Dolly Parton Recorded 'Jolene' in Welsh Before Death — SkimNews
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- Dolly Parton recorded a Welsh-language version of 'Jolene' with Bronwen Lewis and her niece Jada Star before her death on 25 August; the single is set for 9 October release as her second posthumous release.
- Bronwen Lewis, a Welsh speaker from Neath, originally posted a video of herself singing 'Jolene' in Welsh that went viral and caught Star's attention, sparking the collaboration.
- Jada Star traveled from Nashville to Wales to meet Lewis at Pride Cymru, suggested they record 'Jolene' officially in Welsh, and enlisted her aunt; Parton recorded her parts at her Nashville studio in early 2025 after studying the Welsh phonetics.
- Parton's Welsh roots trace through the Owens side of her mother's family; following her death, Conwy council archives research suggested her ancestors were from Machynlleth, not Conwy as previously thought.
- Parton won 10 Grammy awards, sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and wrote more than 3,000 songs across a seven-decade career.
Why it matters: The Welsh-language 'Jolene' is a rare posthumous artifact: Parton — who told Wales Online that her mother's Owens family came from Wales — singing her most iconic song in the language tied to those roots. The release also lands alongside new Conwy council archives research that shifts her family's Welsh origin point from Conwy to Machynlleth, sharpening the cultural claim for Welsh audiences and the global country fanbase.
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