Dolly Parton, who said last week she would gracefully accept an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame if it were offered, will have to do just that: The country music superstar was among the nominees selected for a spot in the hall today.
The other inductees chosen through the Hall’s membership voting process are Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Eminem, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics and Carly Simon.
In addition to those inductees, the Rock Hall’s board, as is traditional, selected its own slate of honorees in various special categories: Judas Priest, musicians Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, singers Harry Belafonte and Elizabeth Cotten, and executives Sylvia Robinson, Jimmy Iovine and Allen Grubman.
John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, announced the inductees on the Rock Hall’s website today. In a statement, he said, that the “diverse group of inductees each had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture and helped change the course of rock ‘n roll. Their music moved generations and influenced so many artists that followed.”
Not making the cut this year were nominees Beck, Devo, Dionne Warwick, A Tribe Called Quest, the MC5, Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine, the New York Dolls and Fela Kuti.
Following her nomination in February, Parton initially said that she did not feel she had “earned that right” of being in the Rock Hall since she has never recorded a rock album. “I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out,” Parton wrote the time.
In subsequent weeks the singer-songwriter walked back the statement, and last week said she would “accept gracefully” a possible induction.
On the induction roster posted on the Rock Hall’s website today, the organization wrote, “With her trailblazing songwriting career, distinctive voice, campy glamour, business savvy and humanitarian work, Dolly Parton is a beloved icon who transcends the genre she changed forever.”
The Hall of Fame ceremony is set for Saturday, November 5 in Los Angeles. The event, as usual, will not be broadcast live, but a recorded version will appear later on HBO and HBO Max, as well as SiriusXM.
The following is the list of inductees, with descriptions as they appear on the Rock Hall’s induction roster:
- PAT BENATAR Together, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo packed a fire-power a punch that deeply impacted the sonic landscape of the 1980s.
- DURAN DURAN Duran Duran’s infectious pop melodies conceal complicated musical arrangements, with pioneering synthesizers and distorted glam rock guitars. New wave outsiders who became music video stars, they have rocked arenas worldwide.
- EMINEM Superstar “Rap God” Eminem shoves controversial topics from domestic violence to white privilege down America’s throat.
- EURYTHMICS The shape-shifting beauty of Eurythmics’ music and message profoundly impacted 1980s pop-rock.
- DOLLY PARTON With her trailblazing songwriting career, distinctive voice, campy glamour, business savvy and humanitarian work, Dolly Parton is a beloved icon who transcends the genre she changed forever.
- LIONEL RICHIE Lionel Richie spent a decade as rock & roll’s King Midas – everything he touched turned to gold. As a singer, songwriter, and producer, he was firmly on the pulse of popular music, crafting enduring love songs and joyous anthems that resonated deeply with listeners.
- CARLY SIMON Simon’s catchy songs broke barriers and traditions as a pioneering voice of the 1970s singer-songwriter movement.
Musical Excellence Award:
- JUDAS PRIEST Judas Priest’s powerful sound emanated from a twin guitar attack, driving riffs, soaring operatic vocals and pounding drums.
- JIMMY JAM & TERRY LEWIS Jam & Lewis created a production company, recording studio, and signature sound responsible for “making” an artist’s career – the songs and sounds that stick with fans forever.
Early Influence Award:
- ELIZABETH COTTEN Elizabeth Cotten’s intimate recordings and performances inspired generations of artists, and her technical prowess and musical inventiveness influenced countless guitar players.
- HARRY BELAFONTE Drawing from several musical traditions, Harry Belafonte’s lyrical baritone and emotive singing connected Americans to Black world culture. Singer, actor, producer, activist, and ally, Belafonte used the arts as a mechanism to effect social change on a global scale.
Ahmet Ertegun Award:
- ALLEN GRUBMAN Allen Grubman, a founder of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, changed the music business. He has represented rock & roll’s biggest stars, including Bruce Springsteen, U2, Sting, John Mellencamp, Madonna, Lionel Richie, Elton John, Lady Gaga, and many more.
- JIMMY IOVINE Jimmy Iovine has donned many hats as he’s crafted one of the more unique success stories in the business of rock & roll.
- SYLVIA ROBINSON Label executive, producer, songwriter, rapper: the original hip-hop mogul. Sylvia Robinson reigned supreme at the birth of hip-hop’s commercial success. She co-founded Sugar Hill Records and propelled an unknown subculture into the mainstream, setting the stage for rap to grow into the most lucrative music business of today.