Jack White honored Dolly Parton by covering her classic song “Jolene” during his performance in London on Tuesday night (Aug. 23).
Earlier in the day, Parton died at the age of 80. The country singer’s passing spawned an outpouring of tributes from fellow musicians and fans alike, as people from all walks of life celebrated Parton’s career and philanthropic achievements. White, a longtime admirer of Parton’s, posted a simple tribute on Instagram which read “Instant sainthood,” alongside a classic image of the country star. Then, during his concert at the Eventim Apollo in London, he opted to celebrate Parton with one of her best-known tunes.
After opening his set with the recent single “That’s How I’m Feeling,” followed by the White Stripes classic “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground,” White surprised the crowd by launching into “Jolene” for the first time in 19 years.
READ MORE: Dolly Parton Dies: Rockers React
In a clip shared on social media (which you can watch below), White can be seen rocking through the emotionally-charged song. At one point he looked away and pointed to the sky, before then clasping his hands as if he was saying a prayer of thanks for Parton.
According to setlist.fm, the last time White performed “Jolene” in concert was 2007 during the White Stripes’ July 24 concert at Madison Square Garden. He had not performed it live during his solo career until today.
Jack White’s Connection to ‘Jolene’
Parton originally released the song in 1974. It reached No. 1 on the country chart and earned the singer a pair of Grammy nominations. Decades later, the White Stripes put their own unique spin on the tune – first releasing it as the B-side to the single “Hello Operator,” before later making it a staple of their live sets (Parton referred to their interpretation of the tune as “wonderful”).
White was drawn to “Jolene” even before he became a musician.
“I thought that was an interesting name when I started hearing that song as a teenager,” he recalled to NPR in 2008. “And I guess later on, as a songwriter, I started to think about names starting with ‘J,’ like that could be used almost accusatory, like Jezebel… Jolene.”
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