JustoveramonthafteritwasannouncedthatDollyPartonwasamongthe17nomineesontheRockandRollHallofFame’sClassof2022ballot,the76-year-oldcountrylegendmadetheshockingandunprecedentedannouncementthatshewas“respectfully”withdrawingfromnominations—becauseshedidn’tfeel“worthy”ofthehonour.
However,becausetwo-thirdsofHallvoters’ballotshadalreadybeenmailedout,sheremainedintherunning—andwhileParton’sobjectiontohereligibilityseemedtostemfromherconcernthatshewasn’t“rock‘n’roll”enough,manyofthosevotersdisagreed.
PartonwasvotedintotheHallanyway,soshewantedtomakesureshetrulyqualifiedbyannouncingplansforarockalbumandevendebutinganewrocksongatSaturday’sinductionceremony.
“I’msurealotofyouknowthatwhentheysaidtheyweregoingtoputmeintheRock&RollHallofFame,Ididn’treallyfeellikeIhaddoneenoughtodeservethatandIdidn’tunderstanditatthetime,”Partontoldtheaudience(shortlyafterPink,whopraisedParton’s“sheergenius”).
“WhenIfirstheardabouttheRockandRollHallofFame,Iassumeditwasonlyforrock‘n’rollpeople.
AndIthought,‘Well,ifI’mgoingtobeintheRock&RollHallofFame,I’mgoingtohavetodoarockalbum—becausemy56-year-oldhusbandisahugerockfan…andhe’salwayssaid,‘Youshoulddoarockalbum.’
AndIconsidereditseveraltimes,buttimingiseverything.
Andthenitallcameup…
“Ithought,‘Well,sinceI’mgoingtobeintheRockandRollHallofFame,I’mgoingtowriteasongfortonight’—whichI’llsinginaminute.”
Partonexcusedherselffromhersequinedminidress,almostleavinghertrophyatthepodium,andjoked,“Seewhatthismeanstome?”
Ialmostforgotaboutit!”
Whenshereturnedtothestage,shewasdressedlikeRobHalfordoffellowClassof2022inducteesJudasPriest,andshelookedlikeshe’dborrowedanoutfitfromhim.
“I’marockstarnow!”sheexclaimed,dressedtotheninesinafigure-hugging,bellbottomed,blackpatentleathercatsuitdrippingwithmetalchains.
“IfigureifI’mgoingtobeintheRockandRollHallofFame,Ishouldearnit,”shesaid.
Partonperformedhernewrocksingle,simplyandaptlytitled“Rockin’,”accompaniedbyKentWells(whoPartonsaidwillproduceherrockrecord)andtheZacBrownBand,whichshoutedoutmanyoftherock‘n’rollarchitectswhoenteredtheHallviatheinauguralClassof’86.
“IgrewuplisteningtoElvisandwild-manJerryLee/ChuckBerry,LittleRichard/Theyallcastaspellonme/CarlPerkinsandthosebluesuedeshoeshadnoplaceonthefarm…”
“Iwasjustakid,butIwentcrazyfortherhythmandthebeat,”shesang.
“I’vebeenrockin’,rockin’,rockin’sincethedayIwasborn/I’llkeeprockin’tillthedayIdie/I’vestillgotrock‘n’rolldowninmycountrysoul/AndI’llkeeprockin’tillthecowscomehome.”
“AndyouthoughtIcouldn’trock!”sheremarked,punctuatingherstatementwithawindmillstrumacrossherelectricguitaralaPeteTownshend.
PinkandBrandiCarlileduetedon“CoatofManyColors”aspartofParton’sRockHalltribute,whichconcludedSaturday’sceremony,andSherylCrowandBrownsang“9to5.”
Theepiccloser,however,wasagrouprenditionof“Jolene,”whichhasbeencoveredbytheWhiteStripes,MileyCyrus,andevenpost-punk/gothicbandstheSistersofMercyandStrawberrySwitchblade.
Brown,Carlile,Crow,andfellow2022inducteesEurythmics(withAnnieLennoxinaredcowboyhat),PatBenatar,SimonLeBonofDuranDuran,andHalfordallperformed.
(HalfordappearedespeciallyhappytosharethestagewithParton,cuddlinguptothecountrylegendandbeaming.)
“Thatwasentertaining!”
Partongushedenthusiastically,hardlybefittinganartistwhohadjustannouncedherretirementfromtouring.
“Wehaveastar-studdedstage!”
“Inthecity,Ifeellikeahillbilly,”Partonchuckled.
Earlierinheracceptancespeech,sheaskedtheA-listcrowd,“Areanyofyourockstarsgoingtohelpmeouton[myrockalbum]?”
