Flashback: Dolly Parton Duets With Rob Halford, Simon Le Bon at Rock Hall Induction

When Dolly Parton first learned she was on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot in 2022, she didn't quite get it. "Even though I am extremely flattered to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I don't feel that I have earned that right," she told fans in an open letter. "I really do not want the votes split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out."

It was a very rock & roll move, one even the Sex Pistols didn't pull off when they infamously stayed home on their induction night in 2006 and called the museum "urine in wine." Dolly, of course, would never have dreamed of being so disrespectful. She just felt like she'd been a country artist from the very beginning, and didn't belong in the club.

"This has, however, inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock 'n' roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do!" she said. "My husband is a total rock 'n' roll freak, and has always encouraged me to do one."

Those proved to be prophetic words, since she did release a rock album the following year. (She called it Rockstar .) But before work really began, she had a change of heart about the Hall of Fame. "It was always my belief that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was for people in rock music," she told NPR in April 2022. "I have found out lately it's not necessarily that. But if they can't go there to be recognized, where can they go? And so I felt like I was taking away from someone that maybe deserved it certainly more than me since I never considered myself a rock artist. But obviously, there's more to it than that."

Unsurprisingly, Parton got enough votes to enter the Hall of Fame that year, joining a class that also included Eminem, Judas Priest, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Pat Benatar, Lionel Richie, and Carly Simon.

"I'm a rock star now!" she told the audience at the induction ceremony in Los Angeles. "This is a very special night for me. 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 feel like I had done enough to deserve that. And I didn't understand at the time that it's about more than that. But I'm just so honored and so proud to be here tonight." Editor’s picks The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century