Dolly Parton Dead at 80 Just Days After Saying She Had ‘So Many Things’ Left to Achieve

Country music has lost one of its brightest stars.

Dolly Parton, the legendary singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist whose unmistakable voice and larger-than-life personality made her one of the most beloved entertainers in the world, has died. She was 80.

Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver announced her death on Tuesday, August 25, on behalf of the Parton and Owens family.

“It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness,” Seaver said in an Instagram video sharing the devastating news. “But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.”

Parton’s death came just days after she opened up about the health problems she had been battling following the March 2025 death of her husband of nearly 59 years, Carl Dean. Despite her struggles, the “Jolene” singer made clear she wasn’t ready to stop creating.

“Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’! You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life,” she told People on August 21.

Born in Tennessee in 1946 as one of 12 children in a poor family, Parton began singing in her grandfather’s church as a child and started writing songs at just 7 years old. After graduating from high school, she headed to Nashville in 1964 to chase her dreams.

Her big break came alongside Porter Wagoner on The Porter Wagoner Show, but Parton soon proved she was a powerhouse in her own right. She scored her first country No. 1 with “Joshua” in 1971 before releasing songs that would become classics, including “Coat of Many Colors,” and “I Will Always Love You.”

Parton also starred in films including 9 to 5, and Steel Magnolias, founded the Dollywood theme park and the literacy charity Imagination Library, and was godmother to singer Miley Cyrus. Her honors included 11 Grammys, an Emmy, an honorary Oscar and inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.