<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a Dolly Parton<\/a> fan, you know \u201cJolene\u201d isn\u2019t just a song \u2014 it\u2019s part of country music history.<\/p>\n The country icon\u2019s 1973 breakthrough hit was inspired by a real-life bank teller who paid a little too much attention to her husband, Carl Dean<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention,\u201d Parton once shared, explaining that what sounded dramatic was actually rooted in an inside joke.<\/p>\n Years later, she added, \u201cHad it not been for that woman<\/a>, I would never have written \u2018Jolene,\u2019 and I wouldn\u2019t have made all that money, so thank you, Jolene.\u201d<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Taylor Swift Joins the Songwriters Hall of Fame \u2014 These 6 Country Icons Got There First<\/a><\/p>\n More than 50 years later, a new generation is continuing the story \u2014 and Parton herself is on board.<\/p>\n Country singer Belles<\/strong> has written what she calls a sequel of sorts to \u201cJolene,\u201d titling her new single \u201cSon of Jolene.\u201d<\/p>\n The 26-year-old imagines what might have happened years after Parton\u2019s desperate plea. In Belles\u2019 version, Jolene\u2019s son inherits his mother\u2019s striking looks \u2014 but not much of her respect for boundaries<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s just like his mother \/ Is it any wonder? \/ That I caught him in the dead of night with lipstick on his suit and tie,\u201d she sings, suggesting the apple didn\u2019t fall far from the tree.<\/p>\n The concept is clever<\/a> \u2014 and apparently, Parton thought so, too.<\/p>\n \u201cSon of Jolene\u201d eventually made its way to one of Parton\u2019s producers, who shared it with the country legend. Not only did she approve \u2014 she decided to join the track.<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>The Top 20 Dolly Parton Songs, Ever<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhen I heard \u2018Son of Jolene,\u2019 I thought it was very clever,\u201d Parton told People<\/em><\/a>. \u201cNo one had ever thought of it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n Parton even lends her voice to the song, giving the sequel a stamp of approval that few reinterpretations of \u201cJolene\u201d could ever claim.<\/p>\n Belles has leaned into the connection in other ways, too, recently posting a clip of herself using the same stripped-down recording<\/a> setup Parton used when she first cut \u201cJolene\u201d in 1973.<\/p>\n \u201cSon of Jolene\u201d is set for release on April 17, 2026.<\/p>\n More than five decades after Jolene first walked into that bank, it seems her story isn\u2019t over<\/a> \u2014 it may have just gone digital.<\/p>\n The country queen turned 80 years old on Jan. 19, 2026. Consider this our birthday card, or a long letter that states all the ways she’s appreciated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBelles Brings \u2018Jolene\u2019 to Life\u2026 With a Twist<\/h3>\n
Dolly Parton Has Thoughts \u2014 and Joins In<\/h3>\n
Dolly Parton: 80 Years and 80 Unforgettable Moments<\/h2>\n