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A statue of country music legend Dolly Parton could be seen on the Capitol grounds in Nashville, Tennessee – that is, if Democratic Representative John Mark Windle has anything to say about it.
On Tuesday, Windle introduced a bill calling for “the commissioning of a statue of Dolly Parton, to recognize her for all she has contributed to this state”. According to the bill, the statue “would be located on the grounds of the Capitol opposite the Ryman Auditorium,” where the 74-year-old singer and songwriter “Jolene” has trained throughout her career.
“It’s just holy ground for me,” Parton, 74, said of the venue in 2017. “It’s like coming home. It sounds like your family; we have the impression that your mom, your dad and all your family are all around you. I just have the feeling here that I am not going anywhere else.
Parton, who is originally from Tennessee, has a strong history of philanthropy and devotion to the state, where she built her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge. The nine-time Grammy winner founded the Imagination Library, which for 30 years encouraged children’s literature around the world by sending books to children under 5. And last year, Parton donated $ 1 million to Vanderbilt University to help fund research for the Moderna Vaccine against covid19. When news of his donation broke, Parton said on the Today show, “I’m just happy that whatever I do could help someone else.
In August, a local Nashville artist painted a mural of Parton outside The 5 Spot concert hall, citing a recent interview with the singer. “Of course black lives matter,” Parton said. Billboard this month. “Do we think our little white girls are the only ones that matter?”
This is not the first time that a statue of Parton has been considered. Last year, an online petition, now with more than 25,000 signatures, demanded that one of the Partons replace the Confederate sculptures in Tennessee. And in 2019, a lawmaker suggested replacing a statue of Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest with Parton.
The bill introduced last week stipulates that the Parton statue would not be paid for with taxpayer money, but rather with “gifts, grants and other donations.”
“At this point in history, is there a better example, not only in America but the world, of a leader who is a kind, decent, and passionate human being?” Windle said Wednesday, per The Tennessean. “(She is) a passionate person who loves everyone and everyone loves her.”
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