Simpson Almost Quit After Parton Mistake

JESSICA SIMPSON was on the verge of hanging up her microphone in 2006 after she botched her performance at a DOLLY PARTON tribute.

The star ran off stage in tears after abruptly ending Parton’s song 9 To 5 with the words “so nervous” at the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to the country singer in 2006.

And she was so traumatized by the flub, she considered putting an end to her career.

She tells Marc Malkin of E! News, “You know, (after) what happened at Kennedy Center, I really thought I was done singin’. I was just at a place where I’d lost a lot of confidence and I didn’t even know who I was.”

But the 28-year-old insists it was Parton’s encouragement which helped her recover from the incident – sparking a friendship and leading to their duet on Simpson’s new country album Do You Know.

She adds, “Dolly totally took me under her wing and helped me up and over the cares of the world.

“It went from the Kennedy Center to her being a part of this record and getting letters from her of encouragement. She told me she’s never been more proud of anything in her whole life. And I have it written down in her handwriting! I do owe a lot of my confidence to her.”

(PAW/WNWE/MT)