Music3 min(s) read
For decades, country music fans have sung along to Dolly Parton’s classic hit song 'Jolene,' a track that earned a spot on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the greatest songs of all time as the 217th entry.
While the lyrics tell the tale of a flirtatious bank teller who took an interest in the singer's husband, the inspiration for the name itself came from a brief meeting with a young fan early in Parton's career.
That fan may very well be Juline Whelan, a nurse from Prince George, British Columbia. In 1972, a 10-year-old Whelan attended a country music concert with her family during a trip to Disneyland. As an admirer of the song 'Coat of Many Colors,' she went up to the stage at the end of the show to get an autograph from the artist.
Decades later, after watching a 2015 television movie about the country star, Whelan decided to research the origins of the famous song. Her search led her to a 2008 interview on the Norwegian TV show Lydverket where Parton detailed the moment she selected the title.
The singer recalled, "I got the name from a little girl that had come up to the stage for an autograph in my early, early career."
Parton added, "And I said, 'you are the prettiest thing I've ever seen.' She had this red hair, green eyes and fair skin. And I said 'what is your name?' and she said 'Jolene.' I said. 'I'm gonna write a song about you and if you ever hear it, you'll know it was about you.'"
Whelan matched the physical description of the fan with her red hair, green eyes, and fair skin. Though she did not recall the specific dialogue from their brief 1972 encounter, she noted that people frequently mishear her name as "Jolene."
"Her getting my name as Jolene instead of Juline is totally normal for me, so I wouldn't have even questioned that," Whelan stated. After piecing together her memory of getting the autograph with Parton's description, she realized she was likely the child behind the famous title.
Growing up with a name attached to one of pop culture's most recognizable figures was not always easy for Whelan. Following the release of the track in 1973, classmates and future coworkers frequently sang the lyrics at her.
"It drove me crazy," Whelan recalled. "She's a hussy, man... what little kid wants to be 'Jolene, don't steal my man'?"
Despite the years of annoyance, Whelan eventually embraced her connection to the track. "It's an amazing song. I love the song," she laughed. "Over the years, it's annoyed me ... but I really love the song now."
.webp_SmgFsc?tr=cr-292.0.1244.952,f-webp,q-70,w-100)