Dolly Parton is hoping fans will forgive and forget fellow singer Elle King's recent tribute to her.
King performed Parton's "Marry Me" at the Grand Ole Opry on Jan. 19 in honor of Dolly Parton's 78th birthday celebration.
King appeared to be inebriated during the performance and said, at one point, “I’m f------ hammered.”
In a recent interview with Extra, Parton didn't seem to be holding a grudge.
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“Elle is really a great artist,” Parton said. “She’s a great girl, and she’s been going through a lot of hard things lately.”
“She just had a little too much to drink, so let’s just forgive that and forget it and move on, ‘cause she felt worse than anyone ever could,” Parton said.
King’s performance sparked backlash from attendees — one of whom left during the performance — and Parton’s fans and family members.
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Here’s everything you need to know about the concert’s controversy.
Who is Elle King?
Elle King, 34, is a Grammy award-nominated singer who made a splash with her 2014 debut hit "Ex's & Ohs."
She scored a #1 hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with her 2021 duet with Miranda Lambert, “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home).” Her most recent album is “Come Get Your Wife,” released in January 2023.
King is the daughter of actor and comedian Rob Schneider.
King got engaged to tattoo artist Dan Tooker in 2020, per an Instagram announcement. After suffering from two pregnancy losses, the couple welcomed their son Lucky Levi in September 2021.
What exactly happened at the Dolly Parton tribute concert?
The concert at the iconic Nashville, Tennessee, venue was meant to be a celebration of Parton’s music for the legend’s 78th birthday and took place on Jan. 19.
King appeared to be inebriated and swore onstage frequently throughout her performance, contrasting with the Opry’s traditionally family-friendly fare.
A video of her onstage was shared by Country Central on TikTok. In the clip, King admitted to being intoxicated and fumbled the lyrics as she performed Parton’s song “Marry Me.”
"This is fast. This s--- is f---ing fast. How'd Dolly sing this s---?" King said onstage.
She seemed to improvise her own lyrics to the song during the performance.
“I don’t know the lyrics to these things in this f---ing town. Don’t tell Dolly ‘cause it’s her birthday," King sang.
"Everyone's like, holy s---, we bought tickets for this s---?" King quipped. "I'm not even going to f---ing lie, y'all bought tickets for this s---? You ain't getting your money back."
In another video taken by an audience member, King declared, “I’ll tell you one thing more: Hi, my name is Elle King, and I’m f---ing hammered.”
King has spoken about drinking at concerts
King has been open about her substance use in interviews.
In 2020, King reflected on her partying days in an interview with Variety, sharing that her "definition of partying has changed."
"If I think about partying really really hard, I didn’t realize I was hurting," she said. "I respect people more when they’re open and honest. I had a duty and a platform to share and be open."
King revealed in a 2022 interview that she frequently has a drink before performing to quell her nerves.
“It’s easier for me to say: ‘Yeah, I want to drink and party and (then) go on stage,'" King said. "I get nervous before I go on stage, (so) I have couple of drinks (first). Drinking makes me less nervous about hitting the notes when I sing. If I don’t make them, it won’t sting as much."
Though she admitted that the music she created when she was "stone cold sober" is her favorite, King acknowledged that she still enjoys an onstage drink.
"I really like to drink and sing," she said.
How did fans respond?
King's behavior shocked country fans, many of whom felt that the performance disrespected Parton.
"elle king. how disrespectful. not only to dolly, but to every single person who has walked on that stage. i seriously cannot even believe it," an X user wrote.
Several attendees expressed their disappointment on social media.
"I wish she would’ve been there because Elle King ruined the night with her horrible, drunk, and profane performance. Dolly Parton would’ve been mortified. For our first time at The Opry, it was a shame we all had to witness that," X user Judas Belmont posted on Saturday.
The Opry replied to the post with an apology.
"Hi Judas, we deeply regret and apologize for the language that was used during last night’s second Opry performance," the venue responded on X.
Following the incident, several of King's concerts were rescheduled.
Her Fort Worth, Texas, concert — originally scheduled for Jan. 26 — was rescheduled for seven months down the line. The venue, Billy Bob’s Texas, was not reachable for comment regarding the cancellation.
On Jan. 25, King’s official Instagram page announced rescheduled dates for four more shows in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, originally marked for February and all now set to take place between March 21-30. Tickets for the original dates are valid for the new dates, and refunds are available at point of purchase.
Users on Instagram had plenty to say in the comments section of the Billy Bob’s Texas post and speculated on the cancellation’s potential connection to her performance earlier this week at the Grand Ole Opry. During the concert, which was held in celebration of Dolly Parton’s 78th birthday, King shocked fans with profanity and admitted to being inebriated.
“That Dolly Parton event is sending ripples,” one user commented.
“Yeah, you can’t disrespect Dolly and then come here,” another commented. “Texas ain’t Tennessee.”
How did Dolly Parton react?
Parton, who did not attend the concert, did not immediately commented on King's performance.
Parton's sister, Stella, however, did weigh in on the controversy. She posted a series of tweets on X on Jan. 21.
"I didn’t see nor hear the Grand Ole Opry birthday tribute to my big sister Dolly over the weekend. But some lil girl by the name of Elle King apparently cussed and insulted some of Dolly’s fans by not knowing a song. She did admit to being 'hammered' her word not mine," Stella Parton wrote.
Stella Parton also pointed out a perceived double standard for female singers at the Opry.
"But let me just say this, it wouldn’t be the first time a Hillbilly went on the stage of the Opry 'hammered,' but I guess it’s OK if you’re a male. But good lord don’t ever let a girl behave that way folks! Double f------ standard if ya ask me. So the Opry is apologizing! Lol," she wrote.
King is far from the first performer to cause a stir at the Opry.
Country legend Johnny Cash was temporarily barred from performing at the Opry after an onstage drunken rampage in 1965, though he was allowed to return several years later.
Rocker Jerry Lee Lewis played at the Opry only once, after breaking two of its rules at his 1973 debut: No cursing and no rock n roll.
Stella Parton concluded her statement with a compliment to her superstar sister.
"To any lil ego thinking they can learn the lyrics correctly with a half assed listen to one of Dolly’s song. Surprise! You’ll end up looking as silly as that lil girl. Do your homework people. Memorize the lyrics to Jolene or (Coat of Many Colors). My sister loves words. A brilliant word smith."
It wasn't until Extra published an interview with Parton on Feb. 9 that the singer broke her silence on King's performance.
“Elle is really a great artist,” Parton said when asked about the incident. “She’s a great girl, and she’s been going through a lot of hard things lately.”
“She just had a little too much to drink, so let’s just forgive that and forget it and move on, ‘cause she felt worse than anyone ever could,” Parton said.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
