Despite a last-minute plea to “respectfully withdraw” from contention for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, country singer Dolly Parton pulled it off anyway, joining a musically diverse array of inductees for 2022 who also includes Eminem, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, the Eurythmics, Duran Duran and Pat Benatar.
The honorees, voted for by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals, “each had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture and helped change the course of rock ‘n’ roll,” said John Sykes, president of Rock Hall, in a statement.
Parton, 76, had said in March that she was “extremely flattered and grateful to have been nominated” but did not feel she had “earned that right” to be recognized as a rock artist at the expense of others. Ballots had already been sent to voters, however, and the hall said they would remain unchanged, noting that the organization was “not defined by any genre” and had deep roots in country and rhythm and blues.
in a interview with npr last week, Parton said she would accept his induction after all, should it happen. “I always thought the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was for rock music people, and lately I’ve realized that it’s not necessarily that,” he said.
But he added, “if they can’t go there to be recognized, where do they go? So I felt like I was taking it away from someone who maybe deserved it, certainly more than me, because I never considered myself a rock artist.”
After years of criticism about diversity, less than 8 percent of members they were women as of 2019 – the Rock Hall has made a point in recent years to broaden its reach. Artists like Jay-Z, Whitney Houston, and Janet Jackson have been welcomed from the worlds of rap, R&B, and pop, along with leading women from genres like Go-Go’s, Carole King, and Tina Turner.
This year, Eminem becomes the 10th hip-hop act to be inducted, making the cut on his first ticket. (Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after the release of the first commercial recording of his.)
Parton, Richie, Simon and Duran Duran were also selected in their first round, while new nominees like Beck and A Tribe Called Quest, who had been eligible for more than a decade, were dropped. Simon, known for her folk-influenced pop hits like “You’re So Vain,” was nominated for the first time more than 25 years after qualifying. Benatar and Eurythmics, long eligible, had been considered once before.
Those overlooked this year also included Kate Bush, Devo, Fela Kuti, the MC5, the New York Dolls, Rage Against the Machine and Dionne Warwick.
Judas Priest was on the ballot, but will instead be listed in the quintessential musical non-performer category, along with songwriting/producing duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Harry Belafonte and Elizabeth Cotten will be recognized with the Early Influence Award, while executives Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine and Sylvia Robinson will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award, named for the head of Atlantic Records and one of the founders of Rock Hall. .
The 37th annual induction ceremony will take place on November 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and will air at a later date on HBO and SiriusXM.
Reference-www.nytimes.com