Half a century after Dolly Parton released Jolene, a nightclub inspired by the iconic hit single has officially opened in New York.
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According to New York Daily News, the Jolene nightclub has opened in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn at the Moxy hotel chain’s first location. It is described as a 150-person space that is “reminiscent of the 1970s and 1970s nightclubs. Its website reads, “The retro-themed high energy room celebrates local music culture and draws top talent from Brooklyn’s thriving nightlife scene, as well as the global dance music circuit. DJ/Producer and Brooklyn local Will Buck will be spearheading programming for Jolene.”
The Dolly Parton-inspired club is said to represent the first formal collaboration between Moxy Williamsburg, Bar Lab Hospitality, and the three principals behind Space, III Points and Link Miami Rebels, Davide Danese, Coloma Kaboomsky, and David Sinopoli.
Elad Zvi of Bar Lab Hospitality, which collaborated with the Moxy to create the Dolly Parton-inspired space, shared more details about Jolene. “This is the place to dance, drink, relax, and just completely be yourself to the sound of the best music around.”
Among those performing during Jolene’s opening weekend lineup are DJ Delish, Kels, Shawn Dub, Analog Soul, Eli Scobar, and Haruka.
Dolly Parton Shares the Real Story Behind Her Iconic Track ‘Jolene’
In a 2008 interview with NPR, Dolly Parton revealed the story behind her single Jolene. According to Parton, the story is not what anyone would expect.
“One night, I was on stage, and there was this beautiful little girl,” the country music legend recalled. “She was probably 8 years old at the time.”
Dolly Parton said the little girl had beautiful red hair, skin, and green eyes. She couldn’t hold back and told the little girl that she was the prettiest thing she’s ever seen. Then Parton asked what her name was, and the little girl said Jolene. “I said, ‘That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I’m going to write a song about that.’”
However, Parton also shared the inspiration for her song from another red hair in her life at the time. She revealed a bank teller was giving her husband, Carl Dean, some inappropriate attention. “She got this terrible crush on my husband,” Dolly explained. “And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention.”
Parton further explained that it was kind of a running joke between her and Dean. “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.’”
Dolly Parton went on to add that the song is “innocent” all around and wasn’t fully inspired by the bank teller. That is, despite it sounding “dreadful.”