Music icon Dolly Parton asks Tennessee not to put her statue at Capitol grounds in Nashville

Dolly Parton live in concert at Vector Arena in Auckland, 2014. Photo / File

Dolly Parton is asking Tennessee lawmakers to withdraw a bill that would erect a statue of her on the Capitol grounds in Nashville.

"Given all that is going on in the world, I don't think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time," Parton said in a statement issued today.

Democratic Representative John Mark Windle introduced the bill last month that aims to honour Parton "for all that she has contributed to this state".

Aside from her status as a music icon, Parton is a lifelong philanthropist. She founded the Imagination Library, which mails books to children aged under 5 across the world to improve child literacy, and her million-dollar donation to Vanderbilt University helped develop the highly effective Moderna coronavirus vaccine. Her advocacy for racial justice was recently celebrated in a mural in Nashville.

In advocating for the statue, Windle said, "At this point in history, is there a better example, not just in America but in the world, of a leader that is [a] kind, decent, passionate human being? [She's] a passionate person who loves everyone, and everyone loves her."

In her statement, Parton thanked the legislature for their consideration of the bill and said she was honoured and humbled by their intentions.

Although she asked lawmakers to withdraw the bill for now, Parton 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."