She gets star-struck by other performers, too, and lets the cat out of the bag regarding her chance to perform with Yusuf Islam, the artist formerly (and still sometimes) known as Cat Stevens, whose latest album Roadsinger includes Holly performing on three tracks.
“His manager (David Spero) is a good friend of mine. ... So he called me and just said, ‘I’m managing (Yusuf) and we’re in town and do you want to sing on the record?’ And I was like, it was 4 o’clock in the afternoon, and he said, ‘Let’s have dinner tonight.’
And I’m a huge Cat Stevens fan. So I was just kind of blown away at the dinner table, going, ‘I can’t believe that you wrote “Trouble” and “Father and Son” and all these songs that just are my soundtracks of life.’ So I was just ecstatic about it. 
And we cut the next day in the studio and he wanted to go to the (Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum) to see the Family Tradition exhibit, the Hank Sr. and family exhibit that’s going on now. And we had a couple nights of dinner. And it was just amazing.
“He’s one of those types of people, I think one of the reasons I was so shocked and nervous is because, he is overseas and he’s one of those people you never hear about anymore; I never dreamed in a million years that I would ever have the chance to meet him, much less sing with him and work with him in the studio. So I was just blown away by it. ... And he’s a great man.
You know, because of his religious beliefs (he converted to Islam at the height of his popularity in 1977), I think he gets judged a lot by people. People are very leery of him. Even though his faith is different than from what most believe in the U.S., he has a huge heart for people. When you talk to him, you kind of feel like you’re talking to just such a wise man. He has this aura about him, where you just want to soak in every word and just not speak and listen to him the whole time. And just a gentle spirit. It was just a great experience. So, hopefully, I’m going to open a few shows for him when he comes back and does a tour. We’re kind of talking about it now. That would be amazing.”
Article comments
1 - dtwsfan
Nice feature and love Holly's detailed comments. Hope her new album succeeds and there's a place for her in country music.
2 - ashley
Very interesting interview. Really enjoyed reading about those that inspired her.