Dolly Parton, the country music singer-songwriter whose work crossed into pop, film and musical theatre, died on 25 August 2026 at the age of 80. Her team said she died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center after a brief battle with cancer and was surrounded by loved ones. Her nephew, Brian Seaver, also announced her death on Instagram. [Source 15774]

Parton’s catalogue included hundreds of songs and some of country music’s most widely recognized recordings. She achieved 25 No. 1 singles on the US country chart and placed 47 albums in the country Top 10. Among her defining compositions were “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” which she wrote on the same day. The latter became a country No. 1 for Parton in 1974 and again in 1982 before Whitney Houston turned it into a major pop hit in 1992. [Source 15774]

Born into a large family in a one-room Tennessee cabin, Parton began singing in church and appeared on local television at 10. She made her first record at 13 and performed at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry that year. After finishing high school in 1964, she moved to Nashville and initially worked as a songwriter. Her recording career gained momentum after she shifted from pop toward country music and released her debut album, “Hello, I’m Dolly.” [Source 15774]

A performing partnership with Porter Wagoner beginning in 1967 expanded her audience. Parton earned her first country No. 1 with “Joshua” in 1971, while “Jolene,” released in 1973, became her first significant UK hit. She later reached No. 1 on the US pop chart with “9 to 5,” the theme from the 1980 film in which she appeared alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The song brought her an Academy Award nomination for best original song. She won 10 Grammy awards during her career. [Source 15774]

Parton also acted in films including “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” “Rhinestone” and “Steel Magnolias.” Her collaborations ranged from the chart-topping Kenny Rogers duet “Islands in the Stream” to the albums “Trio” and “Trio II” with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. Her most recent album was “Rockstar,” released in 2023. [Source 15774]

Beyond entertainment, Parton developed business and charitable ventures. She co-founded the production company Sandollar and invested in the Tennessee theme park that became Dollywood. Through the Dollywood Foundation, she supported education initiatives and established the Imagination Library in 1995. The literacy program distributed more than 300 million books to children. She also contributed millions of dollars to charitable causes, including Covid-19 vaccine development. [Source 15774]

Her husband, Carl Dean, whom she married in 1966, died in 2025. Their marriage lasted nearly six decades, and they renewed their vows in 2016 to mark their 50th anniversary. [Source 15774]