Dolly Parton has made the shocking decision to withdraw herself from consideration for the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Parton was nominated for the prestigious honour alongside Duran Duran, Eminem, Pat Benatar, Lionel Richie and 12 other artists. The top five artists, as voted by the public, will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Parton was sitting at number four in the votes.
“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,” Parton wrote in a social media post.
She added: “I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out,” Parton said, adding, “I wish all of the nominees good luck and thank you again for the compliment. Rock on!”
Parton followed up the surprising news by saying that the nomination has inspired her to put out a “great rock ‘n’ roll album.
“I do hope that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will understand and be willing to consider me again — if I’m ever worthy,” Parton’s statement continues.
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“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 of the nominees good luck and thank you again for the compliment,” Parton concludes. “Rock on!”
It’s no the first time in recent times that Parton has teased an upcoming rock album. When she was first nominated for the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the ‘Jolene’ singer told Billboard a new album could be on the cards if she’s inducted.
“I was absolutely floored when I heard that,” said Parton in the interview. “I’ve never thought of myself as being rock and roll in any sense of the word, but I guess they judge it on the music and the influence certain songs have had… I guess I’ve had songs with other people in that realm, but I don’t know how they judge that.”
Parton added, ”I’m not expecting that I’ll get in. But if I do, I’ll immediately, next year, have to put out a great rock and roll album, which I’ve wanted to do for years, like a Linda Ronstadt or Heart kind of thing. So this may have been just a God-wink for me to go ahead and do that. It’s just nice to be nominated.”
For more on this topic, follow the Country Music Observer.
