Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/APDolly Parton arrives at the 61st annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles.
NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal viaSinger Dolly Parton is pictured during an interview with host Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show" on Jan. 19, 1977.- George Brich/AP PhotoDolly Parton has been nominated for a whopping 46 Grammy nominations and has won eight of them. She is pictured here at the 19th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 19, 1977 presenting and awards to Les Paul and Chet Atkins along with Freddie Fender.
- AP PhotoCountry singing sensation Dolly Parton had a young start in the music business, beginning her career as a child. She gained widespread fame in 1967 and then became even more well-known as she transitioned to mainstream pop in 1977 with her crossover single "Here You Come Again." Parton is pictured here with an American Music Award in California in Jan. 31, 1977.
- Chris Walter/WireImageDolly Parton photographed in 1978.
- Ed Caraeff/Morgan Media/Getty ImagesSinger, songwriter and actress Dolly Parton poses for a portrait during the cover session for her album "Heartbreaker" on Feb. 15, 1978, in Los Angeles, Calif.
- Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via GettyDolly Parton on the Set of "9 to 5" on March 18, 1980.
- Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via GettyDolly Parton, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman attend the premiere party for "Nine to Five" on Dec. 14, 1980, at Luchow's in New York.
- Richard Corkery/New York Daily NewsDolly Parton starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in the musical comedy "Rhinestone" in 1984. Unfortunately, the film was not a hit and was nominated for many Golden Raspberry Awards, or "Razzies," which are given out to the worst films and performances of the year.
- 20th Century Fox/Getty ImagesDolly Parton in publicity portrait for the film "Rhinestone" in 1984.
- 20th Century Fox/Getty ImagesSylvester Stallone points to Dolly Parton in a scene from the film "Rhinestone" in1984.
- CBS Photo Archive/CBS via Getty ImagesWillie Nelson, left, and Dolly Parton pose during the TV special, "Grand Ole Opry 60th Anniversary," which aired Jan. 14, 1986.
- John Seakwood/Walt Disney Television via GettyDolly Parton pictured in Dollywood circa 1987.
- ABC Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via GettyOprah Winfrey, left, and Dolly Parton on "Dolly" in 1987.
- ABC Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via GettyKenny Rogers and Dolly Parton photographed in 1987
- Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImageIn 1986, Dolly Parton bought an existing amusement park and named it Dollywood, after herself of course! She is pictured here riding the Ferris wheel at the Opening Weekend Celebration of Dollywood on April 24, 1993, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
- DOUG COLLIER/Getty ImagesDolly Parton stands with the award she won during the Country Music Awards on Oct. 2, 1996, at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Parton won for Vocal Event of the Year with "I Will Always Love You" with special guest Vince Gill.
- ALAN MARLER/AP PhotoDolly Parton performs at the 14th annual Merlefest at Wilkes Comunity College, on April 28, 2001, in Wilkesboro, N.C. The festival attracts more than a hundred musicians from as far away as Japan, as well as thousands of fans.
- Richard Corkery/ New York Daily NewsIn 2001, Dolly Parton was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame during a ceremony held at the Sheraton New York Hotel on June 15, 2001.
- NEIL BRAKE/AP PhotoDolly Parton received the Tennessee Arts Commission's Lifetime Achievement Award given by Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen during the 2003 Governor's Awards for the Arts at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. on March 11, 2003.
- Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesDolly Parton guest starred on fellow country singer Reba McEntire's show, "Reba," on Feb. 15, 2005. Parton played Dolly Majors, a cutthroat real estate agent.
- AFP/Getty ImagesDolly Parton has been married to her husband Carl Dean since May 30, 1966. The couple is rarely even seen together because Dean dislikes publicity and does not often accompany his wife to events. In a rare public outing, the husband and wife duo attended that 78th Academy Awards together on March 5, 2006.
- MARK J. TERRILL/AP PhotoDolly Parton performed her Oscar-nominated best original song "Travelin' Thru" from the film "Transamerica" at the 78th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 5, 2006.
- LESLIE E. KOSSOFF/Getty ImagesKennedy Center Honors recipients, from left, Zubin Mehta, Steven Spielberg, Dolly Parton, Smokey Robinson, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, pose for photos after receiving the award at the State Department during a dinner hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2006.
- Peter Kramer/AP PhotoIn 2009, Dolly Parton took her talents to the Broadway stage when she wrote the score for "9 to 5: The Musical," the stage adaptation of her 1980 film. Parton is pictured here at the 63rd Annual Tony Awards in New York City on June 7, 2009, where she was nominated for Best Original Score.
