Dolly Parton, Eminem, Lionel Richie and more inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
"I'm a rock star now!" Parton gleefully told the crowd.
After famously attempting -- unsuccessfully -- to withdraw her name for consideration, Dolly Parton was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Saturday night in Los Angeles.
"I'm a rock star now!" she gleefully told the crowd at the ceremony, as they cheered wildly.
Parton was inducted by pop star Pink, who said, "Dolly, you're amazing. You bring people together and you put so much light and joy into the world and we all love you so much."
Accepting the honor, Parton announced her intention to do a rock album, and added, "Any of you rock stars gonna help me out on that?" When the audience cheered, she laughed, "Good, 'cause I'm gonna hold you to it!"
Pink and Brandi Carlile went on to sing "Coat of Many Colors," while Zac Brown and Sheryl Crow duetted on "9 to 5." Parton, wearing an Elvis-inspired jumpsuit, debuted one of the new rock songs she said she'd written for the rock album project.
Parton then called up many of her fellow inductees and performers -- including Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon, Eurythmics' Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, Pink, Carlile, Pat Benatar and even Judas Priest singer Rob Halford -- to help sing "Jolene."
Eminem, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran, Eurythmics and Benatar were among the artists also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Harry Belafonte received the Early Influence Award.
Dr. Dre inducted Eminem, recalling that he saw something in the rapper when others didn't: "I knew that his gifts were undeniable. Each of us was what the other one needed -- and I was willing to bet my entire career on it."
After Dre's heartfelt introduction, Eminem performed a medley of hits, including "My Name Is," "Sing for the Moment" with surprise guest Steven Tyler, and "Stan," with Ed Sheeran jumping in to sing the chorus and play guitar.
In his acceptance speech, Eminem honored the hip-hop genre and listed off the artists that influenced him, including Tupac, Notorious B.I.G. and many more. "I'm a high school dropout with a hip-hop education and these are my teachers," he said. "And it's their night just as much as it is mine."
Legendary producing duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were inducted in the Musical Excellence category by longtime collaborator Janet Jackson, who spoke about the experience of working on her 1986 album "Control" with them. The duo has also written songs for the likes of New Edition, Michael Jackson, Usher, Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey.
Richie received his induction from Lenny Kravitz. "The man doesn't have a pretentious bone in his body," Kravitz said. "When Lionel shows up, everyone gets happy."
Richie then performed "Hello," the Commodores' "Easy" with the help of rocker Dave Grohl, and "All Night Long." In his speech, Richie spoke of being a "creative artist" in the industry and being told in the past that he wasn't "Black enough."
"Rock and roll is not a color; it's a feeling, it's a vibe," he said.
Olivia Rodrigo appeared at the ceremony to honor legendary singer/songwriter Carly Simon, who was not in attendance. Simon was inducted by Sara Bareilles, who also performed one of Simon's biggest hits, "Nobody Does It Better," and then Rodrigo took the stage to sing Simon's signature hit, "You're So Vain."
The night ended with a tribute to the recently passed rock and country legend Jerry Lee Lewis, performed by Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp.
The induction ceremony will air on Nov. 19, at 8 p.m. ET on HBO.
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