Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” Was Named After a Michigan Girl
“Jolene” became one of Dolly Parton’s best-loved and recognized songs, dating back to 1973. The song was based on two females, the first being a ten-year-old girl from Michigan.
According to Dolly herself, "She had this beautiful red hair, this beautiful skin, these beautiful green eyes, and she was looking up at me, (wanting) an autograph. I said, 'Well, you're the prettiest little thing I ever saw. So what is your name?' And she said, 'Jolene.' And I said, 'Jolene. Jolene. Jolene. Jolene. That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I'm going to write a song about that.'"
And by golly, if Dolly said she was gonna do something, you could usually depend on it.
That little girl was Jolene Reeves, who wrote a book about being “The Original Jolene”. In her book, she reveals that in 1971 while after attending a Dolly concert in Battle Creek, she was spotted by Dolly near the stage where a meet-and-greet was taking place. Jolene wanted to meet her but was dwarfed by the autograph hounds and hangers-on. Her sorrow was noticed by Dolly, who went over and brought her onto the stage and began a conversation with her.
Jolene's name plus her very noticeable red hair left an unforgettable image in Dolly’s mind. This was the genesis of the song. The lyrics were based on a bank teller who was constantly flirting with Dolly’s husband, Carl Dean.....even though Carl never reciprocated her advances, he did make frequent trips to the bank.
Jolene Reeves’ book, The Original Jolene: Life Behind the Lyrics, describes what it was like growing up (what she describes) as "the only Jolene in the world".
You can find the book on Amazon. A picture of the book can be found in the gallery below.
