Ashley McBryde Accidentally Started a Fire in Dolly Parton’s Home
Imagine reading a headline that says, "Dolly Parton's House Burns Down After Ashley McBryde Microwave Mishap." Perhaps that's a bit dramatic, but it almost happened!
The "Martha Divine" singer was happy to divulge some of her most embarrassing moments while doing an interview with Audacy's Rob + Holly at the Faster Horses Festival. The biggest whoopsie-daisy had to be her experience house-sitting for Parton and that she neglected to read the instructions on a Bagel Bites box.
"I caught her microwave on fire," McBryde confesses. "I got this gig ... they were remodeling her lake house and my job was to stay there with her niece [who] was my buddy. We were supposed to stay there and let the wallpaper guys in and out and just do that kind of thing."
Seems like a simple enough job, right? Just make yourself comfortable and keep an eye on things. Unfortunately, it took a downhill turn.
"I do take the blame for it [the fire] because I’m the one who removed the on-fire microwave out of the house, but it was honestly her niece," she admits. "She stuck a whole box of Bagel Bites in there — like, in the box and then ‘beep,’ there it goes in a freshly wallpapered room."
Needless to say, Parton fired McBryde from the house-sitting gig. But as a consolation, the "One Night Standards" artist did receive a lovely parting gift.
"I lost my job, but Dolly gave me the microwave," McBryde adds. "She knew that I was poor and didn’t have one."
The microwave still worked, so it's a safe bet that the fire wasn't that bad — just big enough to make Parton go in a different direction with caretakers.
But it was also a big enough embarrassment for McBryde to want to keep her distance from the country veteran. In an effort to keep her foot out of her mouth, she said she avoids the "Jolene" singer at all costs.
"I’ve managed to avoid saying stupid things to Dolly lately ... because I just walk the other direction," McBryde reveals.
McBryde returned to performing just in time for the Michigan Festival, after taking a bit of time off for personal reasons earlier this summer. Although she hasn't shared details about her absence, the Arkansas native told fans on social media that there would be a time for that in the future.