Jack White Covers “Jolene” Live in Tribute to Dolly Parton: Watch
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Jack White paid tribute to Dolly Parton by performing her song “Jolene” at a London concert on Tuesday night, shortly after news of her death at the age of 80. Video shared by White shows him leading his band through an energetic rendition before pointing skywards and making the sign of the cross, visibly affected by the moment.
The performance was reportedly White’s first cover of “Jolene” since 2007, although The White Stripes had regularly played it live and released their version as the B-side to “Hello Operator”. Parton had previously described that recording as one of the greatest versions of her song, while White and his label, Third Man Records, also praised her artistic influence and charitable work, including the Imagination Library.
- Jack White performed “Jolene” in tribute to Dolly Parton.
- It was reportedly his first cover of the song since 2007.
- White and Third Man Records praised Parton’s cultural and charitable legacy.
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Jack White is a musician best known as one half of The White Stripes, the Detroit rock duo that rose to fame in the early 2000s. That band regularly performed "Jolene," a 1973 country song written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton, and even released their own version, which Parton herself once praised.
Dolly Parton was an American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential figures in country music, with a career spanning decades and a wide-reaching philanthropic record, including a children's book-gifting programme called the Imagination Library. She died on Tuesday at the age of 80, prompting tributes from musicians and figures across the entertainment world.
This matters because it shows how quickly public figures respond to major news through their own work, with White using a live concert appearance to publicly mark Parton's death and reflect the personal connection his music has had to her most famous song.
More coverage
- Rolling Stone — Watch Jack White’s Emotional Cover ‘Jolene’ in Honor of Dolly Parton
- NME — Watch Jack White pay tribute to Dolly Parton with rousing rendition of ‘Jolene’ live in London
- Clash — Jack White Salutes Dolly Parton, Plays ‘Jolene’ In London
- Far Out — Watch Jack White honour Dolly Parton with ‘Jolene’ cover in London: “Instant sainthood”
- Louder — "Thank you, Dolly, for a lifetime of giving back and making the world a little brighter." Watch Jack White pay tribute to Dolly Parton onstage in London by covering Jolene