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Orville Peck warned fans gathered for a performance at Rough Trade in East London that he was dealing with some heavy emotions following the death of Dolly Parton earlier that day. The masked country singer was making an appearance at the record shop to promote his forthcoming LP Mule, due Sept. 18.
“I’m a little bit of a mess right now,” Peck said, before offering his take on what made the country music songwriter, philanthropist, and globally recognized superstar so special. “She really stood for kindness and I think that’s something that is really lacking in the world these days… I feel we can always remember what she stood for.”
Peck, an openly gay artist in country, went on to speak at length about what Parton meant to him personally. He says he never put much stock in the idea of a “hero,” but ultimately realized one clear truth: “Dolly was my hero,” he said, his voice cracking. “I think as a gay man coming into country music and feeling sort of alone, the thing that always felt comforting is, like, just knowing Dolly existed in country…made me feel like maybe I had a friend there.”
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Music Country – Rolling Stone