- ASSOCIATED PRESSCountry singer Dolly Parton photographed in 1977.
- APDolly Parton and Johnny Cash at the Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, Tenn., in 1978.
- JOHN RUSSELL/ASSOCIATED PRESSCountry music legend Dolly Parton relaxes at her office in Nashville, Tenn., on Aug. 11, 2005.
- Mark Humphrey/APSinger Dolly Parton, center, with unidentified nieces and nephews at Dollywood, on May 2, 1986, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
- Harms/ASSOCIATED PRESSSinger and Actress Dolly Parton shown at a party following the premiere of her movie "Nine to Five" in Los Angeles, Dec. 12, 1980.
- BOB GALBRAITH/ASSOCIATED PRESSEntertainer Dolly Parton, wearing a wedding dress, is shown with wrestler Hulk Hogan during taping of a television special in Los Angeles, Ca., on Sept. 14, 1987.
- Lennox McLendon/ASSOCIATED PRESSCountry music vocalists Linda Ronstadt, left, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, right, take a break to met with reporters at the Sheraton Premiere Hotel in Universal City, April 17, 1987, to talk about their collaboration on the recently released album "Trio." The album, which made Billboard's Top 20 in just three weeks, ended a decade of frustrating attempts to unite the three voices.
- ASSOCIATED PRESSSinger Dolly Parton and actress Candy Bergen in May 1977.
- Mark Lenihan/ASSOCIATED PRESSDolly Parton, who is slated to appear in the film version, gets a mass hairdo as she visits the Broadway show "Steel Magnolias" in New York, on April 8, 1988. Giving Dolly the business are, from left: Elizabeth Moore, Mary Fogarty, Rosemary Prinz, Susan Masur, Connie Shulman and Betsey Aidem.
- Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/APDolly Parton arrives at the 61st annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles.
- Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/APDolly Parton arrives at the 61st annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles.
- Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/APDolly Parton arrives at the 61st annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles.
- NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal viaSinger Dolly Parton is pictured during an interview with host Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show" on Jan. 19, 1977.
- George Brich/AP PhotoDolly Parton has been nominated for a whopping 46 Grammy nominations and has won eight of them. She is pictured here at the 19th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 19, 1977 presenting and awards to Les Paul and Chet Atkins along with Freddie Fender.
- AP PhotoCountry singing sensation Dolly Parton had a young start in the music business, beginning her career as a child. She gained widespread fame in 1967 and then became even more well-known as she transitioned to mainstream pop in 1977 with her crossover single "Here You Come Again." Parton is pictured here with an American Music Award in California in Jan. 31, 1977.
- Chris Walter/WireImageDolly Parton photographed in 1978.
- Ed Caraeff/Morgan Media/Getty ImagesSinger, songwriter and actress Dolly Parton poses for a portrait during the cover session for her album "Heartbreaker" on Feb. 15, 1978, in Los Angeles, Calif.
- Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via GettyDolly Parton on the Set of "9 to 5" on March 18, 1980.
- Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via GettyDolly Parton, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman attend the premiere party for "Nine to Five" on Dec. 14, 1980, at Luchow's in New York.
- Richard Corkery/New York Daily NewsDolly Parton starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in the musical comedy "Rhinestone" in 1984. Unfortunately, the film was not a hit and was nominated for many Golden Raspberry Awards, or "Razzies," which are given out to the worst films and performances of the year.
- 20th Century Fox/Getty ImagesDolly Parton in publicity portrait for the film "Rhinestone" in 1984.
- 20th Century Fox/Getty ImagesSylvester Stallone points to Dolly Parton in a scene from the film "Rhinestone" in1984.
- CBS Photo Archive/CBS via Getty ImagesWillie Nelson, left, and Dolly Parton pose during the TV special, "Grand Ole Opry 60th Anniversary," which aired Jan. 14, 1986.
- John Seakwood/Walt Disney Television via GettyDolly Parton pictured in Dollywood circa 1987.
- ABC Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via GettyOprah Winfrey, left, and Dolly Parton on "Dolly" in 1987.
- ABC Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via GettyKenny Rogers and Dolly Parton photographed in 1987
- Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImageIn 1986, Dolly Parton bought an existing amusement park and named it Dollywood, after herself of course! She is pictured here riding the Ferris wheel at the Opening Weekend Celebration of Dollywood on April 24, 1993, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
- DOUG COLLIER/Getty ImagesDolly Parton stands with the award she won during the Country Music Awards on Oct. 2, 1996, at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Parton won for Vocal Event of the Year with "I Will Always Love You" with special guest Vince Gill.
