On Wednesday, Time magazine revealed its annual list of the “100 Most Influential People of 2021,” and country legend Dolly Parton is among the names.
The 100 Most Influential People list is published every year. It highlights 100 individuals that have had a strong impact on our culture and society over the previous annual calendar. Time‘s website says the list includes pioneers, business leaders, artists, innovators, and icons from around the globe.
The likes of Vice President Kamala Harris, American Olympian Simone Biles, and businessman Elon Musk made the list. Further inclusions Prince Harry and and his wife Meghan Markle also made the list alongside many more. In addition, each person included is honored with a brief write-up as to why they were chosen.
Dolly Parton’s goddaughter and fellow artist Miley Cyrus penned her godmother’s profile for the annual Time magazine issue. Cyrus doesn’t just compliment Parton’s iconic country music career. She instead praises morals and values and champions her humanitarian work.
“Dolly is not only my idol because of her incomparable career. She’s also my role model because of her steadfast morals and values,” Miley Cyrus wrote in the piece. “At her core, she is the definition of a humanitarian.”
“There’s a theory that you shouldn’t meet your heroes,” Cyrus added. “But I wish everyone had the chance to meet Dolly Parton, because she’s even better than your sparkliest dreams.”
Cyrus is spot on with her assessment of Parton. As influential as she is in the entertainment industry, the “Jolene” singer is so much more than that. She runs a book gifting program that mails free books to children. The Dollywood Foundation is a non-profit that works with and benefits kids as well. Parton even donated $1 million last year to help with COVID-19 vaccine research.
Dolly Parton Makes Forbes’ List of America’s Wealthiest Self-Made Women
Today’s Time announcement isn’t the only popular annual list to include Dolly Parton in recent history. Just last month, she made Forbes’ 2021 list of “America’s Richest Self-Made Women” as well.
Parton and 15 other newcomers to the list each boast at least a $225 million net worth. Yet of the 15 newcomers, Dolly is the only musician to make the annual list. Although many individuals and businesses struggled through the last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Parton has thrived.
Earlier this summer, the legendary country singer and businesswoman invested $500 million back into her Dollywood theme park and resort. Additionally, she recently came out with her own fragrance called Scent From Above. And we’ve yet to even get to Dolly Parton’s music career, work on TV specials and in movies, and other ventures within the entertainment industry.
“In a year when most of the music industry slowed down, the country singer and co-owner of amusement park Dollywood was busier than ever,” Forbes said of Parton. “She wrote a song inspired by her experience during the pandemic, released her first holiday album in 30 years, and starred in a Netflix film, Christmas on the Square.”
“The biggest piece of her net worth is her stake in the amusement park company,” the article added. “That helped push her wealth up to an estimated $350 million.”
