Just The Two Of Us: The Duets Collection, a posthumous album by Olivia Newton-John, arrives on May 5 and features guests appearances by Mariah Carey, Michael McDonald, John Travolta, Barry Gibb and one of Newton-John's most visible and vocal supporters in the country music space, Dolly Parton. A video of Parton and and Newton-John's duet of "Jolene" offers a behind-the-scenes look at the recording process plus some insight into two celebrities' longtime friendship.
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During the video's intro, Parton praises Newton-John as a person and a musical talent, declaring her "one of my favorites of all time."
"We've always stayed close through the years, and I am just so proud to be part of this duets project that she's doing," Parton added. "We're singing one of my favorite [songs] that I've ever written, 'Jolene'. She says it's one of her favorites, so why not just do a duet on our favorite?"
"[Parton] was always there for me and what she did for me early on in my career in Nashville is something I will never forget," Newton-John shared in a press release. The two became friends around the time that Newton-John won the CMA's 1974 Female Vocalist of the Year award. The UK-born multimedia star remains the only artist from outside of the United States to win one of the industry's most prestigious prizes.
Newton-John previously recorded "Jolene" for her 1976 country-pop album Come on Over. In all likelihood, both singers' newest take on "Jolene" is their first released duet together.
Newton-John died at age 73 on Aug. 8, 2022 after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.
Parton's working on her own collaborative album, Rock Star, which will feature an all-star cast of collaborators for covers of the Rolling Stones, Prince, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd and other rock icons.
