National Post (National Edition)
Women named Jolene have their say about Dolly Parton's song, Beyoncé's cover
For Jolenes, it's almost impossible to escape Dolly Parton's country hit of the same name. It's been that way ever since Parton introduced her chart-topping tune in 1973, inspiring a rise in babies named after the stunning woman with “flaming locks of auburn hair.”
So how does it feel to be a Jolene — especially now that Beyoncé has thrust them back into the national conscious by covering the Parton hit in her album?
Jolene Brighten, a 43-yearold naturopathic endocrinologist living in Puerto Rico, remembers feeling embarrassed by her name in her early teens, slouching in her seat as a substitute teacher started singing Jolene during rollcall.
But, she started accepting the novelty of being Jolene.
“People get really excited and happy, and they're singing the song,” Brighten said. “Even at like 17, 18, I was like, `This is more about them than it is about you, and they're happy. Just let them ride with it. Just let them enjoy it.' ”
Jolène Fender, 41, said that as a child in Canada, she sometimes went by a madeup name.
“The amount of times that people just start singing when you introduce yourself is so awkward,” Fender said. “There's some people that have a nice voice, but most people don't. You're like, `OK, thanks.' ”
Jolene Vargas, a 36-yearold content creator in Whittier, Calif., said a high school classmate, whose crush had fallen for Vargas instead, started using the nickname “Holene.”
Vargas took it in stride. She thought the insult was pretty clever, and she enjoys the unspoken perks of her name. Many Jolenes are involuntarily kept abreast of the latest hit rendition of their namesake songs by people asking if they've heard it. The song's been covered by the White Stripes and countless other artists before Beyoncé. Jolene Fisher, a 31-year-old performer in Los Angeles, especially loves the acoustic cover sung by Miley Cyrus, Parton's goddaughter.
Parton has said the Jolene from her famous song is inspired by two people: a bank teller with red hair who seemed to have a crush on her husband, Carl Dean, and a pretty, red-haired, greeneyed girl named Jolene in the crowd at one of her performances.
In the 10th track of Beyoncé's album Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé doesn't plead with Jolene to stay out of her love life, as Parton did. She warns Jolene instead, singing that Jolene has no shot at swiping Jay-Z from a “Creole banjee ... from Louisianne.”