How did Dolly Parton react to Beyoncé’s reimagined version of “Jolene”?

Dolly Parton is tipping her cowboy hat to Beyoncé.

The country superstar praised the “Cowboy Carter” songstress for reimagining one of her most iconic tracks, the 1973 hit “Jolene.” Known for its vulnerable plea — “I’m beggin’ of you, please don’t take my man” — the song took on a fiercer tone in Beyoncé’s vocals.

Her updated version, featured as the 10th track off her Cowboy Carter album, flips the script:

“I’m warning you, don’t come for my man.”

In her recent chat with PEOPLE, Dolly Parton shared:

“I was just honored that she, of course, did a completely different take on ‘Jolene’ than my version of it. Hers was more like, ‘Well, you're not getting him, you're not taking him, you're going to go through me to get him.’ Mine was more like, ‘Please don't take him!’ So I loved her interpretation.”

The two icons crossed musical paths more than once on Cowboy Carter.

Dolly Parton makes two appearances: first as a fictional radio DJ on the track “Dolly P,” and later on “Tyrant,” a song deeper into the record.

Calling Beyoncé’s album “really, really good,” Parton couldn’t help but gush over her admiration for the 32-time Grammy winner.

“I’m a huge fan of hers — I mean, who's not? Everybody loves her. I think she's a magnificent artist, beautiful and the dancing in addition to the singing.”

Parton also reflected on the joy of seeing her work reinterpreted so powerfully.

“As a writer, you like to hear how different people interpret your songs, and how they put their own spin and do their own take on it. But I was very proud of it, and I hope her tour does great, and I'm sure it will. People seem to be loving it.”

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Dolly Parton breaks into the Broadway spotlight — just not center stage

Dolly Parton’s life is getting the theatrical treatment in Dolly: An Official Musical. It begins previews on July 18 at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville and officially opens on August 8.

A Broadway premiere is also set for 2026.

Parton opened up about what it’s been like seeing her life story unfold during the show’s creation.

“I have a lot of mixed emotions about the whole thing. It was very emotional, you know, just to watch the whole thing. When it started, I'd cry some, and then I'd laugh some, and I think, ‘Oh, my Lord, why did I do that?’ Or just, ‘How did I ever have the time to do all that?’”

Despite the emotional rollercoaster, Dolly Parton has been deeply involved in the process: writing new songs, incorporating familiar hits, and helping shape the narrative. But don’t expect a strict timeline or a glossy retelling.

“It's got a lot of good country music in it, a lot of good country stories. It also has a lot of the big orchestration, all the things that I've always dreamed about having my songs and stories on stage and telling my life story.”

The music legend also admitted that she waited until now, decades into her iconic career, to finally tell her story with full honesty.

“I waited for a while till I was this old so I could tell it so, so I could tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth — So, help me, Lord!”