Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ Deeply Connected To Late Husband, Carl Dean
- Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ Deeply Connected To Late Husband, Carl Dean - March 4, 2025
- Kelsea Ballerini Reveals Shocking Post-Tour Plans - March 3, 2025
- Thomas Rhett Shows Off Face Tattoo Honoring Wife, Is It Real? - February 26, 2025
Dolly Parton had a smash hit in 1973 with her single, “Jolene.” Yet, many may not know that the song was deeply connected to her late husband, Carl Dean. So, how did he factor into the smash hit, and is there a real Jolene somewhere out there? Keep reading for more details.
Dolly Parton’s Jolene Deeply Connected To Late Husband
On Monday, March 3rd, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly sixty years, Carl Dean passed away. He was 82 and had been ill for a while. This prompted Dolly to step back from such an intense work schedule and focus more on her husband’s needs. She still kept her entrepreneurial ventures going such as a makeup line and jewelry collaboration with Kendra Scott. Furthermore, Dolly and her sister, Rachel launched a cookbook and she has worked with Duncan Hines on boxed mixes. There is nothing she cannot do and Carl Dean has loved her all of the way.
Although he stayed behind the scenes, he was very influential in Dolly’s life and she always praised him. She did try to get him to be a part of her world but after one red carpet early in their marriage, that stopped. He did not care for the fanfare but was more than happy to be there for Dolly no matter what she did. She has been a country superstar and an actress, thriving in every way possible. Now, in the wake of her husband’s passing, his connection to her hit song, “Jolene” is resurfacing.
View this post on Instagram
According to USA Today, Dolly explained that this was inspired by true events when a bank teller had a thing for Carl. It did not hurt that he really liked the attention so he frequented the bank:
She got this terrible crush on my husband. And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kinda like a running joke between us — when I was saying, ‘Hell, you’re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don’t believe we’ve got that kind of money.’ So it’s really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one.
The song has since been covered by artists like Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, The White Stripes, Pentatonix, and the late Olivia Newton-John.
What’s In A Name?
So, after learning about this, was the bank teller’s name Jolene? Dolly Parton shared that she was signing an autograph for a little girl with that moniker and she loved it so much. Furthermore, she adored little Jolene and knew this would make a great song:
She had this beautiful red hair, this beautiful skin, these beautiful green eyes, and she was looking up at me, holding, you know, for an autograph. I said, ‘Well, you’re the prettiest little thing I ever saw. So what is your name?’ And she said, ‘Jolene.’ And I said, ‘Jolene. Jolene. Jolene. Jolene.’ I said, ‘That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I’m going to write a song about that.’
In the song, Dolly begs the woman not to take her man and clearly, she had nothing to worry about. Her and Carl’s love story is one for the ages. They were together for sixty years and very much in love. However, between the bank and this sweet little girl, a classic was written.
Did you know the origin story of “Jolene” and how do you feel knowing that it was inspired by true events? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.