Dolly Parton on how she had to change her voice for her new 'Rockstar' album

Dolly Parton, the country music legend, had a few moments of trepidation when she decided to become a full-blown rock star ‒ for one album, at least.

“I learned a lot about myself, and I worked hard at it. I would hear all the stuff and I’d wonder if I could hit that note,” Parton told Knox News on her recent visit to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge.

“I thought, well, I'm just going to go for it. If it turns out great, great. And if it don't, I'll say ‘Erase that right now!’" Parton said with a laugh. “But I squalled at it. I mean, I hit it. I got in there.”

Parton's first rock and roll album, appropriately titled “Rockstar,” comes out Nov. 17. It was inspired by her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year.

Parton said she was hesitant to try a different musical style because she has such a recognizable tone, but rose to the occasion.

“I really was proud of myself,” Parton said.

Dolly rocks out to Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones

Parton already has released four singles from the album. Its lead single, "World on Fire," a song she wrote, earned the country artist her first appearance on a rock-themed Billboard chart. It topped the rock digital song sales chart.

“Rockstar” features a whopping 30 tracks. She wrote several of the nine original songs, and the others are classic rock anthems like “Stairway to Heaven” (Led Zeppelin), “Heartbreaker” (Pat Benatar), “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (Rolling Stones), “Let It Be” (The Beatles) and “Purple Rain” (Prince).

“I wanted to give it all that I had because I didn't want anybody in the rock field to think, 'Oh, that's just, you know, half-assed.' I wanted them to be able to say, ‘Wow, that's really good.’”

Parton’s versions of "We Are the Champions" and "We Will Rock You" by Queen are already being used to promote the 2024 Paris Olympics.

More: ‘I'm proud to be a Smoky Mountain girl’: Dolly Parton overjoyed by Dollywood’s major award

A queen joined by legends

Parton collaborated with rock legends and chart-toppers for the album.

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sting, Miley Cyrus, Lizzo, Sheryl Crow, Elton John, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Steven Tyler, Stevie Nicks, Mick Jagger, Pink and Ann Wilson of Heart are just a few of the many, many artists featured.

"When you go and you start trying to sing a classic, and you’re gonna ask some of these iconic artists to come sing with you, you're going to have to step up," Parton said.

“I was singing with those great artists, like Ann Wilson and people that can sing their butts off. I thought, well, I can't let them get ahead of me. I'm going to give it all I got, and I think I kept up pretty good.”

If it doesn’t sound epic enough already, “Rockstar” will be a special addition to Parton’s discography, which already spans over 55 years. Though she said she might record other rock songs “here and there,” she probably won't do another full album.

For now, she’s treasuring this moment of her music career and exploring the untapped abilities of her voice.

“It was really an adventure for me and I really got off on being able to do some things I didn't even know that I could do,” she said.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Dolly Parton's 'Rockstar' features 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Let It Be'