Keith Urban Praises Dolly Parton as Trailblazer at Musicians Hall of Fame Induction

Keith Urban, fresh off his own induction into the Musicians Hall of Fame, is making clear just how much Dolly Parton means to him, and to country music at large.

The Musicians Hall of Fame welcomed its ninth class of inductees during an April 28 ceremony at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University in Nashville. The class included Dann Huff, George Thorogood & the Destroyers, John Boylan (recipient of the producer award), Leland Sklar, Michael McDonald, the late Nicky Hopkins, and both Urban and Parton, with Parton receiving the organization's industry icon award. Sheryl Crow presented the honor to Parton, who shared her acceptance remarks via a pre-recorded video message.

Urban, a fellow inductee and longtime admirer, spoke effusively about the country music legend. "She's just ... fearless and a trailblazer and just such a one-of-one," Urban, 58, says of Parton, 80. "And I think she continues to remind every artist that it's just about expression and following your creative path and being fearless in it."

Urban adds, "She is a perfect prime example of always trying something different. I never think of her as pushing the envelope. I think about her not letting anything get in the way of the envelope."

During a 2022 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Urban reflected on first crossing paths with the icon. "I come from working-class parents and a rural kind of background in Australia, and the first time I met Dolly — she's sung with me a few times — and the first time I met her it was surreal, because, I mean, I grew up singing her songs," he recalled. "As a matter of fact, I sang her songs because I was 9 years old, and my voice hadn't broken yet, and I sounded like her — I could sing in her key," he joked.

Parton has been equally warm toward Urban. During a 2022 Good Morning America interview, when asked who she'd most like to bake a cake and sing a duet with, she replied, "Probably any of the good-looking ones. I love Keith Urban."

"I am very humbled to be inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame," Parton said in her video message screened at the event. "You know, my songwriting is more important to me than anything. But, as much as I crafted lyrics in my mind, and then eventually started writing them down on paper, I realized early on that if I was going to write songs, I needed to be able to play instruments to bring them to life!"

Urban is also set to release Flow State, his 13th studio album, on June 12, a collection of classic yacht rock covers and one original track, co-produced with fellow inductee Dann Huff and featuring Michael McDonald, Little Big Town, and John Mayer.