Good,becauseI’mgoingtoholdyoutoit!”
EveryonewhowasonstagewithheronSaturdaywouldundoubtedlybeeagertovolunteertheirservices.
OthersurpriseguestsincludedAerosmith’sStevenTylerandEdSheeran,whojoinedClassof2022inducteeEminemonthe“DreamOn”-interpolating“SingfortheMoment”and“Stan,”respectively;SaraBareillessinging“NobodyDoesItBetter”andOliviaRodrigoperforming“You’reSoVain”tohonourinducteeCarlySimon,whoskippedtheeventduetotherecentdeathsofhertwosisters;andDaveGrohl,
Whilemanyofthespeeches,includingParton’s,werelightheartedandentertaining,thereweresomemoreseriousmomentsonthepodium.
DuranDuranannouncedthattheiroriginalguitarist,AndyTaylor,wouldbeunabletoattendtheceremonyduetohisbattlewithstage4metastaticprostatecancer.
Laterinhisspeech,Richiebecameslightlypolitical,recallinginstancesinhiscareerwhenpeopleintheindustrytoldhimhe“wasn’tBlackenough”anddeclaring,“Rock‘n’rollisnotacolour.”
It’sanemotion.
It’safeeling.”
WhenMellencamppresentedtheHall’sindustry-focusedAhmetErtegunAwardtohigh-poweredentertainmentattorneyAllenGrubman,hementionedthatGrubmanisJewishandsaid,“I’magentilewhoselifehasbeenenrichedbycountlessJewishpeople.”
Guys,Ican’ttellyouhowf***ingimportantitistospeakoutagainstantisemitism,bigotry,andhatredifyou’reanartist.
We’reallhumanbeingswhenwehearhatespeechorsaysomethingderogatoryaboutsomeoneelse.
Idon’tcareifyou’reJewish,Black,White,oramixofthethree.
Idon’tmind.
Here’sthecatch:silenceequalscomplicity.
CanIrepeatthat?
Silenceconstitutescomplicity.
I’dliketostateunequivocallythatI’mstandingheretonightinsolidaritywithAllen,hisfamily,allofmyJewishfriends,andtheentireJewishpeopleoftheworld.
“F***antisemitism,andf***anyonewhosaysanythingalongthoselines.”
Onalighternote,perhapsthenight’sfunniestone-linerwaswhenPriest’sHalfordintroducedhimselfwith“Hello,I’mthegayguyintheband,”orwhenRobertDowneyJr.,whosurprisinglyinductedDuranDuran,recalleda“surrealmoment”athis50thbirthdaypartywhenDuranDuran“playedashortsetandIshityounot,halfwaythrough‘Rio,’aprominentHollywooddirector’s
Aftermentioninghisnear-fatal2007overdoseandinstructinghisdaughterHailieintheaudienceto“plugyourears”asheadmitted,“Drugsweref***ingdelicious,”Eminemproceededtospendatleastthreesolid,breathlessminutesrattlingoffalong,alphabeticallistofrapartistswhoinspiredhim,from2LiveCrewand3rdBasstotheWu-TangClan.
“Iknowthisinductionissupposedtobeme,like,talkingaboutmyselfandshit,”hesaid.
“Iwouldn’tbehereifitweren’tforthem.”
I’mahighschooldropoutwithahip-hopeducation,andthesearemyteachers,andit’stheirnightasmuchasmine.”
(Inarelatedbutfarlesshumblemoment,Dr.Dre,whoinductedEminem,claimedthatEminemhadrequestedthatDrementionEminem’s“hugepenis.”
TheRockandRollHallofFameClassof2022includedPatBenatarandNeilGiraldo(inductedbySherylCrow),DuranDuran,Eminem,DollyParton,LionelRichie(inductedbyLennyKravitz),CarlySimon(inductedbySaraBareilles),andEurythmics,whowereinductedbyU2’stheEdgeandgavethenight’smostfieryperformancewith“WouldILietoYou,”
JimmyJamandTerryLewis(inductedbyJanetJackson)andJudasPriestreceivedtheMusicalExcellenceAward(inductedbyAliceCooper).
InadditiontoGrubman,SylviaRobinsonandJimmyIovinereceivedtheAhmetErtegunAward,whichwaspresentedbyBruceSpringsteen.
HarryBelafonteandElizabethCottenreceivedtheEarlyInfluenceAward.
The2022RockandRollHallofFameceremonywasheldNov.5atLosAngeles’MicrosoftTheater,markingthefirsttimetheeventhadbeenheldinthecitysince2011.
TheshowwillpremiereonHBOonNovember19.
