Dolly Parton Is On The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Ballot

Every serious music fan will tell you that without country music, there wouldn't be rock and roll. But very few country artists have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: the shortlist includes Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers (as well as some artists who live in both rock and country, like Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers).

But that may change this year. This morning, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that Dolly Parton is on the ballot. Artists are first eligible 25 years after their first recording. Dolly's first single was "Puppy Love" in 1959, so she would have been eligible with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's first induction class in 1986. Better late than never!

There are sixteen other nominees: Beck, Pat Benatar, Kate Bush, Devo, Duran Duran, Eminem, the Eurythmics, Judas Priest, Fela Kuti, the MC5, the New York Dolls, Rage Against The Machine, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, A Tribe Called Quest and Dionne Warwick.

The 2022 inductees will be announced in May. Details pertaining to the induction ceremony have not been confirmed, but the 2022 induction is heavily rumored to be taking place in Los Angeles.

As with previous years, the public will have the opportunity to voice their choice via the Fan Vote at RockHall.com starting today (February 2) through April 30. Fans are allowed to vote once per day during the Fan Vote period. Visitors of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland will also have the opportunity to vote in person. The "Fans' Ballot" will be comprised of the top five artists from the fan vote and will be counted among the other ballots filled out by various artists, historians, and music industry professionals.