In 1974, Dolly Parton released her 13th studio album, Jolene. Although featuring songs like “River of Happiness” and “I Will Always Love You”, nothing compares to the warning of “Jolene.” Writing the song after a flirtatious encounter between her husband, Carl Dean, and a bank teller, Dolly used that jealousy to fashion not just a No. 1 hit, but a timeless classic in the history of country music. But recently, country singer Belles hoped to usher in a new era of “Jolene” with her song “Son of Jolene”, which caught the eye of Dolly herself.
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Since its release, numerous artists have added their names to the legacy of “Jolene.” There was Miley Cyrus, the White Stripes, Olivia Newton-John, and the most recent – Beyoncé. But for Belles, she didn’t want to cover the hit song – she wanted to explore the story surrounding Jolene and what exactly happened after that encounter.
Focusing on Jolene’s son, the song included lyrics detailing how he got his mother’s looks and appetite. “He’s just like his mother / Is it any wonder? / That I caught him in the dead of night with lipstick on his suit and tie.”
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Dolly Parton Thanks Jolene For Helping Her Make “All That Money”
Discussing her inspiration behind the track, Belles admitted that she took a great deal of care when stepping into the legacy of Dolly. “Of course, when you’re talking about Dolly Parton and ‘Jolene,’ it’s one of the most legendary songs of all time. So my No. 1 priority was making sure that it was even okay to do something with this topic, and make sure that everything was done the right way.”
After recording a version of the song, Stephanie Greene, Belles’ publisher, sent it to Kent Wells, who was the producer for – Dolly.
Only wanting her praise, Belles received more than she ever dreamed of when Dolly offered to add her voice to the song. “When I wrote this song, I would’ve never in a million years thought that it would’ve gone all the way to Dolly, and now I’m here, but I really couldn’t be more grateful.”
As for Dolly, when first listening to the song, she thought it was clever. “When I heard ‘Son of Jolene,’ I thought it was very clever. No one had ever thought of it that way.”
With a new chapter in the story of Jolene expected to hit streaming platforms on April 17, Dolly never forgot the moment that made Jolene famous. But even while her husband enjoyed the attention of the bank teller, the country singer got the last laugh. “Had it not been for that woman, I would never have written ‘Jolene,’ and I wouldn’t have made all that money, so thank you, Jolene.”
Decades after Dolly first warned Jolene, the story is still finding new life through the next generation of country artists. And with Parton’s blessing, Belles’ bold new chapter proves the song’s legacy is far from finished.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for ACM)
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