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Dolly Parton, Eminem among Rock Hall of Fame inductees

US singer and songwriter Dolly Parton arrives for the 57th Academy of Country Music awards at the Allegiant stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 7, 2022

LOS ANGELES - Music's A-listers will celebrate a new crop of legends entering the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this weekend, among them country queen Dolly Parton and rap agitator Eminem.

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 round out the class of 2022.

The Cleveland-based Hall of Fame -- which surveyed more than 1,000 musicians, historians and industry members to choose the entrants -- will honour the seven acts in a star-studded gala concert at Los Angeles's Microsoft Theater.

READ: Against her wishes, Dolly Parton inducted into rock hall of fame

The inclusion of Parton prompted a characteristically humble response from the beloved icon, who initially requested her name be taken out of the running.

But voting was already under way, and the Hall of Fame insisted she was far more than a country star.

"With her trailblazing songwriting career, distinctive voice, campy glamour, business savvy and humanitarian work, Dolly Parton is a beloved icon who transcends the genre she transformed forever," the organization said.

READ: Dolly Parton ducks out of Rock Hall of Fame running

For years the institution has defined "rock" less in terms of genre than of spirit, with a number of rappers, pop, R&B and country stars included.

"I just felt like I would be taking away from someone that maybe deserved it, certainly more than me, because I never considered myself a rock artist," Parton said later. 

"But obviously, there's more to it than that."

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