Releases Friday, January 17, 2025
In the early 1970s, whenever Jolene came on the AM car radio, my parents would turn up the volume and hush us, saying, “That’s your Uncle Chip playing!” The iconic finger-picked guitar on Dolly Parton’s classic was performed by none other than my uncle, Chip Young (aka Jerry Stembridge). Before his passing in 2015, I was lucky enough to hear him play the song a couple times at family reunions. Despite his incredible career, he downplayed it around us – he was always just Uncle Chip to us.
Our version of Jolene takes a different direction from Ms. Parton’s somewhat upbeat original, highlighting the longing and emotional insecurity embedded in the lyrics. We made slight embellishments with Ms. Parton’s lyrics, giving a more modern, and inclusive feel to them.
This video flips the script on emotional struggles, focusing on growth instead of despair. It doesn’t directly touch on polyamory, but it could totally spark convos about relationships and how different approaches, like polyamory, can change the way we see new starts and healthy endings. Rather than spiraling into isolation, the main character chooses peace and moves forward on their own terms.
Credits
- Song: Jolene
- Written by: Dolly Parton
- Originally performed by: Dolly Parton
- Cover performed by: Tears for the Dying (appearing in this video: Adria Stembridge and Joshua Broughton)
- Cover mixed and mastered by: Jason NeSmith and Chase Park Transduction
Video Team
- Director: Franky Villanueva
- Producer/Cinematographer: Blake Pipes
- Makeup Artist: Harmony Kubiak
Actors
- Andi Stanesic
- Kat Williams
- Trevor Aeon
- Page Dukes
- Seren Dickson
- Sebastian Valdivia
- Lilia Reyna
- Lewis Bello
- Eden
Special Acknowledgment
In memory of Jerry Stembridge (Chip Young)