A new rendition of Dolly Parton’s signature song Jolene is scheduled for release on 9 October, marking the second posthumous release from the country music icon following her death on 25 August. The recording features Parton singing portions of the track in Welsh alongside Welsh singer-songwriter Bronwen Lewis and Parton’s niece Jada Star.
Lewis, a BBC Radio Wales presenter and native Welsh speaker from Neath, had previously posted a video of herself performing Jolene in Welsh translation, which gained significant online attention. This viral moment eventually led to contact with Parton’s family, and Star traveled to Wales to meet Lewis in person, attending Pride Cymru together. According to accounts shared in a promotional video, Star suggested recording the song in Welsh and subsequently approached her aunt about participating in the project.
Parton recorded her vocal portions at her Nashville studio in early 2025 after learning the phonetics of Lewis’s translation. Lewis had planned to travel to the United States to meet with Parton to finalize the release, but Parton’s death occurred before that meeting could take place. Despite this loss, both Lewis and Star described completing the collaboration as an honor and indicated that Parton had expressed pride in singing in the Welsh language.
Parton, who claimed Welsh ancestry through her mother’s family line—the Owens—had previously collaborated on songs in other languages, including Latin compositions and an Irish folk track in 2011. Following her death, archival research by Conwy council staff suggested her ancestors originated from Machynlleth rather than Conwy as previously believed. Star and Lewis have indicated that Parton’s Welsh heritage may have influenced her musical compositions throughout her seven-decade career.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI