Dolly Parton Tweaks Hit 'Jolene' to Urge Covid Vaccine

Dolly Parton. (AP)
Dolly Parton. (AP)
TT
20

Dolly Parton Tweaks Hit 'Jolene' to Urge Covid Vaccine

Dolly Parton. (AP)
Dolly Parton. (AP)

From "Jolene" to "Vaccine" -- country music legend Dolly Parton has received her first Covid shot, and urged Americans to follow her lead with a rewrite of her classic hit singing the vaccine's praises.

"Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, I'm begging of you, please don't hesitate," she sang to the tune of her 1973 hit. "Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, because once you're dead, then that's a bit too late."

In the short video posted to social media, the 75-year-old singer gets a shot of Moderna's vaccine, the development of which she helped fund.

"I am old enough to get it (vaccine) and I am smart enough to get it.... I wanted to tell everybody that I think you should get out there and get it too," she said.

Revered by people from a variety of backgrounds for decades, Parton, a longtime philanthropist, has been popping up in the news of late, especially after donating $1 million to Vanderbilt University.

The funds went towards developing Moderna's coronavirus vaccine.

Parton joins other US celebrities who have publicly supported the vaccine like actors Tom Hanks and Sean Penn.



BTS Member Suga Discharged from South Korean Military Service

 K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)
K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)
TT
20

BTS Member Suga Discharged from South Korean Military Service

 K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)
K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)

K-pop group BTS member Suga was discharged from the South Korean military on Saturday, the seventh and final member to complete the country's mandatory national service amid expectations of the band's comeback from a hiatus.

Suga finished his military tenure as a social service agent on Saturday with little fanfare as fans looked forward to his reunion with the rest of the band, a K-pop sensation since it started up in 2013.

"We confirm that Suga effectively completed his alternative service on June 18 by using his remaining leave. His official discharge date is June 21," BTS' label, Big Hit Music, said in a statement.

Unlike with his BTS bandmates, there was no public event planned to mark Suga's release because of overcrowding concerns.

The seven members of the group put their global music careers on hold in 2022 to begin their military service, starting with Jin in December that year. South Korea's mandatory national service can be for terms of up to 18 months.

Shortly after his official discharge, Suga posted a message on fan community platform Weverse, saying he was "sorry for the disappointment and concern caused by what happened last year", and also apologizing to his bandmates.

Last year, Suga was fined 15 million won ($11,500) by a court for drunk driving while on an electric scooter.

The group is expected to hold its largest-ever world tour in 2026, an NH Securities entertainment analyst said in a report.

Entertainment group HYBE, which manages BTS, is closely monitored by securities companies.

Details of a reunion have not been released.