Dolly Parton's voice will return on October 9 with an unexpected twist: the country legend singing parts of "Jolene" in Welsh. Featuring Welsh singer-songwriter Bronwen Lewis and Parton's niece, Jada Star, the collaboration is being announced as her second posthumous release following her death on August 25.
The project began when Lewis shared a Welsh rendition of "Jolene" online, attracting Star's attention. Their connection developed into a friendship and eventually a recording opportunity that brought the song's original writer into the collaboration.
Parton recorded her contribution in Nashville in early 2025 after working through the pronunciation of the Welsh lyrics. For Lewis, hearing that unmistakable voice sing in her own language turned an ambitious idea into something deeply personal.
The recording also carries a family connection through Parton's Welsh ancestry. Star and Lewis said she was proud to sing in Welsh, giving the familiar country classic an added significance beyond its new arrangement.
Lewis had hoped to meet Parton for the release, but that meeting never happened. Following her death, the collaborators chose to complete the project, preserving a musical encounter that now arrives with the weight of remembrance.
The single follows "Bound to Ride," released in September as Parton's first posthumous recording. Recorded with the First Ladies of Bluegrass, that performance will appear on the forthcoming Stanley Brothers tribute album, Where the Soul Never Dies.
For listeners, the new "Jolene" offers the chance to hear a familiar voice attempt something unexpected. For her niece and fellow collaborator, its release also fulfills a shared undertaking-one Parton helped bring to life before they knew they would have to finish it without her.
