Dolly Parton Enlists Linda Perry To Remake 4 Non Blondes’ ‘What’s Up?’

Dolly Parton has shared her version of 4 Non Blondes’ rock-pop anthem “What’s Up?’ as the next curtain-raiser for her Rockstar album, which is due on November 17 on her Butterfly label via Big Machine Label Group. She posted: “My new song “What’s Up?” featuring the very talented @RealLindaPerry is out now!”

The new version does indeed feature its composer Perry, the prolific songwriter and former frontwoman of the San Francisco band. The original recently passed the 30th anniversary of its March 1993 release as a single from 4 Non Blondes’ debut album Bigger, Better, Faster, More! The song reached No.14 on the Billboard Hot 100 but was a significantly bigger hit overseas, going to No.1 in numerous European countries and No.2 in the UK, where it was held off the top spot only by Take That’s “Pray.”

The country queen’s version of the song is the latest in a series of tasters for her multi-guest, rock-themed album, the most recent of which was her version of “Let It Be,” featuring  Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton and Mick Fleetwood.. Prior to that, she shared her interpretation of Queen’s “We Are The Champions” (with coda of “We Will Rock You”); her own compositions “World On Fire” and “Bygones,” the latter featuring Judas Priest’s Rob Halford and Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx and John 5; and her remake of Heart’s “Magic Man (Carl Version),” featuring Ann Wilson and Howard Leese.

Parton’s Dollyworld was honored earlier this month as “#1 Theme Park in the World” among five Golden Ticket Awards, hosted at the park itself and with Dolly in attendance. She and park co-creators, brothers Pete and Jack Herschend, were also recognized as Golden Ticket Legends. “We don’t do what we do to earn awards,” she told the audience, “but we’re not going to turn them down either.”

Pre-order Rockstar, which is released on November 17.