Students and staff starstruck after Dolly Parton makes music video at school
By Marissa Sulek
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WSMV) — Students and staff at a Nashville elementary school experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Dolly Parton shot her new music video with Linda Perry at Eakin Elementary School. The song will be on her first-ever Rock album, “Rockstar,” coming out in November.
In the new music video, Parton sings alongside Linda Perry to play the cover of the 4 Non Blondes original “What’s Up?”
While some might recognize the tune, not all Nashvillians will recognize where the video was shot.
For third-grade student and Dolly fan Nora York, that was not the case.
“I love her songs,” said York. “And I LOVE this new song that just came out because it takes place in Eakin Elementary, which is my school, which is crazy.”
“The minute that she walked in the auditorium, the air felt different,” said Jana York, Nora’s mom and Eakin teacher.
They had the chance to watch film crews and Dolly perform inside their school.
But how does an icon like Dolly Parton ask to come to your school?
Principal Eric Hartfelder said it started with an email from Dolly’s team.
“First thing I do is immediately Google them to see if it’s legit,” he said. “Because Dolly has never reached out to me. I don’t live that kind of life.”
While the kids in the video are not Eakin students, Hartfelder knows having Dolly’s presence means more.
“This is the lady who created the amusement park you love to go to,” he said. “Or the books that fill your shelf. That she’s so much more than a musician, she’s an inspiration.”
And it’s the inspiration kids like Nora York will always notice when they look back on the final product.
“When we watched the music video herem everyone was singingm and they were like “Woah, that’s the playground, that’s the auditorium, woah!”,” York said.
Thursday, Eakin will have a party with parents and students to show the music video.
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