Dolly Parton, Eminem among Rock Hall of Fame inductees

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 honor the seven acts in a star-studded gala concert on Sunday at Los Angeles´s Microsoft Theater.

The inclusion of Parton, 76, prompted a characteristically humble response from the beloved icon, who initially requested her name be taken out of the running.

"Even though I´m extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I don´t feel that I have earned that right," said the music pioneer, who´s penned thousands of songs including "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You."

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.

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."