Dolly Parton tells lawmakers she doesn’t want a statue of herself — but maybe later
Dolly Parton will always love Tennessee, but she has graciously declined an offer from the state’s legislature to immortalize her on Capitol grounds — at this time — giving fans even more reason to lionize the beloved country-music queen.
In a note posted on Parton’s social media accounts Thursday, Feb. 18, the “I Will Always Love You” singersongwriter thanked lawmakers in her native state for considering a bill to erect a statue in her likeness at the state Capitol. The Country Music Hall of Famer said she was “humbled by their intentions,” but asked leaders
to remove the bill, which was introduced last month to create the monument, “from any and all consideration.”
“Given all that is going on in
the world, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time,” Parton’s note said. “I hope, though, that somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone if you still feel I deserve it, then I’m certain I will stand proud in our great State Capitol as a grateful Tennessean.”
In the meantime, the “9 to 5” star added, she’ll “continue to try to do good work to make this great state proud.”
In June, in the wake of demonstrations protesting the death of George Floyd and other Black Americans, Parton fans rallied on social media to get a statue of the icon to replace old monuments of Confederate and Ku Klux Klan leaders in Tennessee. They launched a Change.org petition that evolved into a bill proposed by Tenn. State Rep. John Mark Windle, a Democrat, in January.