The Grand Ole Opry, a venerable country music venue, apologized on Twitter on Saturday for the remarks made by vocalist Elle King at a Dolly Parton tribute event, which was held in honor of the artist's 78th birthday. During his rendition of Parton's "Marry Me," King seemed to lose track of the words, occasionally substituting, "I don't know the lyrics to these things in this fucking town." Keep it a secret from Dolly, since it's her birthday.

In an audience video that was shared on social media, she also exclaimed, "I'll tell you one thing more: Hi, my name is Elle King, and I'm fucking hammered."

King was one of several artists scheduled for the event, and her obvious intoxication and vulgarity infuriated fans both online and in the audience.

"Elle King ruined the night with her horrible, drunken, and profane performance," tweeted one person who had been there. Dolly Parton would have felt ashamed. It was unfortunate that we all had to see that, as it was our first time at The Opry.


The user added in another tweet, "It was such a disappointment to spend $300 on tickets for a show where one of the artists ruined an entire night." The Opry is the best country music venue in the world, after all. That act resembled that of a dull karaoke performer who had lost all mental faculties. Horrible
"Hello Judas, we deeply regret and apologize for the language that was used during last night's second Opry performance," the venue's social Twitter account wrote in response on Saturday.

It seems dubious to honor Parton by drinking and swearing, considering she has already stated that she only enjoys these things in moderation. She stated in a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, "If I'm angry, I'll occasionally use a few expletives to make my point. I've said it before: I don't lose my temper as much as I do. Because I value harmony and tranquility, I don't do anything either, but if you infringe on my zone, I will call you out.


In her 2023 book Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, she acknowledged that she does not abstain from alcohol, but she and the late Andy Warhol forged a close friendship during their visits to the renowned party venue Studio 54 because they “didn't do too many drugs or drink too much alcohol.” She has also adhered to it in more recent times, saying in 2019 to NME, "I never did drugs or alcohol." Although I generally don't drink much, I will occasionally have a few glasses of wine when I go out to a nice dinner or when I travel because I don't like to fly.