This article was first published in 2016.
An individual from Prince George suspects that she might have been the inspiration behind Dolly Parton’s famous song, ‘Jolene.’
Juline Whelan crossed paths with the renowned singer in 1972 and fits the description of the young girl Parton claims prompted the title of the iconic track.
In a 2008 interview with the Norwegian TV show Lydverket, Parton shared, “I got the name from a little girl that had come up to the stage for an autograph in my early, early career. And I said, ‘you are the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.’ She had this red hair, green eyes, and fair skin. And I said ‘what is your name?’ and she said ‘Jolene.’ I said, ‘I’m gonna write a song about you and if you ever hear it, you’ll know it was about you.'”
Could Juline be Jolene?
Juline Whelan cannot recall that specific interaction, but she does remember encountering Parton in 1972, just before the release of Jolene.
Back then, Whelan, a 10-year-old, attended a country music concert featuring Parton while on a family trip to Disneyland.
“At the end of the show they said, ‘anybody that wants to come up on stage for an autograph, come up and get an autograph,'” Whelan recounted.
“I adored her song Coat of Many Colors … so I approached Dolly Parton and obtained her autograph.”
An individual from Prince George suspects that she might have been the inspiration behind Dolly Parton’s song Jolene. Juline Whelan crossed paths with the renowned singer in 1972 and fits the description of the young girl Parton claims prompted the title of the iconic track.
It wasn’t until much later that Whelan realized her meeting might have sparked the singer’s creativity.
After watching a TV movie about Parton’s life in 2015, she decided to delve into some research.
“Her songs are often based on real-life events, so I went and googled Jolene and thought, ‘Well, I’ll find out where that comes from,'” Whelan explained.
Her search led her to the interview where Parton described encountering a red-haired, green-eyed girl named Jolene.
“I thought, ‘Oh wow, this sounds like me’,” Whelan remarked. “‘I was 10 and I went up to her and got an autograph and I have red hair, green eyes, and fair skin… I’m like ‘OK,’ and slowly I started to put the pieces together.”
For Whelan, the frequency