The Real Story Behind Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene,’ Inspired by Her Husband

The woman Dolly Parton brought to life in her song "Jolene" is perhaps one of country music's most famous fictional characters, with her "flaming locks of auburn hair," "Ivory skin" and "Eyes of emerald green."

In the song, "Jolene" is a woman so beautiful that the narrator's love interest can't help but take a second look. As she sings, Parton makes a desperate plea, begging the woman to "please don't take my man."

She's more than just the stuff of country music legend. Parton says she was based on a real person who got a little too close to her real-life husband, Carl Dean.

In 2008, the singer told NPR that the inspiration behind "Jolene" was a pretty bank teller whom she and Dean met long ago.

"She's got this terrible crush on my husband," Parton recounted. "And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kinda like a running joke between us — when I was saying, 'Hell, you're spending a lot of time at the bank. I don't believe we've got that kind of money.'"

Read More: Inside Dolly Parton's Nearly 60-Year Marriage to Husband Carl Dean

In real life, though, the situation wasn't quite as dire as it sounds in the song.

"So it's really an innocent song all around, but it sounds like a dreadful one," Parton added.

Her name and signature red hair actually came from another source of inspiration. Parton told NPR that part of the song came from a young fan she met at a show, who she estimated was probably about eight years old at the time.

"And she had this beautiful red hair, this beautiful skin, these beautiful green eyes, and she was looking up at me holding [something] for an autograph," the singer recounted.

"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.' I said, 'That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I'm going to write a song about that.' "

Read More: Why Dolly Parton Doesn't Feel Threatened By Jolene Anymore

More recently, she told E! News' Daily Pop that she'd reconnected with Jolene years later, and the meeting cooled her intimidation pretty quickly.

"She was broad as a barn," Parton quipped. "So I didn't feel so threatened anymore. I thought, 'Here's my revenge.'"

She also joked that as the decades passed by in her marriage, the possibility of a "Jolene" sweeping in to steal her husband didn't always seem so bad.

"Every once in a while I see Carl leaned back, snoring in his La-Z-Boy chair, and I think, 'Where's Jolene when I need her?' You can have him now," the singer jokingly added in the same interview. At that point, she and Dean had been married for more than 50 years.

Read More: Dolly Parton's Husband Carl Dean Dead at 82

Dean died on March 3, 2025, at the age of 82, just a couple of months before the couple would have celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary.

In a statement, Parton thanked fans for their prayer and sympathy, saying, "Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can't do justice to the love we shared over 60 years."