Dolly Parton Really Wants Beyoncé To Cover "Jolene," And Her Reason Makes So Much Sense
"Kind of like how Whitney did my ‘I Will Always Love You.'"
Country music icon Dolly Parton is known for gifting fans with so many classic hits. Her 1975 song “Jolene” is a prime example. The beloved anthem has been covered by various artists throughout the years, such as Miley and Noah Cyrus, Reba McEntire, The White Stripes, and Lil Nas X. And the country singer just admitted she has someone special in mind to cover the famous tune next. In a Thursday, March 10 interview with Trevor Noah, Dolly Parton explained why she wants Beyoncé to cover “Jolene.”
In the middle of her The Daily Show interview, Noah brought up Parton’s previously stated wish to have Beyoncé cover her hit song. “I think she’s fantastic and beautiful, and I love her music,” Parton said. “I would just love to hear ‘Jolene’ done in just a big way, kind of like how Whitney [Houston] did my ‘I Will Always Love You,’ just someone that can take my little songs and make them like powerhouses. That would be a marvelous day in my life if she ever does do ‘Jolene.’”
Parton first name-dropped Beyoncé in a Dec. 5, 2020 interview with The Big Issue,“(“Jolene”) as been recorded worldwide over 400 times in lots of different languages, by lots of different bands,” she said. “But nobody's ever had a really big hit record on it. I've always hoped somebody might do someday, someone like Beyoncé.”
As Parton referenced in her explanation, her songs have found massive crossover success before, most notably when Whitney Houston’s 1992 cover of “I Will Always Love You” reimagined Parton’s more low-key original ballad as a bombastic belter.
It’s unclear if Queen B has received this message, but Parton seems to think Beyoncé’s version would be a slam-dunk.
Parton was accompanied by author James Patterson for her The Daily Show appearance. Along with explaining her Beyoncé wishes, Parton and Patterson promoted their new book Run, Rose, Run, which tells the story of up-and-coming country star AnnieLee Keyes, but as she sees more of the dark side to the entertainment industry, she must do whatever she can to survive.
Of course, leave it to Parton to contribute to the book the best way she knows how — writing songs. Just two days after Patterson approached her about the partnership, Parton wrote seven songs focusing on the storyline Patterson presented to her. “I told (Patterson), ‘Now, look, if we’re going to work together, I’m not just going to put my name on a book, if I don’t really work,’” she said. “And I thought ‘How am I going to contribute the most to it?’ And then one day, I thought, ‘Well, I write songs and I know these stories.’”
Only time will tell if Beyoncé will cover “Jolene,” but at least we can pick up Parton’s new book while we wait for the powerhouse cover.
