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LOS ANGELES — Grammy-winner Beyonce took everyone by surprise after she shared that music legend Stevie Wonder played the harmonica on her cover of Dolly Parton’s 'Jolene', a reimagining of the 1973 classic.
It was while accepting the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, when Beyonce revealed that Stevie played the harmonica.
The music legend was on hand to present the honour to the 'Naughty Boy' hitmaker, who introduced her speech by thanking the artiste for how much he inspired her.
“Thank you so much Stevie, I love you. I love you and I honour you. I want to thank you for making a way for all of us,” she said.
“I’m honoured to receive this recognition from you, Stevie Wonder. Whenever anyone asks me if there’s anyone I can listen to for the rest of my life, it’s always you. So thank you, God bless you.”
Stevie replied: “I want to thank you for motivating the world to be a better place.”
It was then that Beyonce gave a little peek behind the curtain into how 'Jolene' came together, reports variety.com.
“And thank you for playing the harmonica on ‘Jolene',” she said.
'Jolene' is one of the standout tracks from 'Cowboy Carter', featuring rewritten lyrics and an altered song structure.
Parton, who appears twice on the record, initially released 'Jolene' as a pleading ode to a woman in hopes that she wouldn’t steal her man, while Beyonce changed the narrative into a sneering warning towards a suitor coming for her husband.
'Cowboy Carter' arrived on March 29.
In addition to Stevie’s contribution, the album features guest appearances from Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Willie Nelson, Shaboozey, Willie Jones, Swizz Beatz and a slew of others.