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Elle King knows not to mess with country queen Dolly Parton even on her hammered days. The country music performer made headlines last week after fumbling on stage during her performance of Dolly’s Marry Me at the Grand Ole Opry. The performance, in honor of the country music legend’s 78th birthday, saw the 34-year-old crooner struggle to complete the song having forgotten the lyrics. Rather than gracefully bow out, Elle King went on a derogatory ramble as she admitted to the crowd at the Grand Ole Opry that her performance was “f–king bad.”
Elle King Flops Birthday Tribute to Dolly Parton
Pressing further, the country music icon threw in a joke targeting those who expected her to know the lyrics of Dolly’s song. In another video from the Grand Ole Opry, which went viral on TikTok, Elle King bashfully announced to the audience that they weren’t getting their money back. She continued her rant,
“I’ll tell you one thing more, I’ll tell you one thing more. Hi, my name is Elle King. I’m f–king hammered.”
Sometime during their performance, the crooner’s band urged her to perform one of her songs. However, Elle simply remarked,
“I can barely play another person’s song, let me see if I can play one of mine.”
Her snappy responses, impassive reactions, and multiple use of derogatory terms ultimately became the highlight of her flopped performance. Fans present at the Grand Ole Opry found the display shocking. They utilized various media platforms to share snippets from the event, as well as voice their grievances. The Grand Ole Opry eventually issued an apology on X, focusing on Elle King’s use of derogatives. It read,
“We deeply regret and apologize for the language that was used during last night’s second Opry performance.”
Elle King Postpones Lined-Up Concerts Following Grand Ole Opry Scandal
In the wake of the Grand Ole Opry scandal, Elle King’s musical future seems to be taking a nose dive. So far, the country star has postponed up to five lined-up concerts, including her upcoming performance at Billy Bob’s Texas. The show, initially slated for Friday, January 26, 2024, now has a new date fixed in the next eight months.
The nightclub venue, Billy Bob’s Texas, announced the new date as September 21, encouraging concertgoers to claim their refunds at the point of purchase. On her part, Elle has failed to address her drunken Ole Opry performance or the concert rescheduling. However, fans are convinced it has everything to do with Elle King’s disrespectful antics against Dolly Parton at the Grand Ole Opry. One Instagram user reacted,
“That Dolly Parton event is sending ripples.”
Another agreed, saying,
“Yeah. You can’t disrespect Dolly and then come here. Texas ain’t Tennessee.”
Fans believe Elle King got herself in trouble this time and would need a lot more than a few apologies to save her career. The crooner has been open about her struggle with alcoholism and drug abuse, admitting in a 2020 interview that she finally attained sobriety after a long struggle. With her latest stunt though, it appears her years of “getting f–ked up” aren’t behind her after all.