Saint Dolly Parton graciously responds to lawmaker’s plan to erect statue of her
Dolly Parton performs onstage during the 53rd annual CMA Awards. (John Shearer/Getty)
A Dolly Parton statue will not be erected at the Tennessee Capitol after the star asked lawmakers to halt their plans because she doesn’t think such a move would be “appropriate at this time”.
Legislation was introduced in January by Tennessee House member John Windle to have a statue of the country music star erected at the state Capitol building.
But Parton revealed in a post on Twitter on Thursday (18 February) that she had asked the Tennessee legislature to remove the bill from consideration.
“I want to thank the Tennessee legislature for their consideration of a bill to erect a statue of me on the Capitol grounds,” Parton wrote.
“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.”
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) February 18, 2021
She added: “In the meantime, I’ll continue to try to do good work to make this great state proud.”
The idea of a Dolly Parton statue was first floated last year.
The Dolly Parton statue was proposed to celebrate her contribution to country music, as well as her significant philanthropic work, which has seen her provide millions of books to children worldwide.
Plans were first floated to erect a statue of Dolly Parton in 2020 as political leaders in Tennessee began discussions to have a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a slave trader and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, removed.
Speaking in June of last year, as Black Lives Matter protests exploded across the world, Tennessee Republican Jeremy Faison suggested that the statue of Forrest should be replaced with a statue of Parton.
The gay icon has been outspoken in her support for anti-racist initiatives, telling Billboard in August: “Of course Black Lives Matter. Do we think our little white a***s are the only ones that matter? No!”
