Dolly Parton, Queen of Country Music and American Icon, dies at 80
NASHVILLE
Dolly Parton, the irrepressible country music singer, songwriter and actress whose charisma, heartfelt lyrics and business acumen captured the public’s imagination for nearly six decades, has died at 80.
Her family announced in a statement Tuesday that Parton died peacefully in Nashville. No cause of death was disclosed.
Her passing comes just days after she told People magazine she was dealing with unspecified health issues but planned to keep working.
A Life in Song
Born in a one-room cabin in Sevier County, Tennessee, Parton wrote her first song at age six — “Little Tiny Tasseltop,” an ode to her corncob doll with corn-silk hair.
From that humble beginning, she went on to become one of the most decorated artists in music history, with classics including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “9 to 5.”In a video tribute, her nephew Bryan Seaver said: “By her example, we believed anything was possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history.”
Final Months
The 80-year-old legend had stepped back from public life in 2026. She canceled her Las Vegas residency in September due to ongoing health concerns, saying her immune and digestive systems got “out of whack”.
She had also spoken about rebuilding herself “spiritually, emotionally and physically” after the death of her husband of 58 years, Carl Dean, in March 2025, and after battling kidney stones.
She made a surprise final public appearance on June 24 at the opening of her Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee, arriving in a blue-and-pink fringe ensemble and joking with fans.
She is survived by her siblings and extended family.
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