Advertisement
GOT A TIP?
Guitar Thrills Magazine
SUBSCRIBE
GOT A TIP?
Menu
close

BELLES: The Story Behind “Son of Jolene”

Edward Schooley
Posted: September 21, 2026
“Son of Jolene” sits comfortably within that tradition while giving BELLES room to define her own place within it.

Photo credit: Shervin Lainez

Edward Schooley Avatar

EDITOR IN CHEIF | GEAR TECH | GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE TAMPA, FL

Edward Schooley
Founded in 2021. GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE of Tampa, FL Guitar Thrills Magazine of Tampa, FL U.S.A. The GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE is excited to bring you some of the music industries finest talent. Including the world of entertainment. Our focus includes the long term goals and aspirations of artists of all sorts. We are an unbiased reporting platform. You are getting insight into the world of music. No, we are not your fathers website for music news. We have grown into our own, and rely upon decades of music experience and knowledge. Guitar Thrills Magazine is a hard act to follow.

Some songs arrive as simple introductions. Others feel like the beginning of a much bigger story.

For BELLES, “Son of Jolene” offers a glimpse into an artist who understands that a strong song does more than deliver a melody—it creates a world. With its evocative title and built-in sense of history, the song immediately raises questions. Who is Jolene? Who is her son? What happened before the first note was ever played?

That sense of curiosity is part of what makes “Son of Jolene” such an intriguing introduction to BELLES.

Rather than relying solely on the familiar language of contemporary country music, BELLES approaches songwriting through the lens of storytelling. Characters, relationships, memories and emotions become part of the song's architecture, allowing the listener to step inside the story rather than simply observe it.

“Son of Jolene” is particularly interesting because of the expectations created by its title. The name Jolene carries its own history in country music, immediately connecting the listener to an established musical tradition while leaving plenty of room for BELLES to create something of her own.

That balance—respecting what came before while finding a personal way forward—is increasingly important for artists working in country music today.

For BELLES, the song also provides an opportunity to explore the relationship between character and emotion. A well-written character doesn't need to explain everything. Sometimes a name, a detail or a single moment can suggest an entire life. That is where songwriting becomes storytelling, and where listeners begin filling in the spaces between the lines.

The result is a song that invites a second listen.

There is also something inherently cinematic about a title like “Son of Jolene.” It suggests that the story didn't begin with this song and won't necessarily end with it. There is a past behind the character and, potentially, a future waiting beyond the final verse. That kind of songwriting leaves room for interpretation, allowing listeners to bring their own experiences to the story.

For an emerging artist, that can be a powerful introduction.

BELLES is not simply presenting another song; she is beginning to establish the kind of artist she wants to be. “Son of Jolene” gives listeners an opportunity to hear her voice while also discovering her instincts as a songwriter.

And perhaps that is the most compelling part of the song.

Country music has always had a special relationship with storytelling. The genre can turn ordinary lives into extraordinary songs, preserving moments of heartbreak, family, love, loss and redemption. The strongest country songs don't just tell us what happened. They make us care about the people involved.

“Son of Jolene” sits comfortably within that tradition while giving BELLES room to define her own place within it.

As her career continues to develop, the song may ultimately be remembered as more than a recent release. It could become an early marker of an artist discovering how much she can say through a character, a melody and a story. For BELLES, the story behind “Son of Jolene” is only the beginning.

INTERVIEW WITH BELLES AND GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE.

Guitar Thrills: “Son of Jolene” immediately creates a story in the listener’s mind. What inspired you to write the song, and where did the idea for the character come from?

BELLES: I was on tour fall of 2024, a small club headlining tour that I have really built my fan base on - just getting out there in a van and my guitar and playing my music. My opener on that tour was my good friend and super talented artist Trevor Martin. One night his mom came out to a show, and I met her and her name was Jolene. I had never met anyone before with that name, other than the iconic Dolly Parton song. In the van the next day I said to him, you know you are the son of Jolene - you should write a song about being the son of Jolene and maybe you have a messed-up love life. Now Trevor does not have a messed-up love life, and he is known for his love songs, so he said no to my idea, but I told him I might write that song then, and he said go for it. So, the next week I was writing with my good friends Dan Harrison and Tyler Bank, and I brought that idea into the writing room. Now I have had a messed-up love life, and I felt I had lots of experiences to draw on from men I imagined would have a mom like Jolene. So, we wrote it very fast - maybe 40 minutes and we all immediately loved it and thought it was something special. 

