Jolene

Hope Powell captured Dolly Parton's evolving image for the Jolene album cover, introducing a more glamorous look that signaled the country star's transition to solo career independence. Powell, one of Nashville's most celebrated photographers, moved to Music City in 1970 after working her way up from shooting nightclub performers and belly dancers in Atlanta.

The portrait was simple yet striking according to Hypergallery, showing Parton "lit in soft-focus, with teased blonde hair and a glint in her eye." Art director Herb Burnette of Pinwheel Studios handled the album's design. Burnette worked for the Nashville firm that specialized in album covers for major country acts including Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty, and Willie Nelson.

Released February 4, 1974, the album arrived as Parton was making her break from Porter Wagoner's weekly TV series after seven years. The cover's glamorous aesthetic reflected this pivotal career moment, moving away from her previous, more traditional country image.

Powell had an unconventional path to music photography. Born in Salisbury, North Carolina in 1923, she began by following Jayne Mansfield into nightclub audiences, taking photos and trying to sell prints to the men whose laps the star sat in. Her business card read "If Hope can't do it, it's Hopeless."

The Jolene cover became one of Powell's most memorable album artworks, alongside Conway Twitty's Classic Conway and Parton's 1976 All I Can Do. Powell passed away in 2014, having won a 1974 Dove Award for her photography and serving as a 2007 SOURCE honoree for being a groundbreaking female force in Nashville's music industry.

Pinwheel Studios, Burnette's company, was formed in 1970 and quickly became integral to Nashville's music industry, with Burnette serving as studio manager and chief commercial artist. By 1978, Burnette had won three Nashville art directors awards according to Cash Box Magazine.