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Dolly Parton’s Welsh-language rendition of her iconic song “Jolene” was mistakenly uploaded to Spotify with lyrics displayed in Irish. The track, which was recorded prior to Parton’s passing on 25 August, features collaborations with Welsh singer-songwriter Bronwen Lewis and Parton’s niece, Jada Star. Although the song contains a mix of English and Welsh vocals, the accompanying lyrics on the streaming platform were incorrectly labeled as Irish, a mistake that was later corrected after the BBC contacted Spotify.
The single was officially released on 9 October and marks the second posthumous release following Parton’s death. Parton, who traced her heritage back to Wales, enjoyed an extraordinary career lasting over 70 years, during which she won ten Grammy Awards, sold more than 100 million records globally, and composed over 3,000 songs. “Jolene,” originally released in 1973, explores Parton’s anxiety about losing her husband, Carl Dean, to a red-headed bank clerk who reportedly flirted with him early in their marriage. The song earned a Grammy nomination in 1974, became her second number-one hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, and introduced her to the broader Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 60. Over time, “Jolene” has received more than one billion streams on Spotify and has been covered by numerous well-known artists.
The idea for the Welsh version developed after Bronwen Lewis of Neath translated the classic tune and shared it on social media. Following this, Jada Star proposed recording the song in Welsh alongside Lewis, with Parton herself participating remotely from her Nashville studio. Lewis and Star recorded their parts in the United Kingdom. In 2008, during a concert at the Cardiff International Arena, Parton revealed her Welsh ancestry to the audience. Star shared that one branch of Parton’s maternal family, led by Avie Lee Owens, was initially thought to originate from Conwy. However, after Parton’s passing, research by the archives team at Conwy council determined that her ancestral roots traced back to Machynlleth, in Powys, rather than Conwy.
This new rendition of “Jolene” not only pays tribute to Parton’s rich heritage but also highlights the connections between her music and Welsh culture. Despite the lyric labeling error on Spotify, which the company has since rectified, the release continues to celebrate the enduring legacy of Dolly Parton’s work and her family’s cultural background
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