Gay bar quite rightly honours Saint Dolly Parton with ‘spiritual’ 50-foot tribute
Strut nightclub commissioned a Dolly Parton mural in recognition of her contribution to the COVID-19 vaccine. (Instagram/Strut)
A gay club has created an incredible mural of Dolly Parton to celebrate her $1 million contribution to COVID-19 vaccine research.
The legendary country singer and queer icon donated a large chunk of her personal wealth to the Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Tennessee last year in an effort to help researchers find a vaccine to tackle the pandemic.
Dolly Parton’s money helped medical experts come up with the Moderna vaccine, one of the most effective jabs for preventing COVID-19.
Luke Nero, founder and CEO of Strut, a gay club in Costa Mesa, California, decided to celebrate the icon’s angelic intervention by commissioning a 50-by-20 foot mural of her to be painted on the club’s outside wall.
Artist David Gilmore was hired to create the mural, and the finished product will be unveiled on 13 March.
Nero told the Orange County Register that he commissioned the artwork after finding out about Parton’s donation to vaccine research last year.
“Not only is she an icon in the queer commuting and beyond, but she is truly a model of inclusivity,” Nero told The Orange County Register.
“It’s my hope that our mural will add positivity and a sense of togetherness… while recognising the contribution of frontline workers.
Nero said he hopes the mural will be seen as a “symbol of hope for better times ahead”.
Gilmore used “a whole bunch of images” of Parton to help inform the incredible artwork, which helped him to create a “glamorous” and “spiritual” image of the star.
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Dolly Parton just got her own COVID vaccine
News of the powerful mural comes just days after Dolly Parton got a dose of her own medicine when she received the Moderna jab at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre on Tuesday (2 March).
Parton shared a video of herself getting the vaccine on Twitter, in which she sang an alternative version of “Jolene” aptly titled “Vaccine”.
“Well hey, it’s me, I’m finally going to get my vaccine. I’m so excited. I’ve been waiting a while,” Parton said in the video.
“I’m old enough to get it, and I’m smart enough to get it,” the 75-year-old said.
She then sang the alternative version of her classic song, with the words: “Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, I’m begging of you please don’t hesitate.”
