Dolly Parton Reacts To Being Inducted Into Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

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On February 2, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced their 2022 nominees, and it included several first-time nominees, as well as a hip-hop heavyweight who scored a nomination in his first year of eligibility.

Beck, Eminem, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, A Tribe Called Quest, Carly Simon and Dolly Parton are all first-time nominees, while this is MC5’s sixth nom and Rage Against the Machine’s fourth. Kate Bush, Judas Priest, New York Dolls and Devo are all up for their third nomination. This is also the second nomination for Dionne Warwick, Eurythmics Z, Pat Benatar, and the late Fela Kuti.

Although though it’s her first nomination, we feel Parton definitely deserves this honor! She is a legendary musician in any genre…and has even dipped her toe into the rock genre with her incredible cover of “Stairway To Heaven.”

Even Rolling Stone thinks Dolly Parton should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 

On March 14, Dolly Parton released a statement on social media revealing that she is removing herself from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voting.

“Even though I’m extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I don’t feel that I have earned that right,” she wrote. “I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out.”

She added that she hopes the Hall of Fame understands and one day, will nominate her again, “if I’m ever worthy,” she writes.

The country legend also said that her nomination has inspired her to write a full-on rock ‘n’ roll album one day! Her husband Carl Dean, who she calls a “rock ‘n’ roll freak,” apparently has always encouraged her to do one.

 

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Three days later, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame responded, and it was not what we expected. In short, they said that her nomination will not be removed from ballots.

“All of us in the music community have seen Dolly Parton’s thoughtful note expressing her feeling that she has not earned the right to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to her incredible talent as an artist, her humility is another reason Dolly is a beloved icon by millions of fans around the world,” the statement read. 

“From its inception, Rock & Roll has had deep roots in Rhythm & Blues and Country music. It is not defined by any one genre, rather a sound that moves youth culture. Dolly Parton’s music impacted a generation of young fans and influenced countless artists that followed. Her nomination to be considered for induction into to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame followed the same process as all other artists who have been considered.”

Dolly Parton is not the only non-Rock and Roll artist on the ballot. Rapper Eminem has turned heads with his nomination, but the Hall of Fame has previously inducted rappers, and has done so for many years, so a country artist is not out of the realm of possibilities. If inducted, Dolly will join a short list of artists who are in both the Rock and Roll and Country Music Hall of Fames:

Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Bill Monroe, Bob Wills, Brenda Lee, Floyd Cramer, and Sam Phillips.

 

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A few weeks passed, and Parton changed her mind about her nomination. In an April interview with NPR‘s Morning Edition, Parton said she’s “accept gracefully.”

She went on to explain why she initially rejected the nomination:

“But when I said that, it was always my belief that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was for the people in rock music, and I have found out lately that it’s not necessarily that. But if they can’t go there to be recognized, where do they go? So I just felt like I would be taking away from someone that maybe deserved it, certainly more than me, because I never considered myself a rock artist. But obviously, there’s more to it than that.“

On Thursday (May 4), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that this year’s class of inductees included Dolly!

 

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Several hours later, Dolly finally broke her silence on the incredible honor.

She wrote, “I am honored and humbled by the fact that I have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Of course I will accept it gracefully. Thanks to everyone that voted for me and to everyone at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I will continue to work hard and try to live up to the honor.”

See her post below.