Dolly Parton turned down the Super Bowl halftime show "many times" because she didn't think she was "big enough".
Dolly Parton has turned down the NFL many times
The 77-year-old country legend admitted there has never been the right moment for her to agree to perform at the NFL showpiece game - which next year will be headlined by Usher and has previously seen the likes of Beyonce, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Coldplay take to the stage - and she felt particularly daunted by being part of such a "big production".
She told The Hollywood Reporter: "I couldn't do it because of other things, or I just didn't think I was big enough to do it - to do that big of a production.
"When you think about those shows, those are big, big productions. I've never done anything with that big of a production. I don't know if I could have. I think at the time that's what I was thinking."
However, the '9 to 5' singer admitted she'd be open to the idea a bit more now as she is gearing up to release her first rock album, 'Rockstar', later this month.
She admitted: "It would make more sense. I might be able to do a production show."
Dolly had never considered making rock music until she was invited to be inducted into the Rock + Roll Hall of Fame, which she initially declined because she "didn't want to take away from somebody that has spent their life in that world."
She recalled thinking: "They're going to put me in the Rock + Roll Hall of Fame and somebody like Meat Loaf or some of these other great artists never even made it?"
She added: "They told me all the ways that people's music has influenced other people around the world … and told me about other people that were in it besides rock. Then I accepted it."
But the 'Jolene' hitmaker "still didn't feel great about it" and felt she needed to "earn" her place.
She said: "I still thought I needed to earn it. That's why I thought, ‘Well, timing is perfect. There's a real reason for me to do this rock 'n' roll album. Here I am a rock star at 77.'"
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