{"id":16293,"date":"2025-05-06T23:52:55","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T23:52:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=16293"},"modified":"2025-05-06T23:52:55","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T23:52:55","slug":"dolly-partons-jolene-was-born-from-a-real-life-crush-involving-her-husband-carl-dean-a-flirtatious-red-haired-bank-teller-caught-carls-attention-sparking-the-jea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=16293","title":{"rendered":"Dolly Parton\u2019s Jolene was born from a real-life \u201ccrush\u201d involving her husband, Carl Dean. A flirtatious red-haired bank teller caught Carl\u2019s attention, sparking the jealousy that inspired the now-iconic song. While the lyrics plead with Jolene to stay away, Dolly insists it was written playfully, not bitterly. Decades later, fans still debate whether it\u2019s a desperate plea or a sly warning."},"content":{"rendered":"

Dolly Parton\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0signature hit Jolene was inspired by a stunning bank teller\u00a0who had been partial to her spouse Carl Dean<\/span>, who died Monday at the age of 83.<\/p>\n

The 78-year-old music legend made the revelation about the track, which came out in October of 1973, while in concert at the\u00a0Glastonbury<\/span>\u00a0Festival 2014.<\/p>\n

The Pittman Center, Tennessee-born icon explained to the crowd of how the tune\u00a0 came to be creatively, The Independent reported at the time.<\/p>\n

After performing the song \u2013\u00a0which has been covered by Beyonc\u00e9<\/span> and a host of other artists \u2013 Parton told the crowd, \u2018Now, some of you may or may not know that that song was loosely based on a little bit of truth.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018I wrote that years ago when my husband \u2026 was spending a little more time with Jolene than I thought he should be.\u2019<\/p>\n

After the crowd booed at the news of Dean\u2019s roving eye, Parton reassured the fans she \u2018put a stop to that\u2019 and \u2018got rid of that redhead woman in a hurry,\u2019 spurring cheers from the crowd.<\/p>\n

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Dolly Parton\u2019s signature hit Jolene was inspired by a lady who had been partial to her spouse Carl Dean, who died Monday at the age of 83. Pictured in England in 2014<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The 78-year-old music legend made the revelation about the track, which came out in October of 1973, while in concert at the Glastonbury Festival 2014<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Parton told the audience that channeling her emotions from the uncomfortable situation into a Grammy-winning song ultimately made her very wealthy.<\/p>\n

\u2018I want you folks to know, though, that something good can come from anything,\u2019 Parton said. \u2018Had it not been for that woman I would never have written Jolene and I wouldn\u2019t have made all that money, so thank you, Jolene.\u2019<\/p>\n

Speaking with\u00a0NPR\u00a0in a 2008 chat, Parton said that the woman who inspired the track had \u2018this terrible crush on [her] husband.\u2019<\/p>\n

She added, \u2018And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention.<\/p>\n

\u2018It was kinda like a running joke between us \u2013 when I was saying, \u201cHell, you\u2019re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don\u2019t believe we\u2019ve got that kind of money.\u201d So it\u2019s really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one.\u2019<\/p>\n

Parton told NPR about the physical characteristics the woman displayed and how they differed from her own.<\/p>\n

\u2018She had everything I didn\u2019t, like legs,\u2019 Parton said. \u2018You know, she was about 6 feet tall.<\/p>\n

\u2018So no matter how beautiful a woman might be, you\u2019re always threatened by certain\u2026 You\u2019re always threatened by other women, period.\u2019<\/p>\n

While the emotions brought about by the bank teller made for the creative backbone of the hit song, Parton said the name Jolene itself was from a young fan who attended one of her concerts.<\/p>\n

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Parton\u2019s spouse Carl Dean died Monday at the age of 83. Pictured in 2019 in Brentwood, Tennessee<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Parton said in a statement about her late spouse on Monday, \u2018Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can\u2019t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018One night, I was on stage, and there was this beautiful little girl \u2013 she was probably 8 years old at the time,\u2019 she told the outlet. \u2018And she had this beautiful red hair, this beautiful skin, these beautiful green eyes, and she was looking up at me, holding, you know, for an autograph.<\/p>\n

\u2018I said, \u201cWell, you\u2019re the prettiest little thing I ever saw. So what is your name?\u201d And she said, \u201cJolene.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parton added, \u2018And I said, \u201cJolene. Jolene. Jolene. Jolene.\u201d I said, \u201cThat is pretty. That sounds like a song. I\u2019m going to write a song about that.\u201d\u2018<\/p>\n

Parton\u2019s publicist told the AP in a statement Monday that Dean passed away Nashville, Tennessee, and that his funeral will be a private ceremony restricted to relatives.<\/p>\n

Parton said in a statement about her late spouse on Monday, \u2018Carl and I spent many wonderful years together.<\/p>\n

\u2018Words can\u2019t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dolly Parton\u2019s\u00a0signature hit Jolene was inspired by a stunning bank teller\u00a0who had been partial to her spouse Carl Dean, who died Monday at the age of 83…. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nDolly Parton\u2019s Jolene was born from a real-life \u201ccrush\u201d involving her husband, Carl Dean. A flirtatious red-haired bank teller caught Carl\u2019s attention, sparking the jealousy that inspired the now-iconic song. While the lyrics plead with Jolene to stay away, Dolly insists it was written playfully, not bitterly. 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