When the editors of TIME Magazine released their annual list of the “Top 100 Most Influential Artists of 2025,” one name stood out — not for surprise, but for significance: Dolly Parton.

At 79 years old, the woman who once sang her way out of a one-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains has become something even more powerful than an entertainer. She has become a symbol — of generosity, grace, and the enduring goodness of the human spirit.

A Lifetime of Music, A Legacy of Humanity

TIME’s editors praised Parton as “a living bridge between art and empathy — a woman whose voice heals as powerfully as her actions do.”

It’s not hard to see why. Over the past year alone, Dolly has quietly transformed the concept of fame into something profoundly meaningful. Beyond the rhinestones and stage lights, she continues to fund education programs, expand children’s literacy through her Imagination Library, build homes for displaced families, and donate millions to medical research and disaster relief.

Her influence reaches far beyond the world of music. As TIME wrote, “Dolly’s legacy is not only measured in melodies, but in moments — the millions of small acts of kindness that ripple through communities, one book, one home, one child at a time.”

The Power of Giving Back

For Dolly, philanthropy is not an accessory to fame — it is the foundation of her life’s work.

Her Imagination Library, which she founded in 1995, has now donated over 225 million free books to children across the world. In 2025 alone, the program expanded to include new translation projects, bringing her love of literacy to children in Mexico, Canada, and the U.K.

Earlier this year, she partnered with Habitat for Humanity to launch the “Home to Heart” initiative, funding the construction of 80 homes for families affected by natural disasters in the American South. And when Tennessee hospitals faced funding shortages, Dolly quietly stepped in with a seven-figure donation — no press conference, no headlines, just help.

“You don’t have to be rich to give,” she said in a recent interview. “You just have to care enough to try.”

Those words, simple but powerful, have become the unofficial motto of a woman whose career has always balanced glamour with grace.

Still Creating, Still Evolving

While her humanitarian work captures headlines, Dolly remains as musically active and creatively fearless as ever. Her 2025 album, “Rockstar Revisited,” a reflective reimagining of her 2023 rock debut, blends classic country storytelling with electric guitar riffs and gospel harmonies. Critics have hailed it as “one of her most soulful records in decades.”

Alongside her music, Dolly launched the Songbird Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and mentoring young female songwriters. The initiative provides scholarships, studio grants, and mentorship opportunities for emerging artists, ensuring that the next generation of storytellers has the tools — and confidence — to find their voice.

“Every little girl with a dream deserves the chance to turn her words into music,” Dolly said at the foundation’s unveiling.

Her creative output remains staggering — new songs, new books, and even new ventures into film and television, including a biopic currently in production at Netflix. Yet, through it all, she has maintained the humility that has defined her from the start.

A Voice for Every Generation

For over six decades, Dolly Parton’s voice has been a constant companion to the American story — tender, hopeful, and resilient. From “Coat of Many Colors” to “I Will Always Love You,” her songs have not only soundtracked lives but shaped them.

Her music remains timeless because her message is universal: that love, kindness, and faith will always outlast fame.

To the younger generation, Dolly isn’t just a music icon — she’s a mentor, a cultural touchstone, and a reminder that authenticity never goes out of style.

Singer Kacey Musgraves recently said, “Dolly’s not just a legend — she’s the moral compass of country music.”

The Woman Behind the Legend

Despite global fame, Dolly remains the same mountain girl who learned to sing on her front porch in Tennessee. Her laughter is still quick, her heart still open.

When asked by TIME what continues to drive her, she smiled and said:

“I still believe I can do more good. That’s what keeps me going. As long as I’ve got breath and a song — I’ll keep giving.”

That’s Dolly: a woman whose life has become her greatest work of art.

From Tennessee to the World

TIME’s recognition in 2025 feels less like an award and more like an affirmation — that in an era often defined by noise and division, there is still power in kindness, faith, and music that tells the truth.

From the foothills of Sevierville to the grandest stages on Earth, Dolly Parton’s journey proves one thing: you can be both larger than life and grounded in love.

And as the red cover of TIME Magazine bears her image once again — smiling, strong, timeless — it feels not like the end of a career, but another verse in a song that will never fade.

Because when the lights dim and the applause fades, Dolly Parton’s legacy won’t be measured by how loud she sang — but by how deeply she cared.