Dolly Parton has been turning heads and melting minds with her powerful country music ballads for the better part of six decades. Now, after more than 65 years worth of hit music , it appears she has one more mountain left to climb.
It has now been officially confirmed that Dolly will be among those inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2022 class . And no one is more surprised by the news than the country music legend, herself.
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Dolly Parton is more than just a country music icon — she’s an American institution.
Dolly’s legendary career spans six decades. In that time, she’s recorded and released more than 50 studio albums and has also collected three Guinness World Records along the way .
Recently, it was confirmed that Dolly will be adding yet another historic accolade to her ever-expanding musical resume.
The country music queen has built a career around defying the boundaries of musical genres. Now, her legacy will forever be enshrined as an inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame .
Initially, there was some confusion after the news of Dolly’s nomination for induction broke last February.
Fans were at a loss as to how a renowned country music star could become eligible for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — a sentiment that was shared by Dolly herself.
In the interest of not wanting to offend or upset anyone, Dolly initially refused.
“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 ,” Dolly wrote via Instagram.
“I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out,” she explained.
However, technically there is nothing that stipulates that an artist/performer need be a Rock artist in order to be deemed eligible for consideration.
This point was expanded upon by the President of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Terry Stewart.
“Nomination and induction into the Hall of Fame is not about popularity, records sales, which label the group is on, or anything other than the process below ,” Stewart wrote on the Hall of Fame’s website.
“The only formal criteria for the performance category is that an artist has to have had their first record 25 years ago,” he concluded.
Beyond that, candidates are reviewed and debated based solely on their relevance and the impact that they have made on the broad spectrum collectively known as Rock & Roll .
After some careful consideration, Dolly had a change of heart and decided to accept the induction.
“Well, I’ll accept gracefully,” Dolly told NPR’s Morning Edition. ” I’ll just say ‘Thanks’ and I will accept it because the fans vote ,” she exclaimed emphatically.
Those who question the legitimacy of Dolly’s induction would do well to consider the other names on the ballot.
This year, Dolly will be inducted alongside musical greats like Carly Simon, Duran Duran, The Eurythmics, Pat Benatar, Lionel Richie, and Eminem .
Dolly is also far from the first country music artist to receive induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Rock fans may be surprised to learn that the likes of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Chet Atkins have all been warmly welcomed into the Hall .
But if you still remain unconvinced that Dolly is deserving, have a look below as she covers Led Zeppelin’s immortal “Stairway To Heaven.”
“Stairway To Heaven” has long been considered one of the greatest Rock & Roll songs ever written . Watching Dolly get the Led out should affirm beyond a shadow of a doubt that Dolly isn’t just worthy of induction — she is deserving of it.
