Country singer Elle King's recent onstage antics at a Dolly Parton tribute have led to the postponement of her show at Billy Bob's Texas, originally scheduled for Friday. After a video of her profanity-filled performance at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry went viral, King has pushed her Fort Worth appearance to September 21, as reported by FOX 4 News. The clip in question shows King struggling through Parton's song "Marry Me", admitting, "I don’t know the lyrics to these things in this f***ing town," and warning the audience, "Don’t tell Dolly ’cause it’s her birthday."
Addressing her state during the tribute, the Grammy-nominated artist divulged, "Hi, my name is Elle King, I'm f***ing hammered". Meanwhile, the Opry issued an apology saying, "We deeply regret and apologize for the language that was used," in response to the unexpected turn of events. Adding to the disruptions, King has also postponed four February shows in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, where ticketholders have been given the choice to either refund or retain their tickets for the rescheduled dates. Marty Travis, general manager of Billy Bob’s Texas, noted the obvious strain that King had experienced, both personally and professionally, during the past week in an interview with The Dallas Morning News.
Billy Bob's has confirmed that approximately 2,000 tickets were sold for King’s show which, would have marked her first performance at the renowned venue. Despite the setback, King is no stranger to Billy Bob's – she attended Miranda Lambert’s 40th birthday party late last year at the same location, Travis shared with The Dallas Morning News. Reflecting on her past shows and relationship with alcohol, King expressed in a candid 2022 interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune that liquid courage has been both a fixture and a challenge. "They don’t call it ‘liquid courage’ for nothing," she said.
Despite her recent public struggles, King has been open about her commitment to motherhood following the birth of her son in 2021. Prioritizing her role as a mother, she emphasized the importance of her family over her career, "I put being a mother way, way, way above having a good time," King attested in the same interview. Her upcoming performances are now on pause, fans and the music industry alike await her next move as she grapples with the balance between personal challenges and public expectations, as per The Dallas Morning News.
