The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced that it will not be pulling Dolly Parton's nomination despite her request.
Earlier this week the country music legend said she did not feel she had earned the right to be considered for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but on Thursday the organization confirmed that she'll remain on the ballot, in part because voting is already well under way, according to USA Today.
"Dolly's nomination, along with the other 16 artists for the class of 2022, was sent out earlier this month to our 1,200 general ballot voters, the majority of whom are artists themselves, for consideration for induction at our ceremony," the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation said in a statement provided to the outlet. "We are in awe of Dolly's brilliant talent and pioneering spirit and are proud to have nominated her for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."
The statement went on to note that the organization respected Parton's "thoughtful note" that she had posted on Instagram on Monday when declining the nomination, noting that "in addition to her incredible talent as an artist, her humility is another reason Dolly is a beloved icon by millions of fans around the world."
In her Instagram post, Parton wrote that although she was "extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame," she did not feel she has "earned that right."
"I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out," she wrote. "I do hope that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will understand and be willing to consider me again — if I'm ever worthy," Parton continued. "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! My husband is a total rock 'n' roll freak, and has always encouraged me to do one."
In an interview with Fox & Friends, Parton doubled down on her feelings about being nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
"Well, I didn't feel exactly right about that,” she said. "Because my perception, and I think the perception of most of America — I just feel like that's more for the people in rock music. I've been educated since then, saying that it's more than that, but I still didn't feel right about it. It kind of would be like putting AC/DC in the Country Music Hall of Fame. That just felt a little out of place for me."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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