Dolly Parton Said She Felt ‘Sorry’ for Madonna After ‘Like a Prayer’
In 1989, Madonna released “Like a Prayer” to such controversy that everyone from Pope John Paul II to Dolly Parton had something to say about it. The music video for the song features both religious and sexual imagery and prompted backlash from Christian groups. Though Parton has said she has a strong faith, she admitted she felt bad that Madonna was facing such a strong negative reaction.
Dolly Parton felt sorry for the backlash Madonna got after ‘Like a Prayer’
Parton has said she considers herself spiritual, not religious. Still, she refused to make jokes about God while hosting Saturday Night Live and has released Christian-leaning music. When asked for her opinion about the “Like a Prayer” music video, though, she declined to give one. She claimed she hadn’t seen it, but even if she had, she didn’t want to criticize it.
“I’ve heard a lot about it,” she said, per the book Dolly on Dolly. “But I would have no comment about it anyway. I don’t judge other people’s work. I believe we do the best we can, and do what we think is the best for us at the time.”
She added that she liked Madonna as an artist and felt sorry that she was dealing with this sort of reaction to her work.
“I know there was a lot of controversy about it,” she said. “I think Madonna is very talented, and I’m sorry for the public and for her that things didn’t turn out better.”
