“I don’t think it’s appropriate at this time”
Dolly Parton has declined the offer to have a statue erected in her honour on the Tennessee Capitol grounds.
The legendary country singer issued a statement explaining that she felt “honoured” by the suggestion but that it was “not appropriate at this time.”
The initiative arose in January of this year, when Democratic Representative John Mark Windle introduced a bill calling to recognise Parton’s contribution to the history of the state. The bill stated that the statue would have been funded privately, rather than through tax dollars.
“I want to thank the Tennessee legislature for their consideration of a bill to erect a statue of me on the Capitol grounds,” Parton said in a statement posted to Twitter.
“I am honoured and humbled by their intention but I have asked the leaders of the state legislature to remove the bill 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.
“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, I’ll continue to try to do good work to make this great state proud.”
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) February 18, 2021
Dolly Parton has a rich history of being an absolute legend, twice turning down a Presidential Medal of Freedom during Donald Trump’s only term in the White House.
Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama admitted in an interview that he “screwed up” not offering Parton the award, assuming she already had one.
More recently, she has helped fund research into the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, and saved a 9-year-old girl from being hit by a car.
