“So that would be a marvelous day in my life if she ever does do ‘Jolene,’” Parton said two years before Beyoncé released her version
Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty; Bettman/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Dolly Parton wanted Beyoncé to cover “Jolene,” a wish she expressed for years before the singer released her 2024 Cowboy Carter version
- “I love that Dolly manifested this,” Tina Knowles said on Instagram of her daughter’s cover after Parton’s death
- Parton also praised Beyoncé’s unique interpretation of her hit song in an interview with PEOPLE in 2025
In the wake of Dolly Parton‘s death, Beyoncé‘s mom Tina Knowles is remembering how the country icon “manifested” her daughter’s “Jolene” cover for years before its release.
One of Parton’s most beloved and well-known songs, the 1973 hit has been covered by hundreds of artists over the years, from Miley Cyrus to The White Stripes. But one recent rendition came at the request of Parton herself: Beyoncé’s.
The 44-year-old musician put her own unique spin on “Jolene” for her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, released in 2024. Less pleading and more of a warning, Beyoncé’s version of the beloved hit features different lyrics and an introduction that directly references the original track.
It’s a cover that Parton asked for publicly for years before it came to fruition — or, as Knowles, 72, phrases it, she “manifested” the track.
On Sunday, Aug. 30, five days after Parton’s death, Knowles shared a clip from the country icon’s 2022 appearance on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, during which host Noah asked for an “update” to her wish to have Beyoncé cover “Jolene.”
“No. I don’t know if she’s even got the message,” Parton said of Beyoncé on the show. “But wouldn’t that be killer? I think she’s fantastic and beautiful and I love her music.”
“I would just love to hear ‘Jolene’ done in just a big way, kind of like how Whitney [Houston] did my ‘I Will Always Love You,’ just someone that can take my little songs and make ‘em like powerhouses,” Parton added at the time. “So that would be a marvelous day in my life if she ever does do ‘Jolene.’ ”
That “marvelous” day came two years later, when Beyoncé released her cover of the song as the 10th track on Cowboy Carter. “I love that Dolly manifested this ♥️🙏🏽🌹,” Knowles wrote alongside The Daily Show clip featuring Parton, which she shared on Instagram.
Credit: STAR INFLUX LA / BACKGRID
Parton shared her feelings about Beyoncé’s version of “Jolene” with PEOPLE in 2025, revealing that she “loved” the rendition and respected how much of a detour it was from the version she had been performing since the ‘70s.
“I was just honored that she, of course, did a completely different take on ‘Jolene’ than my version of it,” Parton told PEOPLE at the time. “Hers was more like, ‘Well, you’re not getting him, you’re not taking him, you’re going to go through me to get him.’ Mine was more like, ‘Please don’t take him!’ ”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“So I loved her interpretation,” the country icon continued. “As a writer, you like to hear how different people interpret your songs, and how they put their own spin and do their own take on it. But I was very proud of it, and I hope her tour does great, and I’m sure it will. People seem to be loving it.”
Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty
Parton also appeared on Cowboy Carter on “Dolly P” as a fake radio DJ queuing up the next set of songs, and contributed to the song “Tyrant,” which is featured later on the record. Elsewhere in her chat with PEOPLE, the country superstar said that the 2024 record is a “really, really good album,” and gushed about Beyoncé’s musical talent.
“I’m a huge fan of hers — I mean, who’s not? Everybody loves her,” Parton said of the Lemonade musician. “I think she’s a magnificent artist, beautiful and the dancing in addition to the singing.”
Parton died on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at age 80. A rep for the “Jolene” singer told PEOPLE that she died following a “brief battle with cancer.” The type of cancer was not disclosed.
She was laid to rest on Friday, Aug. 28 in a private service attended only by immediate family.
Read the full article here
