As well as the mega-hit, several other songs by the country music icon made the top 10, including I Will Always Love You, 9 to 5, and Islands in the Stream.
Jolene, released in October 1973 before the album of the same name dropped the following year, was loosely inspired by a bank teller who flirted with her husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 at the age of 82.
Dolly explained the track’s story when she performed in the Legends Slot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2014.
Per The Independent, she told the crowd: “Now, some of you may or may not know that this song was loosely based on a little bit of truth. I wrote that years ago when my husband [was] spending a little more time with Jolene than I thought he should be.”
After fans booed at the revelation, Dolly said that she “got rid of that redhead woman in a hurry”, causing cheers from the crowd.
She told the audience that the experience turned into a Grammy-winning hit and made her wealthy.
Dolly said: “I want you folks to know, though, that something good can come from anything. Had it not been for that woman, I would never have written ‘Jolene’, and I wouldn’t have made all that money, so thank you, Jolene.”
Five decades after its release, the star told how the song affected her relationship with Carl.
Appearing on BBC’s The One Show, Dolly said: “He was a little embarrassed when I wrote the song ‘Jolene’ because, actually, it wasn’t as serious [as it seems].
“I was just jealous ‘cause she was a beautiful woman and he was just flirting.”
While the story inspired the track, the name Jolene came from a young fan she met at one of her concerts.
Dolly told NPR: “One night, I was on stage, and there was this beautiful little girl – she was probably eight years old at the time. And 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.'”
She added: “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.'”
Multiple artists have covered Jolene over the years, including her goddaughter Miley Cyrus, 33, who paid a heartfelt tribute to Dolly on Wednesday.
Taking to Instagram, Miley posted a throwback photo of the pair, with the caption: “The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share. Our most sacred moments were private, and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour and between our hearts.
“What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong. I have an angel by my side. I always have. One of our last conversations was about music and metamorphosis. [butterflies emoji]
“I will always love her and want to make her proud. My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply. We’re in this loss together and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things [heart emoji] @dollyparton (sic)”
On Tuesday, Dolly’s representatives confirmed in a statement that she died following a “brief battle” with cancer.
They said: “Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.
“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.
“After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”
Dolly had been admitted to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville on Friday (21.08.26), and while her representatives did not disclose the type of cancer she was suffering from, it has been reported that she was facing kidney and autoimmune problems before her death.
Dolly’s passing was announced in a video message from her nephew, Bryan Seaver, shared on her Instagram account on Tuesday.
He said: “My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.
“As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.
“It is an honour, an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.”
