Dolly Parton can’t ‘bow out,’ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame declares

nypost.com:

will always love Dolly Parton.Earlier this week, the 76-year-old country singer announced that she “must respectfully bow out” of the nominees for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in an Instagram post, but the institution has refused to take the “Jolene” singer off the 2022 ballot.“We are in awe of Dolly’s brilliant talent and pioneering spirit and are proud to have nominated her for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” the RRHOF Foundation said in a statement released on Thursday.Part of the issue is that Parton’s name was already included in ballots that were sent out before her withdrawal and she is currently fourth in the official fan vote — behind Duran Duran, Eminem and Pat Benatar.

So with voting well underway, it complicated matters for Parton to simply bow out on Monday, despite her believing that she had not “earned that right.”“Dolly’s recommendation, along with the other 16 nominees for the class of 2022 was sent out earlier this month to our 1,200 general ballot voters, the majority of whom are artists themselves, for consideration for induction at our ceremony,” the foundation said.Still, RRHOF applauded Parton for making such a magnanimous move.“All of us in the music community have seen Dolly Parton’s thoughtful note expressing her feeling that she has not earned the right to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” the statement said.