Dolly Parton‘s viral statement on Black Lives Matter from her current Billboard cover story is now painted alongside a mural of the country legend in Nashville.
Nashville-based artist Kim Radford painted a flowery picture of Parton outside of The 5 Spot, a famous music venue in East Nashville, which she started last Thursday (Aug. 13). Then she read the country singer’s cover interview with Billboard last Friday (Aug. 14) where Parton proudly proclaimed her support for Black Lives Matter with this standout quote: “And of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white a–es are the only ones that matter? No!”
“The day before I finished the mural, Dolly had an amazing press release about her upcoming Christmas album and her interview with Billboard. As I painted the final touches I knew her sassy loving quote — ‘Of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white a–es are the only ones that matter?’ — would be a perfect finish to send out in my neighborhood,” Radford told CNN in an interview today (Aug. 17).
She described the last-minute addition to her Music City neighborhood “passion project” as a “happy accident.” But she always intended to pick The 5 Spot for the mural’s location because of its proximity to Radford’s own neighborhood and its legacy as a spot where many Nashville transplants specifically pursuing a musical career flock to for their first gig.
“It’s a magical little dive bar and Dolly adds the mojo this neighborhood needed,” the muralist told CNN.
Check out her mural of Parton below.
