Dolly Parton mural Tampa: Artist finishes tribute weeks before icon's death
TAMPA, Fla. - Tributes to Dolly Parton are pouring in from around the country, including one painted on the side of a Tampa Heights business.
Artist Cam Parker completed his mural honoring the country music icon about two weeks ago on the side of Robertson Billiard Supplies on North Franklin Street.
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For Parker, the mural was deeply personal.
"I wanted it to be otherworldly, much like Dolly is," Parker said. "She's her own being, her own beacon, like energy. And I wanted to pop that on a wall and make people feel how I feel."
Tampa artist honors Dolly Parton
What we know:
Parker, who goes by "PainkillerCam," says he has been a Dolly Parton fan since he was 8 years old. Her music became a connection between him, his mother and his grandmother, making the project about more than simply painting a famous face.
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"It was just a really cool connection that connects me to my grandmother, to Dolly and to people like this who are just very unapologetic about who they are," Parker said.
Parker says he spent eight days creating the mural, which features a larger-than-life depiction of Parton. He says he wanted to finish it while Parton was still alive.
When he learned of her death Tuesday afternoon, Parker said the news hit him emotionally.
"I'm going to be probably a bucket of tears later tonight once I let everything sink in," Parker said. "But, I am so excited that I've been on the Dolly train, and I've been completely, utterly obsessed for [about] 40 years."
READ: Dolly Parton: Fellow singers, actors, and elected officials remember the global superstar
Parker's admiration for Parton has also shown up in his other artwork. A friend once asked him to create a jacket for a trip to Dollywood. Parker painted Parton's character Truvy Jones from "Steel Magnolias" on the jacket.
He says Parton's willingness to embrace who she is has always been part of what inspired him.
Legacy of country icon
What they're saying:
Parker says he hopes people who see his work take away the same message he believes Parton spent her career sharing.
"To live loud and proud, be you, don't hurt anybody, but like, just be you. Lead with love and be authentic," Parker said.
Parker also told FOX 13 he heard from Parton’s representatives before her death. He says they wanted him to know that Parton appreciated the mural.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from an interview conducted by FOX 13 with artist Cam Parker.