Dolly Parton has officially been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. According to Variety, the induction ceremony featured a bevy of Parton’s famous friends, who couldn’t help but express their appreciation for the country icon. In addition to Parton, the inductees this year included Eminem, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, and Duran Duran.
Naturally, Parton sang a medley of her famous tracks during the ceremony. Not only did she celebrate some of those well-known songs, but Parton also introduced a new tune that she wrote for this particular event — “Rockin.’” The ceremony included renditions of everything from “Jolene” to “9 to 5,” which were sung by Parton and some famous guests. Variety noted that there were even some unexpected duets between Parton and singers such as Judas Priest’s Rob Halford and Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon. The tribute segment also brought out some of the biggest names in music.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Sheryl Crow, Pink, Brandi Carlile, Olivia Rodrigo, and the Zac Brown Band sang several of Parton’s hits. Pink was actually the one who introduced Parton at the event. As she introduced the country legend, Pink reflected on the inductee’s impressive career and her influence on American culture. She said, “There are few finer songwriters, male or female, that have ever lived… She’s one of the greatest storytellers of her time – of any time.”
After being introduced by Pink, Parton had a speech of her own to give. In the speech, she acknowledged that she previously tried to turn her nomination down. However, she was informed that voting was already underway. Parton admitted that she thought that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was only for those who were in the rock & roll genre. But, after learning about what the honor entails, Parton was incredibly grateful for having received it.
“I’m sure a lot of you knew that back when they said they were gonna put me in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I didn’t really feel like I had done enough to deserve that. And I didn’t understand at the time that it’s about a little more than that,” Parton said. “But I’m just honored and so proud to be here tonight. … When I always thought about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I thought that was just for people in rock ‘n’ roll!” She continued to say that the experience has even inspired her to look into the rock & roll genre further and that she may be producing more music like “Rockin.’”
“And I thought, well, if I’m gonna be in (it), I’m gonna have to do a rock album, because my husband of 56 years is a huge rock fan,” she continued. “And all through the house he has music louder than this going on at all times. He’s always said, “You should do a rock album.” And I thought about it a few times, but timing is everything. And then when this all came up… I thought, well, since I am gonna be in the (hall), I’m gonna write a song for tonight, which I’m gonna sing in a minute, kind of telling my story about how I felt about it.” For Parton fans, you’ll be able to watch all of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame action incredibly soon. An edited version of the ceremony is set to air on Nov. 19 on HBO.
