Dolly Parton has finally revealed where the woman is who inspired her classic 1973 hit country song “ Jolene .”
“The real story was about my husband, Carl,” she said during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon .
Dolly went on to explain the tale of a young woman who worked at the local bank when she and Carl first married. The singer revealed that her husband was spending a lot of time at the bank with Jolene and she surmised that something might be going on between them.
Thankfully Dolly’s assumptions did not come to pass. She and Carl are still happily married after 54 years. The couple tied the knot in 1966.
Dolly told the talk show host that she saw Jolene not long ago and said, “she’s not so hot now.”
“She used to have that beautiful red hair and now she’s gray. She used to have a little tight butt. Now, it’s a tight spot getting her butt through the door now. She used to wear a D-cup — now she’s wearing Depends,” she quipped.
“Jolene” was ranked No. 217 on Rolling Stone ‘s list of “the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” in 2004 and has been covered by over 20 different artists, including Dolly’s goddaughter, Miley Cyrus .
While the titular woman — according to Dolly — may not be as inspiring now as she was when she was younger, Dolly has not faced that decline. She has gone on to become more successful than ever as she enters a new phase of her entertainment career.
The singer and songwriter also promoted her Netflix series Heartstrings during her The Tonight Show appearance.
In the trailer for Heartstrings , the country superstar shares that the show is the story of her life set to music and includes “every triumph, every struggle, every smile, every sorrow” she’s experienced. Along with the story of “Jolene,” the show will tell seven additional tales inspired by some of Dolly’s most memorable hit songs, including “Two Doors Down,” “If I Had Wings,” “Cracker Jack,” “Down From Dover,” “Sugar Hill,” “J.J. Sneed,” and “These Old Bones.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk0dfTAH7ME
Dolly is also starring in the new series alongside Camryn Manheim, Timothy Busfield, Vanessa Rubio, Ginnifer Goodwin, Julianne Hough , Delta Burke, Tammy Lynn Michaels, Bellamy Young, Mac Davis, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Gerald McRaney, and Kathleen Turner.
The music for Heartstrings is just a glimpse into the library of work the country music chart-topper has amassed throughout her career, which includes 44 Country Top 10 albums, 107 Hot Country Songs-charting singles, and dozens of awards and accolades.
