A fresh take on one of country music’s most recognizable songs turned into a breakthrough moment for Chapel Hart when the Mississippi trio took the stage on America’s Got Talent.

Danica and Devynn Hart, sisters, and their cousin Trea Swindle auditioned with an original song called “You Can Have Him Jolene,” a playful response to Dolly Parton’s 1973 classic “Jolene.”

The performance not only brought the audience to its feet but also earned the trio a rare Golden Buzzer, sending them straight through to the live rounds.

And there was an added bonus: Parton herself saw the performance and had a playful message for the group.

Chapel Hart turns ‘Jolene’ on its head

Before performing, Danica explained why the trio decided to revisit one of Parton’s most famous songs.

“We’ve always been country music fans and Dolly by far is our favorite,” she said.

The group was inspired by the storyline of “Jolene” but wanted to imagine how that conversation might sound nearly five decades later.

“We just love the storyline and we figured from 1973 to 2022 we cannot still be fighting over the same man,” Danica explained. “So, we decided to tell her you can just have him Jolene.”

Then the music started.

Within moments, the packed theater was clapping and dancing along as Chapel Hart delivered the upbeat original with an infectious stage presence.

By the end, all four judges — Simon Cowell, Sofía Vergara, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel — were on their feet, joining the audience in a standing ovation.

For the trio, however, the biggest surprise was still to come.

The audience demands a Golden Buzzer

As the judges returned to their seats, the audience began chanting, “Golden Buzzer! Golden Buzzer!”

Danica was visibly overwhelmed, fighting back tears as Cowell delivered his verdict.

“Oh my God!” Cowell exclaimed. “Trust me, I needed you today! I mean, that was fantastic!”

He praised the trio’s performance, particularly their choreography and the energy surrounding them.

“It was just brilliant,” he told them.

Cowell then asked about Chapel Hart’s journey and how long they had been trying to establish themselves in Nashville.

Danica explained that they had spent years attempting to break into the country music industry but had encountered an obstacle she felt was difficult to ignore.

“We’ve been trying to break into Nashville for the last couple of years,” she said, adding that country music “doesn’t always look like us.”

Cowell’s response was immediate.

“You know what you got to do sometimes? You just got to break down that door,” he said. “And you may have just broken down the door with that performance.”

‘You are going to be the original’

Howie Mandel agreed that Chapel Hart’s individuality could ultimately become one of their greatest strengths.

“I believe you broke down the door,” he told them. “I love the song, I love the energy, I love the look.”

Rather than viewing the trio’s differences as a disadvantage, Mandel encouraged them to embrace what made them distinctive.

“You say country music doesn’t look like you, that is your win because you are going to be the original,” he said.

Klum also praised the group’s infectious positivity and said she loved the performance.

Vergara was equally enthusiastic, telling the trio that she thought “everything was perfect” — from the song and energy to their confidence onstage.

But there was a problem.

Cowell and Klum had already used their individual Golden Buzzers during the season.

Under normal circumstances, that would have meant they could not use them again.

The judges, however, weren’t ready to let that stop them.

What a fun new take on my song, @ChapelHartBand! Carl’s birthday is today so I think I’ll hang on to him, and I’m not notifying Jolene that today is
his birthday 😉 #AGT https://t.co/UFiT1AH84R

— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) July 20, 2022

All four judges hit the Golden Buzzer

After a quick discussion, the judges and host Terry Crews gathered together.

Then they made their decision.

All four judges and Crews simultaneously hit the Golden Buzzer.

Gold confetti rained down on the stage as Danica, Devynn and Trea broke down in tears and embraced the judges.

The extraordinary moment sent Chapel Hart directly into the show’s live rounds.

For the three musicians, the achievement represented much more than simply advancing on a television competition.

“Follow your dreams, it doesn’t matter how crazy they are, how outlandish it is,” they said emotionally. “If they say that’s not a real job you just show them that it is.”

They also spoke directly about the young girls watching them from their hometown of Poplarville, Mississippi.

“There are little girls in Poplarville, Mississippi who think that this isn’t possible, but we’re doing it,” they said.

Dolly Parton gives Chapel Hart her blessing

The performance eventually reached the person at the heart of the song that inspired it: Dolly Parton.

After the episode aired, Parton reacted on social media, praising Chapel Hart’s fresh interpretation of “Jolene.”

“What a fun new take on my song, @ChapelHartBand!” Parton wrote.

She then added her own joke, noting that it happened to be her husband Carl Dean’s birthday.

“Carl’s birthday is today so I think I’ll hang on to him, and I’m not notifying Jolene that today is his birthday,” she wrote, adding a winking emoji.

It was a fitting response to a performance that had taken the premise of “Jolene” and turned it into something entirely its own.

For Chapel Hart, the Golden Buzzer marked a major step in their journey to establish themselves in country music — while getting an unexpected vote of confidence from the very artist who inspired their song.