Guitar Thrills: The title naturally connects with a familiar piece of country music history. What did that connection mean to you, and how did you approach making the story your own?

BELLES:  Well like I said above, I have a habit of choosing the wrong kind of men to date, so it was pretty easy for me to imagine what the son of Jolene would be like - what his values might be, what he would have seen growing up from his mother. I love the fact that you can even extrapolate wondering who his father might have even been. It honestly was so easy to make the story my own because I identify so strongly with Dolly Parton's Jolene because of what I have been through in the past. The story just kind of wrote itself. 

Guitar Thrills: When you write a song built around a character or narrative, what usually comes first—the story, a lyric, a melody, or a particular emotion?

BELLES: In this case, I think the story came first. Driving in the van the following days I kind of wrote the story in my mind. When I got to the writing room, it was a total collaboration with Dan and Tyler. We wanted to be respectful and honor the original Jolene, while trying to write the next chapter. We were very careful in our melodic choices and lyric choices to honor Dolly's Jolene and take it into the next generation. It was Dolly herself who changed the lyrics to "Girl who were you expecting him to be?" that just gave me chills when I heard it. When Dolly put her magic on it, it became 2 women from different generations bonded by the same heartbreaking problem. She took it to a whole new level. The song became so much more significant when she sang on it. All the words carried more weight. I still cannot believe that Dolly loved the songwriting so much that she joined me on the song and gave her beautiful voice to it. 

Guitar Thrills: There is a lot of room for the listener to interpret “Son of Jolene.” How important is it to you to leave some of the story open rather than explaining everything?

BELLES: It's very important to leave room for interpretation, to let a listener's mind wander during the song, to hit certain triggers of betrayal but leave space between the lines. I think that way anyone can write their own story into it. 

Guitar Thrills: What does “Son of Jolene” reveal about you as a songwriter that listeners might not discover from simply hearing the song?

BELLES: I really love old school country music.  I like to mix the old school country vibes with current attitudes. I don't hold back in my words.  I like to take old country and look back on it with a modern twist. I hope that Dolly, Lorretta and Patsy would all be proud of that. 

Guitar Thrills: Country music has always placed storytelling at its heart. What aspects of that tradition influence the way you approach your own music?

BELLES: I love a good story, and I think that is at the heart of the best songs. As a writer you can choose to tell the whole story, or just tell about a few small minutes in that story arc, but all the best ideas stem from a story of some kind. I've been writing in Nashville almost daily for 8 years now, and the craft is catching the best way to tell it. I'm so glad I have pursued songwriting as it is my favorite part of everything I do. 

Guitar Thrills: Now that “Son of Jolene” is out in the world, what do you hope listeners take away from the song, and what does this release represent for you as you look toward what comes next?

BELLES: I hope listeners take away the idea that the future always stands on the past. As a young artist it is my job to honor that. It has been the best gift I have ever been given to sing with Dolly and spend some time with her. This release represents the best of my work, and my album, which is dropping in October, I hope country listeners will find more songs on it that they can relate to and enjoy. I hope they put the album on and let it play through all 12 songs and find a piece of themselves in every song. 

A Story Still Unfolding

With “Son of Jolene,” BELLES has created more than a song built around an intriguing title. She has opened the door to a story—one that draws on the storytelling tradition at the heart of country music while giving her own voice room to emerge.

The song reflects an artist who understands the power of leaving something for the listener to discover. Rather than spelling everything out, BELLES allows the characters, emotions and unanswered questions to linger, giving “Son of Jolene” a life beyond its first listen.

As BELLES continues to develop her sound and define her place within country music, songs like this offer an early glimpse of what makes her artistry compelling. There is a story behind “Son of Jolene,” but perhaps the more exciting story is the one BELLES is beginning to write for herself.

