Dolly Parton is, without a doubt, one of the most successful and culturally significant musicians of all time. But that opinion doesn’t just apply in the United States. While Dolly Parton is a staple symbol of American pop culture, her influence has touched every corner of the globe. Throughout her career, Parton has toured extensively in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada and performed in countless countries, including Japan, Sweden, and Denmark.
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Needless to say, Dolly Parton’s presence is global, a level of stardom she acquired through an inclusiveness that attracts and accepts every walk of life and music fan. An incredibly prolific political and civil rights activist agreed with that notion, as he once allegedly blared the iconic Dolly Parton song, “Jolene,” throughout the prison where he was serving time.
That activist was Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Prior to becoming the President of South Africa, Mandela received a five-year sentence due to his activism against the apartheid system. During his original sentence, he received a re-sentencing to life imprisonment. He served 27 years of that sentence until his release in 1990.
The Guards Allowed Mandela To Play Music, and He Chose To Play Dolly Parton
Incarcerated at Robben Island, Nelson Mandela suffered harsh treatment, including hard labor, solitary confinement, and limited communication with the outside world. It was prison, and freedoms, of course, were minimal. However, on one occasion, the guards gave Mandela the freedom of choice. The choice to play music through the prison PA system, and reportedly, he decided to play Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”.
Anti-apartheid activist and Mandela’s inmate, Tokyo Sexwale, recalled the memory in the 2019 NPR podcast, Dolly Parton’s America. During the pod, Sexwale testified that the guards let Mandela play music over the loudspeakers. Sexwale was asked which song he played. He replied, “He loved ‘Jolene,’” and “No human being cannot be affected by ‘Jolene.’”
Why “Jolene” struck a chord with Nelson Mandela is unclear. Regardless, the monumental man clearly had quite an affinity for this song, as this freedom of choice was likely a rarity during his sentence. So, he seemingly had to make it count. In totality, this story is a testament to the eradication of ideological and racial boundaries. As the South African political prisoner, Nelson Mandela, found an inkling of freedom and comfort in the music of the blonde-haired American country music star, Dolly Parton.
Photo by R. Diamond/Getty Images
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