HOLLYWOOD—The Rolling Stones announced their first UK shows since the death of their drummer Charlie Watts last year. The band will play in Liverpool and London as part of their 60th anniversary tour of Europe this summer. Just like the US dates last year, Watts will be replaced by Steve Jordan, as session musician who has played with guitarist Keith Richards since the 80s.

Watts, who joined the band in 1963, died of an unspecified illness last August at the age of 80. When the band returned to the stage the following month, Mick Jagger dedicated the show to his old friend. The Stones 60th anniversary tour is billed simply as Sixty and will feature new staging and production. Launching in Madrid on June 1, it will see the band performing at the home of Liverpool FC, Anfield, for the stones first Liverpool show in more than 50 years.

The Stones will then head to London for two dates at the BST festival in Hyde Park, with other dates in Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Austria and France.

The Stones have been around for decades and were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 1989. They accepted it unlike country star Dolly Parton. On March 14, she stunned a lot of her fans by withdrawing herself from consideration for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

“Even though I am extremely flattered to be nominated, I don’t feel that I have earned that right,” she wrote. “I really don’t want the votes split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out… I do hope that the Rock & Roll Hall of fame will understand and be willing to consider me again-if I’m ever worthy. This has, however, inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock ‘n’ roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do!”

Dolly Parton’s letter has a very different tone, to put it mildly, and largely centers around the fact that she doesn’t see herself as a rock artist. The Hall of Fame has always defined “rock & roll” rather loosely and has taken in everyone from Johnny Cash to Whitney Houston, Madonna, Donna Summer, Jay-Z, Nina Simone, and Notorious B.I.G.  Dolly Parton may be a country artist at heart, but she’s explored many different genres during her long musical career.

This puts the Hall of Fame into a somewhat awkward position. They announced their nominees for the class of 2022 on February 2. Ballots have already been mailed out. Her name is still on the ballot for the fan vote. She’s not the first or last to express ambivalence about the institution. When Guns N’ Roses were inducted, Axl Rose wrote a letter to the Rock Hall, Rose wrote:

“I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia and please know that no one is authorized nor anyone be permitted to accept any induction for me or speak on my behalf.” His request didn’t amount to much. He was inducted along with the ret of his bandmates, and they did indeed perform without him that night. The list of inductees who didn’t show up to the ceremony is long, it includes David Bowie, Todd Rundgren, Diana Ross, Joni Mitchell, Peter Gabriel, Van Morrison, Jerry Garcia, Roger Waters, and every member of Van Halen besides Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony. Some of them had previous engagements, some were dealing with health issues or personal matters, and others simply didn’t want to stand on the same stage as their estranged former bandmates.

Rose’s Scoop:  Dolly Parton and best-selling author James Patterson have teamed up for the book “Run, Rose, Run,” a thriller about a singer who dreams of Nashville stardom. The book was published on March 7, 2022.

Wishing everyone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!