Hello Dolly!
So, news flash today — Dolly Parton declined the nomination to be inducted into this year’s Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Read: Dolly Parton Bows Out of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominations
Predictably, I have a few thoughts:
(1) The Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame is really more a celebration of popular music, not just a recognition of the rock genre. Stevie Wonder, James Brown, the Temptations, the Platters, Johnny Cash, Etta James, the O’Jays, and Leonard Cohen are but a few of the inductees with little or no music in the rock canon. Had you walked into a record store back during the height of their careers, none would have been considered as rock artists. Hence, Dolly Parton would fit among this illustrious group, given the precedent and history. She’s no more out of the rock mainstream than any of the aforementioned inductees. In other words, she belongs in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
(2) If the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame wants to have any future and not take the place of a musical dinosaur, it better adjust to the times and make attempts to become more inclusionary. That means a few things — (a) opening up nominations to all forms of popular music and influences, and (b) changing the name or adding a more descriptive official name — something like “The Rock n’ Roll and Pop Music Hall of Fame.” This is especially true given so much cross-pollination of genres now, not to mention going global.
(3) Who doesn’t absolutely love, respect, and adore everything about Dolly Parton? ‘Nuff said.
(4) Finally, I hope she follows up on the offhand comment about (maybe) making a rock album. I might be way too nostalgic and perhaps am naive, but if she somehow put together a band of rockers as backups (or better yet, co-collaborators), wrote 5-6 originals with a few covers, composed an album, and then toured, I’ll give you 9 to 5 odds it would blow the sky off and probably be an instant nominee for an “Album of the Year” Grammy.