A new version of Dolly Parton's "Jolene," with parts sung in Welsh, will be released Oct. 9. The song was recorded before her death on Aug. 25, making it her second posthumous release.
Who is on the track: The song is a collaboration with Welsh singer-songwriter Bronwen Lewis and Parton's niece, Jada Star.
How it happened: Lewis, a Welsh speaker from Neath, went viral with a Welsh-language "Jolene" on TikTok in February 2024. That caught the attention of Parton's family. After Star visited Wales, she suggested recording the song in Welsh and asked her aunt to join. Parton recorded her part at her studio in Nashville after being given the Welsh pronunciation, while Lewis and Star recorded theirs in the UK.
Why Welsh: Parton has said some of her mother's family, the Owens, came from Wales. Lewis and Star say she was proud to sing in the language.
Interest in the 1973 classic surged after her death, and Spotify streams rose 630 percent worldwide.
Parton often spoke of her Christian faith and gospel roots, and this new recording, made with family and a young artist, shows the same generosity that fans remember.
