Tennessee officials want to erect a statue of Dolly Parton outside the classic country temple Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville, the state and state capital.
The proposal was presented to the state congress in January and will be put to the vote on Tuesday.
Parton now thanks the rulers for even considering a statue of her but asks them to withdraw the proposal altogether.
"Although I hope that sometime, many years into the future or perhaps after I have passed away, you will still feel worthy of the honor, I, as a grateful Tennessee resident, will definitely be proud to stand (statue) in our amazing state capital. ", Parton writes in a statement.
"She's wrong"
The congressman who presented the proposal, Democrat John Windle, tells The Tennessean that he respects Parton's opinion but also that the world needs more people like Dolly Parton.
- More than ever, he says and stands up.
Instead of withdrawing the proposal, he wants to get the singer's fans to change her attitude.
- Because she's wrong.
She deserves this, says Windle.
The proposal for a Dolly Parton statue was first raised last year, during a debate over the removal of a bust by Nathan Bedford Forrest, Southern General and Ku Klux clan leader, who was then standing in the state Congress House.
It and two other busts were removed after a vote in Congress.
Said no to Trump
The statue is not the only honor Parton does not want.
She twice turned down former US President Donald Trump, who wanted to give her the President's Medal of Freedom, and earlier this year said she did not know if she would receive the same medal from Joe Biden.
In addition to countless hit songs, over 100 million records sold and participation in several films and TV series on the merit list, Dolly Parton has worked extensively with charity.
Among many other things, she donated last year the equivalent of around ten million kronor to research to develop a vaccine against coronavirus.