If Alexandra Kay is the future of country music, the genre has a bright future. In the video posted below, you’ll see her deliver a superb rendition of country music legend Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”
Vocalist and songwriter Alexandra Kay grew up in Illinois, not far from St. Louis. She got serious about writing songs when she was 15, a way of dealing with the trials and tribulations of adolescence. She was a good enough softball player that an athletic scholarship was a real possibility but she had her heart set on pursuing music. “I was sort of the black sheep for a while. My parents wanted to me go to college and softball offered me that opportunity, but I couldn’t play college softball and take the classes in performance and music I wanted at the same time.”
After a few twists and turns, Alexandra went with music. Country was her first love but she discovered the country music scene in St. Louis had its limitations. She signed with an independent label that was mainly focused on rhythm-and-blues and hip hop. Although she made a lot of friends in the R&B and hip hop world, Alexandra still longed for a career as a country artist. So at the tender age of 22, she launched her career as an independent country artist. She’s already met with some success and is definitely a name to watch for in the future.
Nobody can-out sing Dolly Parton, but Alexandra certainly comes close in her version of “Jolene.” Parton released the song in 1973 and it rocketed to the top of the country charts. In 2017, the song earned a much-belated Grammy award for a version made by Parton and the a capella group Pentatonix.
What did you think of Alexandra Kay’s interpretation of “Jolene”? We’d love to hear your review in the comments at Facebook. Be sure to like and share, too!
