Dolly Parton has sat down with Billboard for a chat that covers everything from Black Lives Matter to police brutality, to her own mortality. The country icon spoke candidly with the publication, dropping nuggets of wisdom as she went.
She spoke about her dinner attraction in Tennessee, which was formerly called ‘Dixie Stampede’. The word ‘dixie’ carries racist connotations with it.
“There’s such a thing as innocent ignorance, and so many of us are guilty of that,” she told Billboard.
“When they said ‘Dixie’ was an offensive word, I thought, ‘Well, I don’t want to offend anybody. This is a business. We’ll just call it The Stampede.’ As soon as you realise that [something] is a problem, you should fix it. Don’t be a dumbass. That’s where my heart is. I would never dream of hurting anybody on purpose.”
The Chicks (FKA Dixie Chicks) changed their name at the end of June for the same reason, albeit years later.
The venue was renamed back in 2018. Now though, Dolly Parton says she’s aligned with the issues of today and says she’s on board with the Black Lives Matter protests that have followed the death of George Floyd.
“I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen,” said Parton. “And of course, Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!”
On top of being a progressive queen, Dolly Parton shared plans for a Christmas album. It’s set to feature contributions from Miley Cyrus, Willie Nelson, Michael Bublé, and Jimmy Fallon, ooooft.
She also shared with the publication that while she has no plans to leave the entertainment industry, she does want to get her estate sorted soon.
“I would not want to leave that mess to somebody else,” she said.
“A word to all the other artists out there: If you haven’t made those provisions, do that. You don’t want to leave that mess to your family for people to have to fight over. You need to take care of that yourself, even if it’s a pain in the ass — and it is.”
