I have interviewed hundreds of singer-songwriters, including Kelli Belles, and if you ask them who the one person they would like to collaborate with is, nearly all will name “Dolly.”
Kelli Belles is a third-generation entertainer. When I found out that Dolly Parton was actually going to sing with her on a song she had written, I had to learn the story behind it.
Last year, when Belles was on tour, Trevor Martin opened for her. She learned that his mother’s name was Jolene. She told him, “You should write a song about being the son of Jolene. Maybe you have a messed-up love life because your mom’s name is Jolene.”
But it turns out, Martin prefers writing love songs. “I don’t know if I would write that,” he told Belles.
“Well, do you care if I write it?” she asked.
The next week, Belles teamed with Tyler Bank and Dan Harrison to write “Son of Jolene,” a sequel to Dolly’s original “Jolene.”
“We wrote it in about 45 minutes,” she recalled.
Belles penned “Son of Jolene” as a character-driven continuation of the classic story, imagining a chance encounter with Jolene’s son years later. Blending vivid storytelling with a modern country edge, the song honors the spirit of the original track while introducing a fresh perspective.
Belles started posting snippets of the song, and it went viral. Then her publisher, Stephanie Green, sent the song to Kent Wells, who is Dolly Parton’s producer. The problem is that Wells gets sent a lot of songs for Dolly. But he liked it well enough to share it with Dolly, and she loved it and wanted to sing on it. It was Dolly’s enthusiasm that brought the collaboration to life.
Belles was in shock. “I grew up so inspired by Dolly and the worlds she created through her songs. Having her lend her voice to this record is beyond anything I could have imagined. It feels like a full-circle moment and a true honor.”
Dolly thought the song was clever and admired the songwriting on “Son of Jolene.” And while the new song hearkens back to the original and even includes a little riff from it, it is a completely new track with a fresh perspective.
With the words, He’s just like his mother / Is it any wonder? / That I caught him in the dead of night with lipstick on his suit and tie, the song suggests the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
But even if you are blessed to have Dolly sing a duet with you, it doesn’t mean that your voices are a good fit. However, in Belles’ case, they nearly sound like sisters.
She stated, “When I was 13, a studio sound engineer told me that I sounded like Dolly, and that encouraged me to keep singing. Even though I’m from Nebraska, I’ve always had people say that I have a little bit of an Appalachian tone. Just hearing Dolly sing it with me and how our voices blend is totally crazy. It’s such an honor to be able to have that.”
Making waves in Nashville since 2018, Belles has established herself as a powerful voice in country music, building a formidable digital presence with over 1.5 million followers on social media platforms, including in excess of 700,000 on Facebook and 450,000 on TikTok – alongside more than 100 million cumulative views and streams. The independent artist has a global record deal with East Music Row Records, a publishing agreement with Deluge Music, and a management relationship with Red Light Management. Belles has performed alongside artists including Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, and Jake Worthington, and a debut full-length album slated for release in 2026. Belles’ momentum shows no signs of slowing down.
To support “Son of Jolene” and her highly anticipated debut album, Belles will be on her Songs & Stories Tour, traveling across the U.S., including a stint at Bell Buckle Hall in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, on May 1st, and at Hop Springs Brewery in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on July 31st.
Follow Kelli Belles on her website, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and all streaming platforms.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and TikTok.
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