Jolene
Among the many standout moments in the Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay’s “Say My Name!” concert—performed at the Jaeb Theater in Tampa’s Straz Center on March 22, 2025—few captured the audience's imagination quite like Lu Velasquez’s hauntingly powerful rendition of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” With nothing but raw emotion, a commanding vocal performance, and a subtle gender twist that added poignant new layers of meaning, Velasquez delivered a version of the country classic that was both reverent and refreshingly reimagined.
Dressed in sleek, understated elegance and bathed in warm, moody lighting, Velasquez stepped into the iconic role of the song’s narrator with quiet intensity. From the first plaintive plea—“Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene…”—it was clear this performance would be more than a cover. It was an emotional excavation, a heartfelt cry not just of romantic desperation but of queer vulnerability and longing. The audience immediately leaned in.
Vocally, Velasquez brought a deep sensitivity and controlled strength to the performance. Their voice was rich and resonant, imbued with ache and restraint, perfectly capturing the aching jealousy and powerlessness embedded in the lyrics. With each verse, they painted a vivid picture of romantic rivalry—this time, not as a woman warning another woman, but as a queer person confronting the heartache of watching love slip away to someone dazzling, unattainable, and named.
In the context of “Say My Name!”—a concert centered on the power of identity, names, and the emotional weight they carry—“Jolene” became more than a classic country song. It became a meditation on desire, insecurity, and the universality of heartache, reframed through a queer lens. The name “Jolene” was not just a character; it was a symbol of the unreachable, the idealized, the beautiful rival so many have feared or fantasized about.
What elevated the performance even further was Velasquez’s emotional transparency. There was no camp, no irony—just the quiet devastation of someone trying to hold on to love, knowing they might not be enough. The honesty of the delivery struck a deep chord, and by the final, aching plea, you could feel the stillness in the room—an audience completely absorbed.
It was a performance that honored Dolly Parton’s legacy while expanding the song’s emotional reach to include new narratives and new voices. Lu Velasquez didn’t just sing “Jolene”—he redefined it, making space for a story that many in the room recognized as their own.