in my circle, as well as worldwide so congratulations on that.
“I don’t know if it would be of any interest to you to sing a duet with me on a song I wrote called A Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas for a new Christmas CD that’s coming out this year.
“When I wrote this, I kept hearing your voice with me… dreaming, maybe?
“I don’t know if you can contractually do this or even if there would be an interest on your part, but I had to try.”
The Jolene hitmaker told Michael that if he was interested, her producer Kent Wells would send over “all of the necessary tracks” so he could work on his parts “at your own convenience and in your own studio”.
She added: “I’d like to use our track and my vocal will be basically the same, unless you want to change some things round, take some solo spots and I’ll work around you… however you want to do that.”
Dolly joked about the fast paced nature of the music business, but insisted she would “wait to hear” from the singer.
She quipped: “Like everything else we do in this business, we need an answer yesterday and have it done by tomorrow. (LOL!)
“Seriously, though, I’ll wait to hear from you. Just know that I will understand if you can’t or don’t want to do it and know that I will still love you just the same.
“Keep doing the great work you’re doing.
“With musical love for you,
“Dolly”.