CLEVELAND — Despite a last-minute plea to be taken off the list of consideration, Dolly Parton made it through to the Class of 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.
Joining her is Eminem, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics and Carly Simon.
Eminem is the only hip-hop artist in the performer category, and it’s his first year of eligibility. It’s the Eurythmics and Judas Priest’s third nomination, Pat Benatar’s second and the first for Richie, Parton and Simon.
In mid-March, Parton sent out a thoughtful note over social media, explaining why she felt she didn’t deserve to be nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2022.
But during an interview with NPR’s Morning Edition last week, Parton said she changed her mind.
“It was always my belief that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was for the people in rock music, and I have found out lately that it’s not necessarily that,” Parton said during the interview. “But if they can’t go there to be recognized, where do they go? So I just felt like I would be taking away from someone that maybe deserved it, certainly more than me, because I never considered myself a rock artist. But obviously, there’s more to it than that.”
Other artists will be awarded in different categories.
Musical Excellence Award: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Judas Priest
Early Influence Award: Harry Belafonte and Elizabeth Cotten
Ahmet Ertegun Award: Attorney Allen Grubman, record executive and producer Jimmy Iovine and R&B singer Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson
The induction ceremony is slated for Nov. 5, 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
