At the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame on Saturday evening, Dolly Parton teamed up with Judas Priest’s Rob Halford for an unlikely duet of ‘Jolene’.
Both acts were inducted into the club during the ceremony alongside the likes of Eminem, and Duran Duran, at an extravagant bash in Los Angeles. At one stage in the night, Judas Priest took to the stage for a three-song set which featured their former guitarist K.K. Downing and ex-drummer Les Binks, who both returned to the fold for one night only.
Their frontman Halford performed once again later in the ceremony when he surprisingly duetted with Parton on ‘Jolene’. In her acceptance speech, Parton proudly said: “I’m a rock star now! This is a very special night for me. I’m sure a lot of you knew that back when they said they were gonna put me in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I didn’t feel like I had done enough to deserve that. And I didn’t understand at the time that it’s about more than that. But I’m just so honoured and so proud to be here tonight.”
Parton previously claimed that she wouldn’t accept an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. However, following her nomination earlier this year, the singer-songwriter changed her stance on rock’s most exclusive club.
Sadly, when Duran Duran accepted their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last night, they had some heartbreaking news to share with the audience. Frontman Simon Le Bon read a letter on behalf of former guitarist Andy Taylor, who explained that he is fighting prostate cancer.
“Just over four years ago I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer. Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course, we are no different,” Taylor said in his letter. “So I speak from the perspective of a family man but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have, and this exceptional accolade.”
Watch Parton and Halford duet on ‘Jolene’ below.
