It looks like Dolly Parton is (likely) headed to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after all.
She was nominated for the first time in Febraury, along with Eminem, Lionel Richie, A Tribe Called Quest and Duran Duran, all as first-time nominees, which also included 17 other artists up for induction like Rage Against the Machine, Pat Benatar and Dionne Warwick. Eminem earned his nomination in his first year of eligibility.
And last month, she issued a lengthy statement, saying in part that she was electing to bow out of consideration because she didn’t feel like she had earned it.
Then, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame responded, saying, in part, that they couldn’t take her name off the list because they had already been sent out for voters to cast their ballots and she was nominated through the same process that every other artist was:
“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 other artists that followed.
Her nomination to be considered for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame followed the same process as all other artists who have been considered.”
And in a recent interview with NPR Morning Edition, Dolly explained that she will accept if she is, in fact, inducted:
“I’ll accept gracefully. I’ll say ‘thanks’ and accept that because the fans vote.”
She also added that she had a bit of a misconception about what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame really is:
“It was always my belief that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was for people in rock music. I have found out lately it’s not necessarily that. But if they can’t go there to be recognized, where can they go?
And so I felt like I was taking away from someone that maybe deserved it certainly more than me since I never considered myself a rock artist. But obviously, there’s more to it than that.”
You won’t find a classier woman on the planet, and certainly not in the music industry.
You can listen to her full explanation here:
This year’s final class will be officially announced in May, and artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction.
The induction ceremony is currently planned for the fall, with date and venue announcements coming in the future, so we’ll see soon if Dolly ends up with a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after all.
