The Definitive Reasons Why Dolly Parton Should Be In The Rock Hall Of Fame

Over the years, Dolly Rebecca Parton has proved her iconic work in the music industry for being a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist contributing to country music.

She has received awards including Grammy’s Lifetime Achievement, C&W Hall of Fame, Kennedy Center, CMA Lifetime Achievement and Opry induction.

Parton had more than two dozen pop chart hits in addition to the 100-plus country hits she’s penned over the years. She has also written and recorded classic songs going all the way back to the early ’70s, but she didn’t receive her first nomination until this year.

So we list down five reasons why we think Dolly Parton should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

1. The songwriter behind classic songs
She’s written most of her songs that reached No. 1 on the country chart 25 times. Her classics include the autobiographical “Coat of Many Colors” the title track to her breakthrough 1971 album, “9 to 5,” part of a package deal with a same-titled movie she starred in, and “Jolene” which has been covered by artists as diverse as the White Stripes and Lil Nas X.

2. The original lyricist to a hit song
We all know the song “I Will Always Love You” from the 1992 film The Bodyguard, starring Whitney Houston. Houston’s version made it to No. 1 on the pop chart and stayed there for 14 record-breaking weeks. But you probably didn’t know that Parton originally wrote the song in 1973 following her professional split from country singer Porter Wagoner. A year later the track became her third No. 1 country hit. In 1982 she rerecorded the song for the movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and it hit No. 1 again. Up to this day, it remains one of the biggest-selling songs of all time.

3. An iconic voice
Aside from her warm and pure voice in country music, Parton also posses an incredible soprano that made her a favorite duet partner through the years. In addition to the excellent Trio album she made with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt in 1987, Parton reached the No. 1 with the 1982 single “Islands in the Stream.”

4. More than just a country star
Parton is also an actress, author, businesswoman and humanitarian. She’s been nominated for Academy, Grammy, Tony and Emmy awards. She has donated millions to charitable causes and has been a vocal supporter of Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQ+ community.

5. Songs you heard, but might have forgotten
Parton released close to 50 LPs since her 1967 solo debut, and that’s a lot to remember even for a devoted fan. Some of them are traditional country albums from the ’70s, covers collections in the ’80s and bluegrass records from the ’00s worth rediscovering, including the 1982’s great, melancholic “Hard Candy Christmas” from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.