Why Dolly Parton Initially Rejected The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
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Last week the 2022 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced, and one member on the list might be surprising. Country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, but she was initially hesitant and said she was pulling out of the nomination in March of this year.
Why did Parton initially reject the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and why did she change her mind? Read on below to find out.
Why was Parton nominated?
Although Parton seemed to feel she wasn’t deserving of the honor, her many accolades make it clear why she was nominated. Over the course of her career, Parton has received numerous awards, including a whopping 10 Grammy awards and 51 nominations. Parton has proven herself to be an artist that stands the test of time, and her music received over three billion streams in 2021 alone.
Parton’s career and impressive music catalog are far within the requirements to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and she released her first album over 25 years ago, another requirement for induction.
Why did she reject the nomination?
Parton’s decision to reject the nomination came as a surprise to her fans, but she explained herself in a March 14 tweet. According to Parton, she doesn’t feel she has earned the right to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and doesn’t want her nomination to split the vote.
In the same post, Parton shared that she hopes that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will understand and be willing to consider her again if she puts out a great rock and roll album in the future.
Why did she change her mind?
In an April 29 interview with NPR, Parton announced that she had changed her mind and would “accept gracefully.” Parton said that she would accept the induction if she was voted into the Hall of Fame since the fans vote and choose who the inductees are each year.
There have been many inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame over time who didn’t necessarily fit the definition of a “rock star.” For example, rapper and record producer Eminem was inducted this year as well.
Last week, Parton was inducted
On May 4, the Hall of Fame inductees were announced, and to her fans’ delight, Parton was voted into the Hall of Fame. In response to the honor, Parton said, “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.”
The other inductees this year included English new wave band Duran Duran, rapper Eminem, rock and roll singers Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, R&B songwriting team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, singer-songwriter Lionel Richie, singer-songwriter Carly Simon, pop duo Eurythmics, and metal band Judas Priest. The induction ceremony will take place on November 5.