What a Way to Make a Living

Dolly Parton has no hard feelings toward Jessica Simpson, who flubbed the lines to the country singer's song "9 to 5" during the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday. "Jessica is so talented that I'm sure that someday they will be paying tribute to her and I would be honored to perform for her," Parton said in a statement Thursday. "But I'll probably be so nervous that I'll forget my wig!" On Sunday, Simpson was paying tribute to Parton by singing her famous song before a packed audience, which included President Bush and the First Lady, when she botched the lines and then fled the stage in tears. "Dolly you make me so nervous. I can't even sing the words right," Simpson said at the time. Later, Simpson's rep, Cindi Berger, said the singer was "overcome with emotion" during her performance. "She wanted the song to be perfect and she was upset with herself when it wasn't," Berger told USA Today.

Rumor has it that Jessica Simpson's mother gave Jess a verbal smackdown after her "embarrassing" performance. Tina Simpson was furious with Jess after she flubbed lyrics, stood statue-still on stage while trying to hold her dress up, and then awkwardly hurried off with a few mumbled words to Parton. Tina told her daughter that the performance was "embarrassing" and "unprofessional," and mom was further incensed because Jessica had missed a dress rehearsal and hadn't adequately learned lyrics to the song -- which necessitated cue cards at the front of the stage. Jessica can be clearly seen reading from the cards during her performance.

I guess we won't get to see the fiasco on tv since Ms. Simpson re-taped her rendition of "9 to 5" for the televised version of the Kennedy Center Honors. But you can see it here!