After famously attempting — unsuccessfully — to withdraw her name for consideration, Dolly Parton was finally inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Saturday night in Los Angeles. “I’m a rock star now!” she gleefully told the crowd at the ceremony, as they cheered wildly.
Dolly was inducted by pop star Pink, who said, “Dolly, you’re amazing. You bring people together and you put so much light and joy into the world and we all love you so much.” Accepting the honor, Dolly announced her intention to do a rock album, and added, “Any of you rock stars gonna help me out on that?” When the audience cheered, she laughed, “Good, ’cause I’m gonna hold you to it!”
Pink and Brandi Carlile went on to sing “Coat of Many Colors,” while Zac Brown and Sheryl Crow duetted on “9 to 5.” Dolly, wearing an Elvis-inspired jumpsuit, debuted one of the new rock songs she said she’d written for the rock album project. She sang, “Since I heard the big beat/I ain’t never been the same/Because they’ve done put me in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
Dolly then called up many of her fellow inductees and performers — including Duran Duran‘s Simon Le Bon, Eurythmics‘ Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, Pink, Brandi, ’80s rocker Pat Benatar and even Rob Halford of heavy metal legends Judas Priest — to help sing “Jolene.” It just goes to show…everyone loves Dolly.
The night ended with a tribute to the recently passed rock and country legend Jerry Lee Lewis, performed by Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp.
The induction ceremony will air on Saturday, November 19, at 8 p.m. ET on HBO.
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