Dolly Parton turned down Super Bowl halftime show 'many times' thinking she wasn't big enough

Dolly Parton turned down the Super Bowl halftime show "many times" because she didn't think she was "big enough".

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 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 Dolly "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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