Dolly Parton at the 2019 Newport Folk Festival. Photo by Aimsel Ponti
Hello, she’s Dolly — and she has changed her mind.
About six weeks after Dolly Parton announced on Instagram that she’d declined her nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the country music superstar began singing a different tune.
“I’ll accept gracefully,” the 76-year-old chart-topper said in a new interview, which aired Friday on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
“I’ll say ‘thanks’ and accept that,” she added.
On Feb. 2, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced that the “Jolene” singer had been nominated as a finalist for its 2022 class — alongside an impressive list of headliners, including Pat Benatar, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon.
However, to the disappointment of her legions of fans, last month Parton said that she was declining the honor because she felt that she hadn’t “earned that right.”
“I really do not want votes to be split because of me,” she said in a statement shared on social media. “I do hope that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will understand and be willing to consider me again — if I’m ever worthy,” she added.
Her wish wasn’t granted by the Cleveland-based institution, which declined to withdraw her name from induction consideration, adding 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.”
During the NPR interview that aired Friday, Parton was asked what she planned to do, if she was still inducted despite her objections.
The always-graceful queen of country said that she will, in fact, accept the honor.
She also explained why she had decided “to respectfully bow out.”
“When I said that, 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,” she said.
“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,” she added.
The “9 to 5″ star is among 17 candidates being considered by the organization’s 1,200 voters.
She’s described on the Rock Hall site as a “living legend and a paragon of female empowerment (who 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.”
Music fans can also participate by selecting up to five nominees daily and help their favorite artists reach the top 5 of the official Fan’s Ballot.
Organizers say that inductees will be announced next month, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2022 Induction Ceremony is set to take place in the fall.
The date, venue, and on-sale information will be announced at a later time.
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