Grand Ole Opry Issues Apology for Elle King's "Hammered" Dolly Parton Tribute

Written by Kase Wickman

Not all guests enjoyed their experience at the Opry this past weekend.

The Grand Ole Opry's official social media page posted an apology on Twitter on Saturday following singer Elle King's explicit language during a tribute concert celebrating Dolly Parton’s 78th birthday. While performing Parton’s hit song “Marry Me,” King seemingly forgot the lyrics, subsequently using coarse language and asking the audience not to tell Dolly about her mistake since it was her birthday.

As caught in a video taken by an audience member and shared on social media, King also announced to the crowd, “I’ll tell you one thing more: Hi, my name is Elle King and I’m quite drunk.”

King, who was one of several artists scheduled to perform at the concert, received criticism from fans both in person and online for her apparent inebriation and language choice.

One Twitter user, having attended the show, characterized King’s performance as “horrible, drunk, and profane” and felt that it ruined the night. They believed Dolly Parton would have felt embarrassed had she been present. They also expressed their sadness that their first experience at The Opry was marred by this incident.

They further expressed their disappointment in a subsequent tweet: “It was quite disheartening to shell out $300 on tickets for a performance that was ruined by a single artist. This is The Opry after all, the most renowned country music venue globally. Her performance was similar to an uninspired karaoke singer who was heavily intoxicated. Terrible.”

The Opry's official Twitter handle issued an apology on Saturday: “Hi Judas, we deeply regret and apologize for the language used during last night’s second Opry performance.”

It’s worth noting that Parton herself has spoken about avoiding excessive swearing or drinking. In a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she admitted to using strong language when angry, but emphasized that she does so sparingly. As for alcohol, she acknowledged she is not a complete abstainer in her 2023 memoir titled Behind the Seams: My Life In Rhinestones, noting that the late artist Andy Warhol and she connected at notorious party venue Studio 54 over their shared moderate consumption of alcohol and drugs.