Welcome to Jolene, Dolly Parton’s 13th solo studio album, released in 1974 on RCA and produced by Bob Ferguson.  The album’s title track as well as “I Will Always Love You” were big hits for Parton and even bigger hits for other stars (the latter, of course, for Whitney Houston). The album was released at a time when Parton was beginning to focus on her solo career and moving on from Porter Wagoner’s weekly TV series and road show. Some say “I Will Always Love You” expresses regret about that ending. Ronnie Lankford for AllMusic criticizes the strength of the female characters on this album, and it is interesting to listen to these songs through modern feminist ears. Often the lead on this collection are women who can’t let go of men they should let go of, or women whose men are seduced by other women. This is ironic, considering Dolly Parton’s strength and poise and what a role model she is for so many women and so many women performers.

Lineup

• Casey Harper
• The Tin Man
• Ryan Horne
• Andrea Demarcus
• Faye Webster