Dolly Parton Gets Candid On Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 'Controversy'

On Wednesday, Dolly Parton was announced as one of the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

After she was nominated in February, she posted a statement on Twitter saying that she humbly rejected the nomination, as she did not consider herself a rock singer. However, a few days later, the Hall of Fame posted its own statement on Twitter, saying it was too late to back out when ballots had already been cast.

A short while later, Dolly told Billboard that she never considered herself a rock ‘n’ roller “in any sense of the word,” but she was willing to reconsider.

“People usually [say] ‘Dolly rocks’ or ‘you rock’ or ‘you’re a rock star.’ I thought they just meant that I was cool, and I took that as a great compliment. But now I’m going to have to take it literally!” she joked.

While speaking to the outlet, Dolly explained that her manager Danny Nozell told her that she was going to be inducted prior to Wednesday's public declaration.

"Well, I feel great," she said of her entry into the Rock Hall. "I feel honored that all the people that voted for me did. And I appreciate the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame people for staying there with me."

"I never meant to cause trouble or stir up any controversy," she added. "It was just always my belief — and I think millions of other people out there too — always thought the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was just set up for the greatest people in the rock ‘n’ roll business, and I just didn’t feel like I really measured up to that and I don’t want to take anything away from the people that have worked so hard."

"So I just wanted to go pull out before it got started good," she added. "I found out later that it’s far more than that, obviously. … I’m very honored and humbled by [the induction], and so I’ll try to live up to it."

Although she is now inducted into the Hall of Fame, Dolly said "I don't know" when she was asked if she would attend the ceremony.

"If I do, I’m going to sing the hardest style rock ‘n’ roll song I could ever muster up just to show that I can do it," she said.

The interviewer ventured that she should sing "Enter Sandman" by Metallica. Dolly replied, "I don’t know what I’ll do. … But I’ll do something to make it fun and to be forgiven for my mistake. To earn my title."

Dolly definitely wants to earn her title, because she's already thinking about putting out a rock album.

"I had actually thought about that before I even got nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame," she explained. "I’ve always wanted to do a great rock album, and I’m going to do that. I don’t know when, but I will do one."

When asked about rock legends that influenced her, Dolly was quick to name The Rolling Stones as one of her biggest inspirations.

"I’ve always wanted to do the song 'Satisfaction,'" she revealed. "That’s one of my husband’s favorite songs. And I may have to drag Mick’s guys up there to help me sing it."

"I thought about writing a song called 'Rock of Ages,' where I get all the great old rock ‘n’ rollers, the people that I have always admired and respected," she revealed. "I didn’t follow rock music that much, but my husband is a rock ‘n’ roll freak. He loves all the groups and all the great stuff. I just liked certain records."

She ventured, "I may do up a version of something like [Lynyrd Skynyrd’s] 'Free Bird, and do my own versions of some classic things that I think would make good rock ‘n’ roll songs."

She added that she loves Mick Jagger and said "I’m hoping we’re both around long enough when I get to doing this record that he’ll come sing with me, and I may have to use The Rolling Stones to play behind me. I might do something like that — try to get some different rock bands, some of the classic bands, to back me on some of the songs I do and then do two or three or four originals."

"I’d like to get in with some of the great rock groups and do some things, [but] I’ve been working so hard on so many things and I’ve got to overcome this so-called controversy, which I never meant it to be that," she added. "So now I’m in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. So I’m going to have to do a rock album at some point."

She joked, "Now I may have to call my album Rock Star."