Dolly Parton reveals why she was ‘flattered’ by Sheep Clone’s namesake
Dolly Parton has told why she was ‘flattered’ when she heard a pioneering sheep clone had been named after her almost 30 years ago.
RadarOnline.com can reveal that the country music legend was honored to have the sheep clone named “Dolly” after her infamous cleavage when she discovered scientists used mammary gland tissue to create the farm animal.
Dolly the sheep was the first mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult somatic cell in 1996 by researchers at Scotland’s Roslin Institute.
During a recent interview with the GuardianParton, 78, was asked what she thought about the scientific achievement being named after her bosom – and whether or not she would like to be cloned.
She said: “I was flattered.
“You know, when the scientists cloned Dolly the sheep, they used the mammary glands. That’s what they call them… glands… the breasts.’
She continued: “They said, ‘Oh, we have this sheep, Dolly…’ Everyone always played on this (points to her chest), so that’s why we had Dolly the sheep.”
Her namesake, born on July 5, 1996, produced six offspring before passing away on February 14, 2003.
Parton added, “I was sorry when she died, even though I don’t want to be cloned myself.
“I want to get out of here as soon as I can.”
The Jolene The singer went on to joke that there are already plenty of people imitating her, adding: “We’re already getting a lot of Dolly lookalikes, a lot of Dolly drag queens.
“I can just send them to the store instead of to me.”
While Parton has no shortage of artists paying tribute to her iconic career, she confessed that she “can’t retire yet.”
She said: “I always say I dreamed myself into a corner. I have to keep all those dreams alive.
“Every dream leads to something else.”
Parton also took the opportunity to address “misinformation” about her no longer touring, which she clarified: “I’m still doing shows – I just don’t go on the full tours where I go abroad for weeks at a time go.
“I’m older, my husband is older, and I want to be with him more.
‘So no. I couldn’t retire if I wanted to. And I don’t want that either.’
As RadarOnline.com reported, Parton recently opened up about her marriage to homespun husband Carl Dean, who has avoided the spotlight throughout their nearly six decades of marriage despite his wife’s massive stardom.
She revealed: “I don’t go out that much and basically just live a simple life. I look like a party doll, but I’m basically a homebody when I’m not at work; I like being home. I like cooking and reading, and crazy things around the house, feminine things.
“My husband and I have always enjoyed each other. I love doing things with him; we have a small RV and love to travel around, especially in Tennessee – we love going out just for weekends or day trips. We’ve been all over the country.”
