On Wednesday (October 15), Dolly Parton celebrated the 52nd anniversary of her iconic 1973 hit “Jolene” by sharing a throwback performance video on Instagram. The song was the lead single and chart-topping title track on Parton’s 1974 album. “Jolene” was ranked No. 63 on Rolling Stone’s 2024 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014. Parton said the tune was loosely inspired by a real redhead who worked at a bank and liked to flirt with her late husband. The 79-year-old country music icon affectionately captioned her post, “52 years of “Jolene!” 💖 🎶” The song remains a signature country classic covered by over 30 artists, including The White Stripes, Olivia Newton-John, Miley Cyrus, and Beyoncé, who reimagined the song on her Grammy winning 2024 album, Cowboy Carter, with Parton contributing to the cover’s interlude, “Dolly P.” (People)
