Ella Langley Covers Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' in Auburn

Ella Langley honored Dolly Parton during her concert at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama, performing a cover of Parton's 1974 classic "Jolene."

"Tonight's show didn't feel right without doing something like this," Langley told the crowd before launching into the song, according to a video shared by a fan account, @QueenEllaFan, on August 29, 2026. The post noted that Langley performed the tribute at her alma mater. "Jolene" is currently positioned to potentially reach Number One on the singles chart for the first time next week.

The live performance followed a tribute Langley had already posted on social media after Parton's death earlier in the week at age 80. In that statement, Langley wrote: "Dolly, thank you for standing up for yourself as an artist, a songwriter, a musician, a producer, an author, a creative, and most importantly a woman in this industry. You paved the way for so many to be brave." She continued, "Thank you for being unafraid to show your most authentic self. The world needed Dolly and will never see another like it. The gates of heaven just welcomed home a beautiful soul."

Langley joins a growing list of artists paying tribute to Parton following her passing. John Mayer, Jack White and Kesha have each honored her during live performances, while Vin Diesel has remembered her through other means.

Parton was also honored in Nashville with a Grand Ole Opry tribute show.

Photo · BrDen, CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons