Did You Know Olivia Newton-John Recorded “Jolene” By Dolly Parton?
Although Olivia Newton-John shot to instant superstardom after playing Sandy in Grease, she had already been singing for years.
Her musical style could not be defined by just one genre. She experimented with pop, country, and a little bit of disco for good measure.
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In 1976, two years before she performed “You’re the One That I Want” on the silver screen, Newton-John recorded and released her version of a classic country tune. That tune became a big hit for its original artist three years prior.
It’s a little tune by the name of “Jolene.”
Dolly Parton wrote and originally recorded “Jolene.” The song quickly became one of the biggest hits of her career. Its success led many other artists to record their own renditions, including Newton-John.
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Listen To Olivia’s Version Of “Jolene” Below
When Newton-John released her album Come On Over in 1976, she included her cover of Parton’s iconic song. Her version of “Jolene” was never released in the United States as a single, but it was one of her official singles in Japan.
Newton-John’s “Jolene” is quite different in style from Parton’s, but we like how she took it and made it completely her own. We stumbled across some old footage of one of her performances, and after just a few seconds we got the itch to get up and dance. It’s impossible to listen to Newton-John sing “Jolene” without feeling the urge to boogie!
Beyond being full of fun, Newton-John’s performance of “Jolene” showcased her talent as a singer to the highest degree. Just wait until you hear her hit some of those high notes…you’ll have goosebumps!
But enough talk, tune in below to relive Newton-John’s incredible performance of “Jolene” in the video below.
Shortly before Olivia Newton-John died in 2022, she re-recorded “Jolene” with Dolly Parton herself. Listen to that updated recording here.