Dolly Parton has a career spanning more than six decades, dozens of hits, and the status of one of America's greatest musical icons. Yet few moments from her career are as fascinating as the fact that she wrote two of the songs that marked her career - "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" - almost simultaneously, in 1972.
Eleven Grammy Awards and six Golden Globe nominations are just part of the impressive biography of the American singer-songwriter, whose songs have been among the most performed in the history of country music for decades.
The story behind the song “Jolene”
“Jolene,” now considered a country music classic, is about a jealous woman confronting her rival. Parton recorded the song at the legendary RCA Studio B in Nashville on May 22, 1973.
According to her, the character of Jolene was inspired by two real people - a bank clerk who flirted with her husband Carla Dean, and a striking fan who once asked for her autograph.
The recording also featured a number of well-known Nashville studio musicians, including guitarists Chip Young and Wayne Moss. Released as a single, the song “Jolene” reached number one on the Billboard country charts.
The best evidence of its influence is the sheer number of covers that have followed over the years. To date, there have been 97 different versions of the song, including one recorded by Beyoncé for her 2024 album “Cowboy Carter,” to Parton’s own approval. Other artists who have covered it include Miley Cyrus, The White Stripes, Ellie Goulding, and even British goth band The Sisters of Mercy.
“I Will Always Love You” pridružuje se “Jolene”
Less than a month after recording “Jolene,” Parton returned to Studio B on June 12 to record the emotional ballad “I Will Always Love You,” featuring guitarist Chip Young once again.
The song was dedicated to her mentor, country singer Porter Wagoner, who played a key role in her early success. He gave her a spot on his television show and helped her sign a recording contract with RCA.
When she wrote “I Will Always Love You,” Parton had already decided to end her collaboration with Wagoner and go her own way. The song was intended to express her emotions about leaving her longtime business partner and the person who helped build her career.
"It's a message: just because I'm leaving doesn't mean I don't love you. I appreciate you, I wish you the best, and I'm grateful for everything you've done, but I'm leaving," Parton explained the meaning of the song.
Recalling the moment she first played it for Wagoner, she said she brought him the song and asked him to listen to it. “He cried and said, ‘That’s the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard. You can go, as long as I produce the record.’ And so it was.”
The song reached number one on the Billboard country charts, and it repeated the same success a year later when Parton re-recorded it for the film “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” However, it achieved its greatest worldwide popularity in 1992, when Whitney Houston released her version for the film “The Bodyguard.”
Did Dolly Parton really write “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” on the same day?
In a 2017 interview on “The Bobby Bones Show,” Dolly Parton talked about the creation of the song “I Will Always Love You.”
"I think I wrote it in 1972. Around the same time as 'Jolene.' It was a really good day for songwriting," Parton recalled.
When the host asked her if she wrote both songs on the same day, she replied:
"Yes, I believe it was. It was during that period, because I remember my documentation, and the songs were published quite close together. Everyone was saying, 'What have you been up to, it was such a good day for writing!'"
However, in a 2022 interview, Parton admitted that the songs may not have been written exactly one after the other on the same day.
"Well, I don't actually know if they were written on the same night. When we found the old cassette, both songs were on it. That means they could have been written a few days apart," she said.
Regardless of whether “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” were written in one day or several days apart, the fact remains that creating two such songs in such a short time is a remarkable achievement for any author.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
