Dolly Parton nominated for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Dolly Parton has been nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

To be eligible for nomination, an artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. Seven of this year’s nominees are on the ballot for the first time, including Parton, Beck, Eminem, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, and A Tribe Called Quest.

“This year’s ballot recognizes a diverse group of incredible artists, each who has had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture”, said John Sykes, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “Their music not only moved generations, but also influenced the sound of countless artists that followed.”

With her prodigious songwriting talent, vocal and instrumental prowess, charisma, and trademark style, Dolly Parton has achieved immense global success as a musician and blazed a trail for generations of artists to come. In a career spanning six decades, she has recorded more than 50 studio albums and, by her own estimation, written nearly 3,000 songs.

Parton’s life started in a one-room cabin in Tennessee – humble beginnings that would inspire songs like “Coat of Many Colors.” Music provided an escape and filled Parton’s cup of ambition. At age 11, she co-wrote and released her first single, “Puppy Love” (1959). After high school, Parton moved to Nashville, where her compositions were recorded by artists including Hank Williams Jr. and Kitty Wells. Showcasing her songwriting acumen and her airy, yet gritty voice, Parton’s 1967 debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, was a hit, and as a regular on The Porter Wagoner Show, she won over the audience with her talent and charm. After a string of successful duets with Wagoner and solo Number One hits like the rollicking “Joshua” and the haunting “Jolene,” Parton parted ways with Wagoner to take control of her career. Their split inspired Parton’s chart-topping “I Will Always Love You”: In addition to Whitney Houston’s smash cover of that song, Parton’s “Jolene” has been recorded by such diverse artists as the White Stripes.

Parton’s unapologetic femininity belied her shrewd business acumen, an asset in the male- dominated music industry. Refusing to be underestimated, she set her sights on the pop charts, and the strategy paid off. Her pop hits include “Here You Come Again,” “9 to 5” – the title track for the film in which she co-starred – and her Number One duet with Kenny Rogers, “Islands in the Stream” (1983). Other collaborations include a series of recordings with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, under the name Trio.

A living legend and a paragon of female empowerment, Parton is beloved not only for her prolific body of work, quintessential style, and philanthropic efforts, but for the humor, wit, and self-deprecating grace that shine through everything she does. Her crossover success broadened the audience for country music and expanded the horizons for countless artists who followed.

Hall of Fame nomination ballots are sent to an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, historians, and members of the music industry. Factors such as an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation, and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration.

The Hall of Fame offers fans the opportunity to participate in the induction selection process. Through April 29, fans can vote every day at vote.rockhall.com, or at the museum in Cleveland. The top five artists, as selected by the public, will comprise a “fans’ ballot” that will be tallied along with the other ballots to select the 2022 inductees.

Inductees will be announced in May. Fans can cast their votes at rockhall.com.