Photo: Jason Kempin / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
Billy Corgan revealed that has a special story about the one time he met Dolly Parton — but he’s not ready to share it just yet.
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman told PEOPLE at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas that he decided to hold off after seeing the enormous outpouring of tributes following Parton’s death on Aug. 25.
“I just don’t want to be another person sort of jumping on this social pile and saying, ‘Hey, it’s my turn to tell my story,’” Corgan told the outlet.
Corgan also praised her humanitarian work, including the "Jolene" hitmaker's efforts to promote childhood literacy. Although the two musicians only met once, Corgan promised the encounter is worth eventually sharing.
“I want to tell the story," the rocker admitted. "It’s a very nice story. It’s short, and it’s beautiful,” he said.
For now, Corgan believes the late music icon’s close friends and collaborators deserve the spotlight.
“My story is so small against these amazing stories that I keep hearing,” he explained. “So I didn’t want to be like, ‘Oh yeah, me too.’"