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Dolly Parton and Kane Brown Make Time's 100 Most Influential People for 2021

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Congratulations are in order for country superstars Kane Brown and Dolly Parton as they were listed as part of the Time's 100 Most Influential People for 2021. The list, which Time publishes on an annual basis, recognizes 100 of the most influential cultural voices of that year and are honored with a profile written by another influencer. The leading figures across this year's list include Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, gymnast Simone Biles, Billie Eilish, Kate Winslet, Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden and Elon Musk.

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For Parton, Miley Cyrus wrote a profile on the country singer, who is her godmother. In the piece, the pop singer praises the icon's character and the impact she has had socially. She stated, "Dolly is not only my idol because of her incomparable career. She's also my role model because of her steadfast morals and values. At her core, she is the definition of a humanitarian...there's a theory that you shouldn't meet your heroes but I wish everyone had the chance to meet Dolly Parton, because she's even better than your sparkliest dreams."

 

Cyrus also recalled when the country singer, 75, guest-starred on her own show Hannah Montana where she played her grandmother, Aunt Dolly, on a few episodes between 2006 and 2010. Since Hannah Montana, Cyrus has continued to collaborate with the country singer including when the duo sang Parton's hit "Jolene" with Pentatonix on The Voice in 2016. Parton was previously praised last year for helping to fund the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine with a $1 million donation to Vanderbilt researchers.

For Brown, Darius Rucker wrote the profile on the country artist. Rucker stated that the "Worldwide Beautiful" singer was a role model for the next generation of country artists. He wrote, "Kane Brown has that unquantifiable 'it' factor... He's so laid-back and doesn't take himself too seriously, but he also really cares about his craft and other people. I'm sure there are kids looking up to Kane right now just like when I looked up to Charley Pride. Kane is setting the bar so high for the next generation. I hope kids see him and now think, 'I can do that.'"

The magazine also featured several celebrities such as Stephen Yeun, Daniel Kaluuya, Bad Bunny, Tracee Ellis Ross and Britney Spears.