Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford duets with Dolly Parton

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was particularly special when Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford took the stage to perform a duet with country music legend Dolly Parton. The two performed Parton’s classic song “Jolene” other musicians who joined in were Pat Benatar, Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon, Eurythmics’ Annie Lennox and more.

Dolly Parton said “Back when they said they were gonna put me in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I didn’t really feel like I had done enough to deserve that. I didn’t understand at the time that it’s about more than that. But I’m just honoured and so proud to be here tonight.”

Judas Priest was one of the bands that performed on the night. They were introduced by Alice Cooper and they performed a three-song set in which they reunited with former guitarist K.K. Downing and drummer and ex-member Les Binks. Afterwards, Rob Halford then returned to the stage to perform ‘Jolene’ with Parton as part of her performance.

Although Judas Priest performed, they weren’t inducted in the Rock Hall of Fame but were given the Musical Excellence Award. In a recent interview with AZ Central, Rob Halford spoke about not being inducted in the Rock Hall of Fame.

Judas Priest Merchandise

“I was a bit pissed. At the end of the day, does it matter?” Halford said. “Some days, I go, ‘No, it doesn’t matter. We’re in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Be grateful. Shut the hell up’. And then there are other days where I’m like, ‘God damn, why did they give us the Musical Excellence Award?’ Because it sounds very, you know, grandiose. ‘The Musical Excellence Award, reserved for blah, blah, blah’.”

He continued: “I just felt a little bit like, ‘Well, Black Sabbath got this. So why can’t we have that?’ Not that I’m jealous of Sabbath. I’m just talking about this tag that they give it…Why do they put these tags on the damn thing? Why don’t they go, “Welcome. You’re in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” and leave it at that.”

The frontman added: “It’s as though we got this far. We’re, like, one step away, you know? I know it’s silly, but it’s just frustrating.”

The inductees on the night were Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, and Carly Simon.