Dolly Parton to state lawmakers: Now isn’t the time for my statue at the Tennessee Capitol

Dolly Parton to state lawmakers: Now isn’t the time for my statue at the Tennessee Capitol

Matthew Leimkuehler

|Nashville Tennessean

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Tennessee state lawmakers presented an expense last month that would certainly preserve nation tale and also altruistic Dolly Parton on Capitol premises.

But Parton isn’t certain that’s a great suggestion.

The East Tennessee indigenous, that hardly ever attends to national politics openly, does not “think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time,” she claimed Thursday in a declaration to The Tennessean, component of the UNITED STATES TODAY Network.

Parton said thanks to the legislature for taking into consideration the expense prior to validating she asked legislators to eliminate it “from any and all consideration.”

“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.”

RELATED: Tennessee expense would certainly develop Dolly Parton statue on Capitol premises

The declaration proceeded, “In the meantime, I’ll continue to try to do good work to make this great state proud.”

It isn’t the initially time this year that Parton drew herself from the operating of distinguished life time honors. The Country Music Hall of Fame performer two times decreased a Presidential Medal of Freedom from the Trump management, according to a “Today” reveal meeting previously this month, and also isn’t certain if she would certainly approve the honor from President Joe Biden.

Rep John Windle, D-Livingston, presented the expense to call for the State Capitol Commission to establish a strategy to put up a Parton statue encounteringthe Ryman Auditorium The payment, produced by the legislature in 1986, manages the remediation and also conservation ofthe Capitol Complex

The expense would certainly develop the “Dolly Parton fund” to pay for the design, construction and maintenance of the statue. The bill is scheduled to go before the House state government committee on Tuesday. 

Suggestions to establish a Parton monument in the Capitol first came up during last year’s legislative session amid debate over the removal of the bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general and early leader of the Ku Klux Klan, from the building.

RELATED: Dolly Parton twice declined Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump administration

The Capitol Commission voted to remove the bust of Forrest, along with the busts of U.S. Admirals David Farragut, who remained loyal to the Union and served during the Civil War, and Albert Gleaves, who served during the Spanish-American War and World War I. 

The issue now goes before the Tennessee Historical Commission in March. 

Duane W. Gang contributed to this report.