Singer/Actress to sing “9 To 5” on upcoming episode
Singer/songwriter/actress Hayley Orrantia, who plays Erica Goldbergs on the ABC-TV hit comedy The Goldbergs, will pay tribute to Dolly Parton, an inspiration whom she calls “the ultimate woman,” when she sings “9 to 5” on an episode airing Wednesday, March 3rd at 8 pm ET/PT.
“Dolly Parton is simply an icon,” states Orrantia. “Her music has touched the lives of so many and has directly affected my music. Her songwriting ability is universal and continues to resonate with future generations. Her self-confidence is inspiring and I have always admired her quick wit. She is a class act that also doesn’t take crap from anyone.”
Orrantia recalls both excitement and trepidation when the writers of The Goldbergs told her she was going to be singing the track in an upcoming episode.
“There are some Dolly songs that just can’t be covered and to me, this is one of them,” recalls Orrantia. “I realized this would be an epic challenge. I actually became really frustrated with myself and left the studio that day with the song incomplete. I simply could not do it like Dolly! So I went back home to my own studio and spent some time trying to find a balance of how I sing, how Erica would sing it and paying homage to a Dolly classic. I gained even more respect for her as a singer after attempting that song!”
Singing country music is one of the many different genres Orrantia enjoys performing, and a way to connect with her audience when she is on stage performing.
“I love country music for the lyrically driven aspect and the dynamic melodies,” she says. “It is one of my favorite genres of music because it really resonates with the heart. I have always treated my shows/concerts like theatre in that when I sing the lyrics, I am trying desperately to speak them into the hearts and minds of every audience member. It isn’t just about the music, but the story and country music make it really easy for me to translate this.”
Orrantia will head home to Nashville, TN, after filming season eight of The Goldbergs to focus on finishing recording a new EP and further developing a new home-flipping TV show she and her family have created for their home renovation company.
She’s not sure what she would say if she encountered Parton while in Nashville, but would make sure to thank her for inspiring her and countless other performers before “going into a panic.”
“I truly don’t know what I would even say other than ‘You’re such an inspiration!’ she shares. “After thanking her for being unapologetically herself.”
However, if that “chance encounter” turned into an invitation to perform together, after pinching herself trying to wrap her head around that idea, Orrantia says “she would die and go to heaven just to sing ‘I Will Always Love You’ with Dolly.”
“Growing up, I often heard Whitney Houston’s version and that song raised me into the kind of singer I am today,” recalls Orrantia. “Then, to have heard her original, it taught me the magic of what music can do. Seeing past genre and pulling at people’s heartstrings with the song’s story is what makes music so universal!”
While taping season eight of The Goldbergs, Orrantia has been working on a new EP that she describes as “an accumulation of stories told by friends and experiences of my own that I am excited to share with other people.”
“I have always been an honest storyteller within my own music,” she states. “I have pulled from some of the most painful times in my life and turned them into sonic therapy for me which, in turn, seems to resonate with complete strangers on a similar path of life. And in hearing the connection from these people themselves, I feel like the song then finds its true purpose.”
She has been enjoying the process of taking her time finding the sound that correlates with these stories, and hopes to release the new EP by the summer 2021.
“9 To 5” was originally performed by Parton for the 1980 comedy film of the same name. In addition to appearing on the film soundtrack, the song was the centerpiece of Parton’s album 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs, released in late 1980. The song was released as a single in November 1980.
The song garnered Parton an Academy Award nomination and four GRAMMY Award nominations, winning her the awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance, Female. For a time, the song became something of an anthem for office workers in the US, and in 2004, Parton’s song ranked at No. 78 on the American Film Institute’s “100 Years, 100 Songs.”
The Goldbergs, a sitcom about a suburban family from the Philadelphia area living in the 1980s, stars Wendi McLendon-Covey as Beverly Goldberg, Sean Giambrone as Adam Goldberg, Troy Gentile as Barry Goldberg, Orrantia as Erica Goldberg, Sam Lerner as Geoff Schwartz, with George Segal as Al “Pops” Solomon and Jeff Garlin as Murray Goldberg.
