Dolly Parton Wants 'Someone Like Beyoncé' to 'Someday' Record a 'Jolene' Cover

From Olivia Newton-John's sped-up version to Becky G and Chiquis' recent Spanish version, dozens of artists have recorded covers of Dolly Parton's "Jolene." However, the country legend has an ideal person in mind for a new cover: Beyoncé.

"It has been recorded worldwide over 400 times in lots of different languages, by lots of different bands," Parton, 74, told The Big Issue. "The White Stripes did a wonderful job of it, and many other people."

"But nobody's ever had a really big hit record on it," she continued. "I've always hoped somebody might do someday, someone like Beyoncé."

The possible tribute wouldn't be so far-fetched since in 2016, Diana Gordon, who co-wrote several of Beyoncé's tracks on Lemonade, told Refinery29 that Beyoncé nearly namedropped Jolene in the iconic "Becky with the good hair" line from "Sorry." Beyoncé, 39, also performed a cover of the Parton-written "I Will Always Love You" (made famous by the late Whitney Houston) during her tour in 2012.

When talking to the outlet about what she'd tell her younger self, Parton said she'd "tell her about 'I Will Always Love You.'"

"To me, that is really a classic love song. I had a No. 1on it twice, once in the 1970s, then I did it in the movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and had another No. 1 in the 1980s," she said. "And then Whitney did it and it was considered one of the greatest love songs of all time."

"Still to this day I take a lot of pride in that. So I'd tell my younger self, you're going to end up being very proud of your little old self one day," she added. "So just buckle up and be ready for the ride."

In the interview, Parton also revealed that "it is possible" that she wrote both "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" on the same day.

"I've got my pride and I've got my strength. But when I write a song, I'm vulnerable at those moments," she said. "I leave my heart out on my sleeve. I've always said I have to leave my heart open in order to receive those kinds of songs. I have to feel everything to be a real songwriter."

The new interview comes just a day after the airing of her A Holly Dolly Christmas special on CBS and the release of her Netflix film Christmas on the Square.

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