UPDATE: Rock And Roll Hame Of Fame says it is "in awe" of Dolly Parton, won't remove her from ballot
"I don’t feel that I have earned that right [to be nominated]," says the country legend
UPDATE, March 17: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has decided to not remove Dolly Parton’s name off its ballot of nominees, after she decided to bow out.
Its statement reads:
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.
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’s nomination, along with the other 16 artists for the class of 2022, was sent out earlier this month to our 1,200 general ballot voters, the majority of whom are artists themselves, for consideration for induction at our ceremony.
We are in awe of Dolly’s brilliant talent and pioneering spirit and are proud to have nominated her for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Dolly Parton is on the list of nominees for this year’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Voting ends on April 29 and Parton is currently in the top five nominees, coming at fourth place, with Duran Duran taking the lead. But Parton, ever the legend, has decided to opt out of consideration because she doesn’t believe she “earned that right.”
In a post shared on social media, the iconic performer wrote:
“Dolly here! Even though I am extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, I don’t feel that I have earned that right. I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out.
I do hope that the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame will understand and be willing to consider me again—if I’m ever worthy. This has, however, inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock ‘n’ roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do! My husband is a total rock ‘n’ roll freak, and has always encouraged me to do one. I wish all the nominees good luck and thank you again for the compliment. Rock on!”
Parton is certainly worthy of the honor and it’s a wonder why it took so long for her to be in the running for a spot in Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in the first place. But, at least, the silver lining here is her promise of “a great rock ‘n’ roll album.” As one of the best songwriters in the industry, Parton is definitely capable of making the genre switch seamlessly.
In other Parton news, she recently released a companion album for novel Run Rose Run (co-written with James Patterson), that she described in a tweet as a “collection of musical stories about dreamers and their journeys.”