- ALAN MARLER/AP PhotoDolly Parton performs at the 14th annual Merlefest at Wilkes Comunity College, on April 28, 2001, in Wilkesboro, N.C. The festival attracts more than a hundred musicians from as far away as Japan, as well as thousands of fans.
- Richard Corkery/ New York Daily NewsIn 2001, Dolly Parton was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame during a ceremony held at the Sheraton New York Hotel on June 15, 2001.
- NEIL BRAKE/AP PhotoDolly Parton received the Tennessee Arts Commission's Lifetime Achievement Award given by Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen during the 2003 Governor's Awards for the Arts at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. on March 11, 2003.
- Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesDolly Parton guest starred on fellow country singer Reba McEntire's show, "Reba," on Feb. 15, 2005. Parton played Dolly Majors, a cutthroat real estate agent.
- AFP/Getty ImagesDolly Parton has been married to her husband Carl Dean since May 30, 1966. The couple is rarely even seen together because Dean dislikes publicity and does not often accompany his wife to events. In a rare public outing, the husband and wife duo attended that 78th Academy Awards together on March 5, 2006.
- MARK J. TERRILL/AP PhotoDolly Parton performed her Oscar-nominated best original song "Travelin' Thru" from the film "Transamerica" at the 78th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 5, 2006.
- LESLIE E. KOSSOFF/Getty ImagesKennedy Center Honors recipients, from left, Zubin Mehta, Steven Spielberg, Dolly Parton, Smokey Robinson, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, pose for photos after receiving the award at the State Department during a dinner hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2006.
- Peter Kramer/AP PhotoIn 2009, Dolly Parton took her talents to the Broadway stage when she wrote the score for "9 to 5: The Musical," the stage adaptation of her 1980 film. Parton is pictured here at the 63rd Annual Tony Awards in New York City on June 7, 2009, where she was nominated for Best Original Score.
- ASSOCIATED PRESSCountry singer Dolly Parton photographed in 1977.
- APDolly Parton and Johnny Cash at the Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, Tenn., in 1978.
- JOHN RUSSELL/ASSOCIATED PRESSCountry music legend Dolly Parton relaxes at her office in Nashville, Tenn., on Aug. 11, 2005.
- Mark Humphrey/APSinger Dolly Parton, center, with unidentified nieces and nephews at Dollywood, on May 2, 1986, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
- Harms/ASSOCIATED PRESSSinger and Actress Dolly Parton shown at a party following the premiere of her movie "Nine to Five" in Los Angeles, Dec. 12, 1980.
- BOB GALBRAITH/ASSOCIATED PRESSEntertainer Dolly Parton, wearing a wedding dress, is shown with wrestler Hulk Hogan during taping of a television special in Los Angeles, Ca., on Sept. 14, 1987.
- Lennox McLendon/ASSOCIATED PRESSCountry music vocalists Linda Ronstadt, left, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, right, take a break to met with reporters at the Sheraton Premiere Hotel in Universal City, April 17, 1987, to talk about their collaboration on the recently released album "Trio." The album, which made Billboard's Top 20 in just three weeks, ended a decade of frustrating attempts to unite the three voices.
- ASSOCIATED PRESSSinger Dolly Parton and actress Candy Bergen in May 1977.
- Mark Lenihan/ASSOCIATED PRESSDolly Parton, who is slated to appear in the film version, gets a mass hairdo as she visits the Broadway show "Steel Magnolias" in New York, on April 8, 1988. Giving Dolly the business are, from left: Elizabeth Moore, Mary Fogarty, Rosemary Prinz, Susan Masur, Connie Shulman and Betsey Aidem.
Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
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Dolly Parton arrives at the 61st annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles.
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By Theresa Braine | tbraine@nydailynews.com | New York Daily News
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:
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Dolly Parton was twice offered the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the Trump Administration, but turned it down, she revealed on Monday.
“I couldn’t accept it because my husband was ill,” she told “Today” in an interview set to air on Tuesday. “And then they asked me again about it and I wouldn’t travel because of the COVID.”
It was late November when it emerged that the storied songstress didn’t already have one, when talk show host Stephen Colbert asked former President Barack Obama why he hadn’t given her one.
Obama was jokingly chagrined, labeling it as an oversight and saying he would put in a word to then President-elect Joe Biden, who was inaugurated Jan. 20.
Parton said Biden’s office has indeed reached out to her but that now, she’s hesitant.
“Now I feel like if I take it, I’ll be doing politics, so I’m not sure,” said the star, who turned 75 on Jan. 19.