The forthcoming single, scheduled for release on 9 October, marks Parton’s second posthumous release, continuing a career long celebrated for embracing her Welsh roots. The remarkable collaboration began when Lewis, a proud Welsh speaker from Neath, shared a viral video two years ago of Jolene sung in Welsh. The clip caught the attention of Parton’s niece, Jada Star, sparking a cross-Atlantic friendship that led Star to journey from Nashville to Wales to meet Lewis.
As the BBC reports, it was Star’s idea to formally record the Welsh-language version and invite her legendary aunt into the project. After mastering the phonetics of Lewis’s translation, Parton recorded her vocals in her Nashville studio in early 2025. Although plans for Lewis to meet Parton in person were curtailed by the icon’s passing, Star and Lewis pledged to finish the collaboration in her honor.
“To hear Dolly sing in another language, and in Welsh for the very first time, was unbelievable,” Lewis told the BBC.
Parton, who has sold more than 100 million records and penned over 3,000 songs across a glittering seven-decade career, was widely known for her deep affection for Wales, tracing her maternal ancestry back to the region.
This special release comes on the heels of other forthcoming posthumous projects, including a collaboration with U2 slated for November and a mysterious track sealed in a time capsule until 2046. For fans of the late music icon, this poignant Welsh rendition of Jolene serves as a final, heartfelt tribute to her enduring global impact and her cherished link to Wales.
