Dolly Parton marks first dose of Covid vaccine she helped fund with Jolene rewrite
"Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, I'm begging of you, please don't hesitate!"
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Instagram/@dollyparton
Dolly Parton has received her first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine she helped fund.
What’s more, the music icon celebrated the milestone and encouraged others to follow her lead by rewriting the lyrics to her classic hit ‘Jolene’.
Genius!
Dolly received the jab at Vanderbilt University Medical Center [VUMC] in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday.
In a video released online, the star tells fans: “I’ve been waiting a while – I’m old enough to get it and I’m smart enough to get it.”
“I’m begging of you, please don’t hesitate!”
“Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, I’m begging of you, please don’t hesitate!” the star then sings on the reworked version of Jolene.
The original track, which was first released in 1973, contains the lyrics: “Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, I’m begging of you please don’t take my man.”
A photograph of 75-year-old Dolly receiving the vaccine was also uploaded to Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Parton helped fund an early stage-trial of the Moderna vaccine after donating $1m (£716,000) to VUMC.
In trials, it was found to offer nearly 95% protection against the virus.
Dolly commented on The One Show last year: “I just felt so proud to have been part of that little seed money that will hopefully grow into something great and help to heal this world.
“I’m a very proud girl today to know I had anything at all to do with something that’s going to help us through this crazy pandemic.”
Dolly, known for hits like ‘I Will Always Love You’ and ‘9 To 5’, has sold over 100 million records worldwide.
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