Beloved singer and humanitarian Dolly Parton voted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
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In a sea of absolutely brutal, exhausting news, it can be truly refreshing to focus on something good—or at least, something that doesn’t involve literal human rights and freedoms. As Daily Kos covered at the time, beloved country music star (and humanitarian) Dolly Parton politely declined a nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame back in March, and the Hall rather hilariously rejected her rejection. Ballots had already gone out to voters, according to the organization, and they left it up to the people to vote. And vote they did!
As reported by CNN, Parton will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame anyway. Others who made the cut for 2022 include Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Duran Duran, Eminem, and Pat Benatar. According to NBC News, this is the first year that six women will be inducted into one class, which is a pretty cool milestone. The induction ceremony is scheduled for November 2022.
But how does Parton feel about winning something she opted out of? Well…
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We don’t actually know yet! But, Parton spoke to NPR in an interview about just that hypothetical scenario last week, saying she’ll “accept gracefully” by saying, “Thanks.” She added to the Morning Edition she would ultimately accept the win because fans vote. She also added that she initially thought the award was meant for rock musicians, though a number of non-rock artists have been inducted over the years.
In a statement, John Sykes, who serves as chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, described the inductees as a “diverse group” with a “profound impact” on the “sound of youth culture” who ultimately helped change the course of rock and roll.
“Their music moved generations,” he continued. “And influenced so many artists that followed.”
Other awards include the Musical Excellence Award, which went to Judas Priest, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis, as well as the Early Influence Award, which went to Harry Belafonte and Elizabeth Cotten. Lastly, the Hall also offers the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which went to Allen Grubman, Sylvia Robinson, and Jimmy Iovine.
Musicians who were nominated, but ultimately not inducted this year, included Dionne Warwick, Beck, Rage Against the Machine, A Tribe Called Quest, Kate Bush, Devo, Fela Kuti, New York Dolls, and MC5.
In an otherwise terrible news cycle, folks on Twitter found some joy and humor to celebrate Parton both for her win and lately for herself. She is just that good of a person, really.
Mind you, pretty much all of us look like angels compared to Elon Musk, but Parton especially so. What do you think about her inclusion in the Hall?