Olivia Newton-John has posthumously released a duet with Dolly Parton of the country singer’s iconic track, ‘Jolene’.
Olivia Newton-John passed away in August 2022 at the age of 73 after a battle with breast cancer. According to her family, she passed peacefully in her ranch in southern California.
The Australian singer won multiple Grammys and was known for her role as Sandy in the movie Grease. Her collaboration with Dolly Parton was recorded just before her death as part of her upcoming album Just the Two of Us, which will be released posthumously on May 5th.
Newton-John had expressed her desire to collaborate with Parton in a 2021 interview. “I have always wanted to record with Dolly,” she said. “She was always there for me and what she did for me early on in my career in Nashville is something I will never forget”.
The song is available on Olivia Newton-John’s official Youtube channel. Before beginning their performance, both singers discuss how excited they are about their collaboration. “I am so excited to be working with Olivia Newton-John”, said Parton. She described Newton-John as “one of my favourites of all time”. “We’ve kind of always stayed close through the years and I’m so proud to be a part of this duet project that she’s doing”.
Parton’s song ‘Jolene’ was released in 1973 and was the first single and the title track of her 1974 studio album. In 2004 it ranked number 217 on Rolling Stone’s ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time’. When the list was revised in 2021 it ranked at number 63.
In a press release following Newton-John’s death, Parton explained that the last memory of her was when they both recorded ‘Jolene’. “I cannot wait to hear that album, she said, “and Olivia may you rest in peace. You left a spot that one else will ever fill”.
