Singer Elle King Drunkenly Botches Dolly Parton’s Tribute Performance

Country singer Elle King delivered a tipsy and off-key performance at a concert celebrating Dolly Parton’s 78th Birthday, where she forgot the lyrics to a cover song and cursed on stage.

Taking the stage at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday night, Elle King, admittedly under the influence, struggled with her tribute to Dolly Parton while performing the music icon’s song, “Marry Me.” Videos uploaded to TikTok captured the moment, showing King at the microphone as her voice cracked, and she stumbled over the lyrics.

Confessing that she didn’t know the words, King pleaded with the crowd not to inform Parton, using explicit language throughout. At one point, she jokingly criticized the audience for buying tickets to the show, stating, “I’m not even gonna (curses) lie… y’all bought tickets for this (curses), you ain’t getting your money back.” When a fan expressed dissatisfaction, King responded, “Good, ’cause you ain’t getting it.”

Continuing her candid interaction with the audience, King introduced herself by saying, “I’ll tell you one thing more … hi, my name is Elle King. I’m (curses), hammered.”

A fan later posted a complaint on social media, describing King’s performance as “horrible, drunk, and profane,” claiming that Dolly Parton would have been embarrassed. The Grand Ole Opry issued an apology, expressing deep regret for the language used during the performance.

As of now, neither Elle King nor Dolly Parton has publicly addressed the incident. However, Parton’s sister, Stella, offered her perspective, referring to King as a “hillbilly.”