Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Here’s Why Dolly Parton Turned Down The Presidential Medal of Freedom – Twice!

Here’s Why Dolly Parton Turned Down The Presidential Medal of Freedom – Twice!
by
  • Riley is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, known for her engaging storytelling and insightful coverage of the genre.
  • Before joining Country Thang Daily, Riley developed her expertise at Billboard and People magazine, focusing on feature stories and music reviews.
  • Riley has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Belmont University, with a minor in Cultural Studies.

Besides being Queen of Country, Dolly Parton has always had a philanthropic side that stretches back several decades ago. 

Since 1995, the country superstar has run Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a children’s literacy program that has grown into an international organization reaching all fifty states and also in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. The book gifting program has been donating more than one million books per month to children worldwide.

In 2016, following a wildfire in the Great Smoky Mountains region of her native Tennessee, which left hundreds homeless, Parton and the Dollywood Foundation immediately launched the My People Fund to help those who had lost their homes. The Fund was able to give a total of $10,000 to more than 900 families whose homes were uninhabitable, over the course of six months.

Indeed, Parton has proven to be quite the philanthropist, utilizing her fame and wealth to act as an empowering and charitable force, and it turns out even presidents have noticed!

The country icon recently revealed that President Donald Trump’s administration offered her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, not once but twice. However, Parton turned it down both times.

“I got offered the freedom award from the Trump administration. I couldn’t accept it because my husband was ill,” Parton explained to NBC’s Today program. “Then they asked me again about it, and I wouldn’t travel because of the COVID.”

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest award a civilian could receive from the president of the United States. It is given to honor individuals who have made significant contributions, not only in the United States but all over the world. 

Now, only two weeks into his term, Parton said she had already heard from President Joe Biden. However, she feels hesitant to accept the third offer. “Now I feel like if I take it, I’ll be doing politics, so I’m not sure,” she said.

Last fall, President Barack Obama appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and he admitted he was “shocked” Parton had not gotten a Presidential Medal of Freedom during his time in office. “That was a screw up,” he said. “I think I assumed she had already got one.”

Even so, the singer added that she feels like she does not deserve the award. “But I don’t work for those awards,” she said. “It’d be nice, but I’m not sure that I even deserve it. But it’s a nice compliment for people to think that I might deserve it.”

RELATED: Dolly Parton: From Humble Beginnings to a Legacy of Giving

Parton’s most recent headlines follow the announcement of her $1 million donations to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to help fund the research in fighting the coronavirus. A few months later, news broke that the country star’s generosity was partly used to fund Moderna’s vaccine, which trials result is absolutely remarkable – having an efficacy of 94.1%, far above what most vaccine scientists were presuming. So, you can thank the “Jolene” singer when we finally can get back gathering or clubbing come summertime.

“I just felt so proud to have been part of that little seed money that will hopefully grow into something great and help to heal this world,” Parton said on BBC One’s The One Show when asked about her contribution. “I’m a very proud girl today to know I had anything at all to do with something that’s going to help us through this cr𝓪zy pandemic.”

Guess we can all assure Dolly Parton that no one deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom more than her. 

Latest Stories

Dolly Parton looks down emotionally while speaking into a rhinestone-covered microphone during a candid moment on stage.

Dolly Parton Was So Broke When She First Moved to Nashville She Ate Leftover Room Service to Survive

Some people chase dreams. Dolly Parton chased survival. Long before the wigs, the theme park, and the billion-dollar legacy, Dolly was just a teenage girl in cheap shoes with a ...

Kelly Clarkson closes her eyes while singing into a microphone during her raw performance of Cody Johnson’s “When It Comes To You.”

Kelly Clarkson’s Cody Johnson Cover Reminded Folks What Country’s Supposed to Feel Like

Kelly Clarkson’s voice could melt asphalt in the middle of a Texas summer, and when she turned her sights on Cody Johnson‘s “When It Comes To You,” it wasn’t just ...

Connie Francis smiles with hands clasped in front of a pink backdrop and orchids, remembered for her timeless hit “Pretty Little Baby.”

Connie Francis, the Original Pop Icon Behind “Pretty Little Baby,” Dies at 87

She ruled the airwaves before most of us were born, and somehow, against all odds, Connie Francis was going viral on TikTok at 87. The pop powerhouse behind hits like ...

Luke Bryan performs with high energy on stage in a plaid shirt and cap, dividing fans over whether he's saving or ruining country music.

Why Some Country Fans Can’t Stand Luke Bryan and Others Say He Saved the Genre

Country fans don’t just listen, they debate. And if there’s one name that’s kept the whiskey flowing and keyboards clacking over the last decade, it’s Luke Bryan. Depending on who ...

Luke Bryan looks emotional during a heartfelt interview as he reflects on the personal tragedies of losing his brother and sister years apart.

Luke Bryan’s Brother and Sister Died Years Apart and He’s Still Carrying That Pain Today

Country music’s known for telling stories, but Luke Bryan’s life reads more like a ballad you never want to live through. Before the chart-toppers, before the sold-out stadium tours, before ...

Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert perform together in cowboy hats as their new duet “A Song to Sing” sparks mixed reactions from critics and fans.

Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert’s New Duet Slammed by Critics but Loved by Listeners

You’d think pairing two of the biggest voices in country music would set the world on fire. Instead, some critics are out here pouring cold water on what was supposed ...

More than 50 country legends and stars join together onstage at the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th celebration for a surprise performance of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”

Opry 100 Crowd Thought It Was Over Then 50 Country Legends Sang “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”

Thought the show was over? Not even close. The Grand Ole Opry’s 100th anniversary celebration already had fans floating on a high of nostalgia, surprise collaborations, and once-in-a-lifetime performances. But ...

Chris Stapleton performing onstage in a cowboy hat and black suit while playing guitar, tied to his big $1 million donation to help Texas families after devastating floods.

Chris Stapleton Steps Up to Help Texas Families After Devastating Floods With Big Donation

When the waters rise, real country shows up. Texas got hit with a storm over Fourth of July weekend that nobody saw coming, a wall of rain that turned the ...

Beyoncé performing in a white rhinestone outfit and cowboy hat during her Cowboy Carter Tour, amid news her unreleased music and setlists were stolen from a car in Atlanta.

Beyoncé’s Unreleased Music Stolen From Car in Atlanta Along With Cowboy Carter Tour Plans and Setlists

Well, here we go. Beyoncé might want to saddle up that golden horse of hers because this Cowboy Carter circus just keeps getting wilder, and not in a way that’ll ...

Darius Rucker passionately singing on stage before walking off after four songs and refunding fans when he lost his voice in Atlantic City.

Darius Rucker Walks Off Stage After 4 Songs Says “I Can’t Sing Anymore” and Refunds Fans

Sometimes the road just knocks the wind right out of you, or in Darius Rucker‘s case, it takes your voice and leaves you standing there, hat in hand, with nothing ...