PRS Standard 24 Review from Guitar Thrills Magazine Tampa, FL The World of Rock and Blues Magazine.

A RECAP OF WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Sign up with your email address to receive entertainment news and updates.
Sign Up Form
Sign up with your email address to receive entertainment news and updates.
Subscription Form
We want to hear from you! Send us a tip using our anonymous form.
CHIEF EDITOR
Guitar Thrills Magazine. 2023 Copyright. All rights reserved.
magnifiercrosschevron-down
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

Privacy policy.

Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 29, 2021

This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You.

We use Your Personal data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Interpretation and Definitions

Interpretation

The words of which the initial letter is capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

  • Account means a unique account created for You to access our Service or parts of our Service.

  • Company (referred to as either "the Company", "We", "Us" or "Our" in this Agreement) refers to Guitar Thrills Magazine., Tampa, FL U.S.A.

  • Cookies are small files that are placed on Your computer, mobile device or any other device by a website, containing the details of Your browsing history on that website among its many uses.

  • Country refers to: Florida, United States

  • Device means any device that can access the Service such as a computer, a cellphone or a digital tablet.

  • Personal Data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual.

  • Service refers to the Website.

  • Service Provider means any natural or legal person who processes the data on behalf of the Company. It refers to third-party companies or individuals employed by the Company to facilitate the Service, to provide the Service on behalf of the Company, to perform services related to the Service or to assist the Company in analyzing how the Service is used.

  • Usage Data refers to data collected automatically, either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself (for example, the duration of a page visit).

  • Website refers to Guitar Thrills Magazine, accessible from https://www.guitarthrills.com

  • You means the individual accessing or using the Service, or the company, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Service, as applicable.

Collecting and Using Your Personal Data

Types of Data Collected

Personal Data

While using Our Service, We may ask You to provide Us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify You. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:

  • Email address

  • First name and last name

  • Usage Data

Usage Data

Usage Data is collected automatically when using the Service.

Usage Data may include information such as Your Device's Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that You visit, the time and date of Your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

When You access the Service by or through a mobile device, We may collect certain information automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device You use, Your mobile device unique ID, the IP address of Your mobile device, Your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser You use, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

We may also collect information that Your browser sends whenever You visit our Service or when You access the Service by or through a mobile device.

Tracking Technologies and Cookies

We use Cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on Our Service and store certain information. Tracking technologies used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze Our Service. The technologies We use may include:

  • Cookies or Browser Cookies. A cookie is a small file placed on Your Device. You can instruct Your browser to refuse all Cookies or to indicate when a Cookie is being sent. However, if You do not accept Cookies, You may not be able to use some parts of our Service. Unless you have adjusted Your browser setting so that it will refuse Cookies, our Service may use Cookies.

  • Flash Cookies. Certain features of our Service may use local stored objects (or Flash Cookies) to collect and store information about Your preferences or Your activity on our Service. Flash Cookies are not managed by the same browser settings as those used for Browser Cookies. For more information on how You can delete Flash Cookies, please read "Where can I change the settings for disabling, or deleting local shared objects?" available at https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/disable-local-shared-objects-flash.html#main_Where_can_I_change_the_settings_for_disabling__or_deleting_local_shared_objects_

  • Web Beacons. Certain sections of our Service and our emails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that permit the Company, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of a certain section and verifying system and server integrity).

Cookies can be "Persistent" or "Session" Cookies. Persistent Cookies remain on Your personal computer or mobile device when You go offline, while Session Cookies are deleted as soon as You close Your web browser.

We use both Session and Persistent Cookies for the purposes set out below:

  • Necessary / Essential Cookies

    Type: Session Cookies

    Administered by: Us

    Purpose: These Cookies are essential to provide You with services available through the Website and to enable You to use some of its features. They help to authenticate users and prevent fraudulent use of user accounts. Without these Cookies, the services that You have asked for cannot be provided, and We only use these Cookies to provide You with those services.

