Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voters face a tough choice when choosing the Class of 2022 with a whopping 17 nominees (instead of the usual 15 due to a tie in the nomination process) and a batch of heavyweights that includes everyone from new wave pioneers Duran Duran, Eurythmics and Devo to hard rockers Judas Priest and Rage Against the Machine. However, one adored contender seemed to be missed: Dolly Parton, who was incredibly nominated for the first time this year.
But Parton only made things a little easier for voters. In a shocking move on Monday morning, the 76-year-old legend, who is already in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, announced that she is “respectfully” withdrawing from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination. 2022 because she doesn’t feel quite “worthy” yet.
In a statement posted to her social media, Parton explained, “Dolly is here! While I’m extremely honored and grateful to be nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I don’t feel like I’ve earned it. I really don’t want the voices to be divided because of me, so I have to respectfully take my leave. I really hope that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will understand me and take note again – if I ever deserve it. It did, however, inspire me to put out a hopefully great rock and roll album sometime in the future, which is what I’ve always wanted! My husband is a real fan of rock and roll and he has always encouraged me to do it. I wish all the nominees good luck and thank you again for the compliment. Good luck!”
While several Rock Hall inductees, from the Sex Pistols to last year’s Todd Rundgren, lambasted the institution and skipped the ceremony entirely, Parton is the only artist in the Hall’s history to officially pull out before voting closes. (A source from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame told Yahoo Entertainment that two-thirds of the ballots have already been mailed to voters; the deadline for applications is April 29.) concern that she wasn’t “rock ‘n’ roll” enough.
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Hall’s broad definition of “rock ‘n’ roll” has been the subject of ongoing heated debate among rock fans and adherents, as the hall hosted pop artists such as ABBA, Madonna and Whitney Houston, as well as several hip-hop artists. into the past. (Rappers Eminem and A Tribe Called Quest are among this year’s nominees; Eminem is the presumed leader and is currently number two in Hall’s fan voting. By the way, Parton was in fourth place on the fan voting leaderboard before she dropped out. of Hall’s 351 current inductees, only seven can be considered true country artists: Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Floyd Kramer, Bill Monroe, Jimmie Rogers, Hank Williams, and Bob Wills and his Texas playboys.
Rounding out the other 16 nominees for the 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class are Beck, Pat Benatar, Kate Bush, Fela Kuti, MC5, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon and Dionne Warwick. “This year’s newsletter celebrates a diverse group of incredible artists, each of whom has had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture. Their music has not only influenced generations, but has also influenced the sound of countless artists who have followed them,” Rock Hall chairman John Sykes said in a statement when the nominees were first announced on February 2.
The 2022 inductees will be announced sometime in May, with the Hall’s 37th annual induction ceremony this fall. Until then, let’s hope Parton, who has covered Beatles, Bon Jovi, Collective Soul, Led Zeppelin and Neil Young in the past, will live up to her promise to release this “great rock ‘n’ roll album.” Watch her Yahoo Entertainment interview on her career below:
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