Dolly Parton Reacts Kindly to Accidental Copy of Her Iconic Hit

Country singer Maren Morris recalled the stomach-dropping moment she realized one of her songs on her sophomore album was a little too similar to Dolly Parton’s hit “9 to 5.”

While appearing on the “Zach Sang Show” on May 15, Morris said it was mere weeks before her album was set to drop when her mother called and noticed the similarity.

“There’s a song on my second record called ‘All My Favorite People’ – and I remember it was like two weeks till the record was out,” Morris said. “And my mom was actually the one that was like, ‘I kind of noticed the verse/melody, sounds a little bit like 9 to 5.'”

“The Middle” singer said she quickly contacted Parton’s team, acknowledging the similarities between the 2019 song and the classic 1980 tune.

“I’m so sorry, this was an honest mistake, I would love to give you a percentage of the writing credit because I would never do this intentionally,” she recalled telling the legendary singer. “But it sounds close enough to me.”

Parton’s Sweet Response to Morris

In typical Parton fashion, she showed nothing but kindness regarding the similarities.

“‘Oh my gosh honey, you’re all good,'” Parton responded, according to Morris. The 35-year-old added the “Jolene” singer didn’t want any credit or compensation for the song.

Morris said it has always been her fear that she could unintentionally create a similar work that is already out in the public.

“I think that’s, like, any songwriter’s worst fear is unintentionally being on top of a melody that already exists and, you know, it happens more than you think,” she told the host.

Morris and Parton Shared the Grammy Stage in 2019

Parton was honored by fellow artists during the 2019 Grammys. Morris sang a portion of “After the Gold Rush” alongside Parton and Parton’s goddaughter Miley Cyrus, according to People.

Other singers that paid tribute included Katy Perry, Kacey Musgraves and Little Big Town.

Morris expressed her joy when it was revealed she would be involved with the tribute. “*D O L L Y dream come true, fully materialized*,” she posted to social media at the time.

Prior to the performance, Morris gushed to E! News about Parton’s influence on the music industry.

“Everything from being a business woman to a songwriter to just being a woman in a man’s industry,” Morris said. “I think that she’s just paved the way for women like me and other artists who are maybe a little weird. I love her so much!”