According to the BBC, a remarkable new version of Dolly Parton’s timeless classic Jolene is set to be released, featuring the legendary country icon singing parts of the track in Welsh. Recorded before her death on 25 August, the collaboration brings together Parton, her niece Jada Star, and Welsh singer-songwriter Bronwen Lewis.
The upcoming single, slated for release on 9 October, marks the second posthumous release from Parton, who famously embraced her Welsh heritage throughout her life. The extraordinary collaboration began when Lewis, a proud Welsh speaker from Neath, posted a viral video two years ago of herself performing Jolene in Welsh. The cover caught the attention of Parton’s niece, Jada Star, sparking a cross-Atlantic friendship that led Star to travel from Nashville to Wales to meet Lewis.
As the BBC reports, it was Star’s idea to formally record the Welsh-language version and involve her legendary aunt. After learning the phonetics of Lewis’s translation, Parton recorded her vocals in her Nashville studio in early 2025. Though plans for Lewis to meet Parton in person were cut short by the icon's passing, Star and Lewis vowed to finish the project to honour her memory.
"To hear Dolly sing in another language, and in Welsh for the very first time, was unbelievable," Lewis told the BBC.
Parton, who sold over 100 million records and penned more than 3,000 songs over a glittering seven-decade career, was known to hold a deep affection for Wales, tracing her maternal ancestry back to the region.
This special release follows other upcoming posthumous projects, including a collaboration with U2 due in November and a mysterious track locked in a time capsule until 2046. For fans of the late music legend, this poignant Welsh rendition of Jolene serves as a final, heartfelt celebration of her enduring global impact and her cherished connection to Wales.
