Dolly Parton rejects proposed statue of her at Tennessee Capitol. 'It's not appropriate at this time'

World-renowned country music icon and undisputed national treasure, Dolly Parton, has humbly said no to yet another accolade. The singer-songwriter, who was recently revealed to have turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice, has now asked lawmakers from her home state of Tennessee not to consider a bill that proposed erecting a statue of the celeb at the state' Capitol. "I want to thank the Tennessee legislature for their consideration of a bill to erect a statue of me on the Capitol grounds," Parton said in a statement shared on her social media profiles. "I am honored and humbled by their intention but I have asked the leaders of the state legislature to remove the bill from any and all consideration."

According to CBS News, the bill — introduced by State Representative John Mark Windle — was passed by a state House committee on February 9. Although the statue was intended "to recognize [Parton] for all that she has contributed to this state," the 75-year-old explained in her statement why she didn't feel it would be right at this point in time. "Given all that is going on in the world, I don't think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time," she 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," Parton added. "In the meantime, I'll continue to try to do good work to make this great state proud." The bill was introduced after an online petition — signed by over 25k netizens — last year urged the Tennessee State House to replace Confederate statues in the state with statues of Parton.

"Tennessee is littered with statues memorializing Confederate officers. History should not be forgotten, but we need not glamorize those who do not deserve our praise. Instead, let us honor a true Tennessee hero, Dolly Parton," the petition stated. "Aside from her beautiful music, which has touched the hearts and lives of millions of Americans, Dolly Parton's philanthropic heart has unquestionably changed the world for the better. From the Dollywood foundation that has provided books and scholarships to millions of American children, to the millions of dollars she has donated to dozens of organizations such as the Red Cross and COVID-19 research centers, Dolly Parton has given more to this country and this state than those Confederate officers could ever have hoped to take away."

"Let's replace the statues of men who sought to tear this country apart with a monument to the woman who has worked her entire life to bring us closer together," it added. While Parton has done a lot for her home state, as well as for those in other parts of the country and overseas, she has never been one to revel in accolades. During an appearance on NBC's TODAY earlier this month, Parton explained that she was unable to accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump despite being offered twice and that for that reason, she was unsure about accepting the honor from President Joe Biden.

"I got offered the Freedom award from the Trump administration. I couldn't accept it because my husband was ill. Then they asked me again about it and I wouldn't travel because of the COVID," Parton revealed. "So now I feel like if I take it, I'll be doing politics so I'm not sure. I don't work for those awards. It'd be nice but I'm not sure that I even deserve it. But it's a nice compliment for people to think that I might deserve it."