Fans may think Elle King ‘s song was all wrong, but Dolly Parton says it’s alright.
The music icon is speaking out after King came under fire for her performance last month during a Parton tribute concert celebrating the country legend’s 78th birthday.
King was caught on video from multiple angles performing what fans thought was a tasteless cover of Parton’s “Marry Me.” At one point during the performance, she says: “… Hi, my name is Elle King. I’m (expletive) hammered.”
But Parton characteristically had nothing but good things to say about the singer.
“Elle is really a great artist,” Parton told ” Extra ” in an interview aired Friday. “She’s a great girl, and she’s been going through hard things lately.”
She added: “She just had a little too much to drink, so let’s just forgive that and forget it and move on, ‘cause she felt worse than anyone ever could.”
Grand Ole Opry apologizes after Elle King performs Dolly Parton cover ‘hammered’
During King’s Jan. 19 performance, according to one TikTok video , the “Worth A Shot” singer admitted onstage she didn’t know the words to “Marry Me”: “I don’t know the lyrics to these things in this (expletive) town. Don’t tell Dolly ’cause it’s her birthday.”