Dolly Parton, the legendary country music star whose work influenced generations of artists, has died at age 80, her nephew Bryan Seaver announced Tuesday on social media.
Seaver did not reveal a cause of death. Parton announced in May she was canceling her planned Las Vegas residency to continue recovering from ongoing health issues. In a video message in May, Parton said she was “improving every day,” though some medications and treatments left her feeling “a little bit swimmy-headed,” making it difficult to perform.
Last year, Parton announced she was postponing the residency until September 2026 due to "health challenges," which were later linked to kidney stones.
She was preceded in death by her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who passed away last year at the age of 82. He avoided the spotlight for most of her career, but was said to have inspired Parton's timeless hit "Jolene."
Parton was one of the most influential entertainers in American culture, with a career that spanned music, film, television, business and philanthropy. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s through appearances on “The Porter Wagoner Show.”
She launched a successful solo career in the 1970s with hits including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “I Will Always Love You” and “Here You Come Again.”
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Parton won multiple Grammy Awards over several decades and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
She was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022 after initially attempting to decline the nomination because she said she had not “earned” it in rock music.
Parton was more than a singer and songwriter. She was also an actress, businesswoman and philanthropist.
She received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022, in part for her work with the Dollywood Foundation, which she founded in 1988 to inspire children in her home county to achieve educational success and reduce high school dropout rates.
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Parton also created the Imagination Library in honor of her father, who was illiterate, to help ensure children had books in their homes from an early age.
Her philanthropic work extended beyond literacy efforts. She donated millions to Vanderbilt University for pediatric infectious disease research, supported development of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, helped families displaced by the 2016 Sevier County wildfires and provided scholarships for high school students pursuing higher education.
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In business, she co-founded Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which became one of the most visited regional theme parks in the U.S. She also has expanded her ventures into dinner theaters, resorts, publishing, and production companies.
