See Adele’s Stunning Re-Creation of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’-Era Look
UPDATE: Dolly Parton has responded to Adele‘s homage to her “Jolene”-era style in a video posted to Twitter, in which she expresses her astonishment that the 25 artist counts her as an influence.
.@Adele you’re so fabulous! I will always love you! ? pic.twitter.com/WCPVsZ9PmG
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) January 31, 2018
In her 50-plus years as an entertainer, Dolly Parton has inspired many drag performers to adopt and exaggerate her signature look, even entering – and losing – a drag lookalike contest herself, after garnering the least applause from the unsuspecting audience. But the latest homage to the global superstar’s sky-high wig, and vintage, form-fitting Seventies pantsuit comes courtesy of one of Parton’s most famous fans: pop star Adele.
In an Instagram post Tuesday morning, the British singer shared a photo of herself made up in a blonde wig and thick blue eye shadow, wearing a salmon-colored rhinestone-and feather-festooned jacket and pants. Posing with an acoustic guitar that’s barely covering her fringe-enhanced white blouse, the shot could easily be mistaken for a backstage photo of Parton at the start of her meteoric rise to pop and country stardom, with early hits including “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.”
Although it’s as yet unclear what the circumstances are surrounding the photo, Adele’s tribute comes less than two weeks after Parton’s 72nd birthday, during which she earned two Guinness World Records. In the accompanying message, Adele writes: “The effortless queen of song, Dolly Parton! We love you! We wish We could possess an ounce of your ability. You were the hero of our night! A hero of my life. I’ll always love you x.” Parton’s Instagram account responded, “And I will always love you!”
In 2016, Parton included a song on her Pure & Simple LP called “Head Over High Heels,” name-checking Adele in a verse about copying her now-signature eye makeup. “I love her!” Parton told Digital Spy when her album was released that summer. “I would love to do something with her. I just love her. I love how she looks, I love how she sings, I love how she is.”
Adele is, of course, no stranger to country songs. A deluxe version of her 2011 LP 21 included the singer’s rendition of Chris Stapleton’s “If It Hadn’t Been for Love.” And, in 2017 both Parton and Adele contributed songs (separately) to Cover Stories, a collection of songs originally featured on Brandi Carlile’s album The Story.