Country music legend Dolly Parton is due feature on a new song to continue the legacy of one of her most iconic songs. The Queen of Country will join emerging country artist, Belles, on a new track inspired by her 1973 hit, Jolene. Continuing the Classic Story Son of Jolene was written by Belles, whose real name is Kelli Belles, as a clever, character-driven continuation of the classic story, imagining a chance encounter years later with Jolene’s son. Sharing her inspiration for the song, Belles shared with her management company, Red Light Management, “I grew up so inspired by Dolly and the worlds she created through her songs. “Having her lend her voice to this record is beyond anything I could have imagined. It feels like a full-circle moment and a true honour.” Release Date and Promotion Plans The song is due out on Friday, April 17. Belles, who hails from Nebraska, released her self-titled EP in September last year. She is due to promote Son of Jolene at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville next month. A History of Jolene Reinterpretations This certainly won’t be the first time someone has tried to re-imagine or re-frame Jolene; in 1995, Kirsty MacColl released Caroline, which is told from the other woman’s point of view. More recently, Chapel Hart released another answer song called You Can Have Him Jolene in 2021. A version of the song called Vaccine went viral in 2020 after Dolly donated $1 million towards research into a vaccine for COVID-19. The song has also been covered by numerous artists including Beyoncé who covered the song and changed some of the lyrics on her 2024 album, Cowboy Carter. Other artists who have covered the hit have included Pentatonix (this version featured Dolly herself), Olivia Newton-John, The White Stripes, Måneskin, Lil Nas X and Miley Cyrus.
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