Dolly Parton is among People magazine's 2021 People of the Year. The magazine highlights her continued philanthropy, which includes the countless books she makes sure gets in the hands of young children for free through her Imagination Library, not to mention the $1 million donation she made to Vanderbilt University to help fund research that led to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Dolly told People that she was “a little bit skeptical of being put on the cover as one of the People of the Year,” saying, “I don't want to be worshiped, because there's a scripture in my Bible that talks about idol worship. And I see that happening all the time with movie stars and these celebrities. People literally worship them more than they worship God. And I just — I cringe at it sometimes.”
Actress Sandra Oh and gymnast Simone Biles join Dolly on People's People of the Year short list.