  • Cookies Policy / Notice Acceptance Cookies

    Type: Persistent Cookies

    Administered by: Us

    Purpose: These Cookies identify if users have accepted the use of cookies on the Website.

  • Functionality Cookies

    Type: Persistent Cookies

    Administered by: Us

    Purpose: These Cookies allow us to remember choices You make when You use the Website, such as remembering your login details or language preference. The purpose of these Cookies is to provide You with a more personal experience and to avoid You having to re-enter your preferences every time You use the Website.

For more information about the cookies we use and your choices regarding cookies, please visit our Cookies Policy or the Cookies section of our Privacy Policy.

Use of Your Personal Data

The Company may use Personal Data for the following purposes:

  • To provide and maintain our Service, including to monitor the usage of our Service.

  • To manage Your Account: to manage Your registration as a user of the Service. The Personal Data You provide can give You access to different functionalities of the Service that are available to You as a registered user.

  • For the performance of a contract: the development, compliance and undertaking of the purchase contract for the products, items or services You have purchased or of any other contract with Us through the Service.

  • To contact You: To contact You by email, telephone calls, SMS, or other equivalent forms of electronic communication, such as a mobile application's push notifications regarding updates or informative communications related to the functionalities, products or contracted services, including the security updates, when necessary or reasonable for their implementation.

  • To provide You with news, special offers and general information about other goods, services and events which we offer that are similar to those that you have already purchased or enquired about unless You have opted not to receive such information.

  • To manage Your requests: To attend and manage Your requests to Us.

  • For business transfers: We may use Your information to evaluate or conduct a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of Our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which Personal Data held by Us about our Service users is among the assets transferred.

  • For other purposes: We may use Your information for other purposes, such as data analysis, identifying usage trends, determining the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns and to evaluate and improve our Service, products, services, marketing and your experience.

We may share Your personal information in the following situations:

  • With Service Providers: We may share Your personal information with Service Providers to monitor and analyze the use of our Service, to contact You.

  • For business transfers: We may share or transfer Your personal information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of Company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of Our business to another company.

  • With Affiliates: We may share Your information with Our affiliates, in which case we will require those affiliates to honor this Privacy Policy. Affiliates include Our parent company and any other subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other companies that We control or that are under common control with Us.

  • With business partners: We may share Your information with Our business partners to offer You certain products, services or promotions.

  • With other users: when You share personal information or otherwise interact in the public areas with other users, such information may be viewed by all users and may be publicly distributed outside.

  • With Your consent: We may disclose Your personal information for any other purpose with Your consent.

Retention of Your Personal Data

The Company will retain Your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use Your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

The Company will also retain Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of Our Service, or We are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.

Transfer of Your Personal Data

Your information, including Personal Data, is processed at the Company's operating offices and in any other places where the parties involved in the processing are located. It means that this information may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of Your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from Your jurisdiction.

Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by Your submission of such information represents Your agreement to that transfer.

The Company will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of Your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of Your data and other personal information.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data

Business Transactions

If the Company is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, Your Personal Data may be transferred. We will provide notice before Your Personal Data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.

Law enforcement

Under certain circumstances, the Company may be required to disclose Your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency).

Other legal requirements

The Company may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

  • Comply with a legal obligation

  • Protect and defend the rights or property of the Company

  • Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service

  • Protect the personal safety of Users of the Service or the public

  • Protect against legal liability

Security of Your Personal Data

The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While We strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect Your Personal Data, We cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Children's Privacy

Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 13. If You are a parent or guardian and You are aware that Your child has provided Us with Personal Data, please contact Us. If We become aware that We have collected Personal Data from anyone under the age of 13 without verification of parental consent, We take steps to remove that information from Our servers.

If We need to rely on consent as a legal basis for processing Your information and Your country requires consent from a parent, We may require Your parent's consent before We collect and use that information.

Links to Other Websites

Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by Us. If You click on a third party link, You will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise You to review the Privacy Policy of every site You visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.

We will let You know via email and/or a prominent notice on Our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact us:

  • By email: info@guitarthrills.com

  • By visiting this page on our website: https://guitarthrills.com