No charges for the man who defaced a Dolly Parton mural

A man who threw black paint on a mural of Dolly Parton will not face charges, Taste of Country reported August 5. The mural sits on a wall outside the 5 Spot, a music venue in East Nashville; the paint splattered down Parton's painted nose and dripped below her chin when the man, wearing a Doobie Brothers t-shirt, threw it on Monday, August 3.

Local artist Kim Radford painted the mural in August 2020, and the piece also includes a Parton quote supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. Radford has painted other murals around Nashville, including pieces featuring Taylor Swift, John Prine and American Aquarium, but the Dolly piece was the one that put her on the map.

Security footage from a nearby vintage clothing store, the Hip Zipper, helped identify the man, who had several distinguishing physical traits, including long black hair and an arm tattoo. He also defaced a second mural nearby before the 5 Spot and other businesses involved identified him.

The 5 Spot said the man explained himself directly to the businesses involved, telling them the act was not done out of hate or anger toward any person or place, but that "he's in a bad mental state." No charges will be filed, according to the venue's account of the incident.

Radford said she planned to repair the mural by Thursday, August 6, and teased "her glow up" once the work was done. Parton has not commented on the incident. Her name has stayed in the news elsewhere this year too, including a lifetime achievement honor from the Americana association, as the country icon's decades-long career keeps drawing new attention.