The music world is gathering in Los Angeles to honor some of its finest acts on Saturday, inducting the latest class of luminaries including Dolly Parton and Eminem into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The country queen and rap agitator are joined by pop futurists Eurythmics, smooth rocker Lionel Richie, new wave Brits Duran Duran, confessional lyricist Carly Simon and enduring rock duo Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo in entering the music pantheon.
The Cleveland-based Hall of Fame — which surveyed more than 1,000 musicians, historians and industry members to choose the entrants — will honor the seven acts in a star-studded gala at Los Angeles’s Microsoft Theater.
More supergroup concert than ceremony, the evening will see music legends honor their peers with performances of their time-tested hits — the lineup is usually kept under wraps until showtime.
But Rock Hall Chairman John Sykes spilled some of the guest appearances in an interview this week with Forbes, telling the outlet that attendees will including Olivia Rodrigo and Alanis Morissette while Bruce Springsteen and Sheryl Crow are set to figure among those introducing the honorees.
– ‘Sound of young America’ –
Sykes emphasized the institution’s fluid definition of “rock” that is more about spirit than genre.
Over the years a number of rappers, pop, R&B and country stars have been brought into the hall’s fold.
“Rock and roll, like music culture itself, never stays in one place. It’s an ever-evolving sound to reflect culture,” Sykes said.
“So you look at these different artists that you’re going to see inducted this year — they’re different genders, they’re different colors, they’re different sounds but they have one thing in common, they created the sound of young America.”
This year’s inclusion of Parton, 76, prompted a characteristically humble response from the beloved icon, who initially requested her name be taken out of the running, saying that she was far from a rock star.
But voting had already begun, and the organization explained to Parton, whose prolific body of work includes the classics “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” that her body of work was worthy.
“When she understood what the true meaning of rock and roll is, then she embraced it and is going to not only attend the ceremony but she’s making a rock and roll album and is going to debut a song, specifically from that record, at the ceremony,” Sykes revealed.
– Eclectic group –
The 2022 group of hall of famers is among the organization’s most eclectic in years.
Detroit rapper Eminem burst onto the world stage in the late 1990s with darkly comical hits off his major label debut “The Slim Shady LP” including “My Name Is.”
“The Marshall Mathers LP” cemented his superstar status, becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time and setting up the rapper as one of pop’s master provocateurs with a blistering flow.
He joins fellow rappers including Jay-Z, Tupac…
