Before She Died, Olivia Newton-John Re-Recorded “Jolene” With Dolly Parton

On August 8, 2022, Olivia Newton-John’s husband, John Easterling, announced on her social media accounts that she had passed away at the age of 73.

He shared a photo of his beautiful wife and wrote, “Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the @onjfoundation.”

 

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Many celebrities took to social media to mourn Olivia, including her good friend Dolly Parton. The Queen of Country wrote on Instagram, “So sad to have lost my special friend Olivia Newton-John. So happy that our lives crossed paths. I know her voice is singing beautifully with the angels.”

 

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In a new interview with Hoda Kotb, Easterling revealed that she had recorded one final song before she passed away, a duet to “Jolene” with her special friend Dolly. Dolly, of course, released her iconic song in 1973, and Olivia recorded and released her own version three years later.

The audio was released on YouTube on Thursday (Feb 16), but the footage of the two legends recording the song was released on Friday (Feb. 17). In it, Dolly says, “I’m so excited to be working with Olivia Newton-John, one of my favorite artists of all time.”

The camera cuts to Olivia, who looked a little nervous while saying, “I’m excited. I’ve always wanted to sing with Dolly.”

They dove into the song, and both sounded amazing. We’re so lucky that they recorded this and that Easterling released it. It’s like Olivia is still here…

Watch their duet below.