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Dolly Parton, the legendary American country music singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist, has died at the age of 80, her family has announced.
Parton, who rose from an impoverished childhood in the mountains of East Tennessee to become one of the most recognisable figures in global entertainment, died on Tuesday. Her family has not disclosed the cause of death.
Her nephew, Brian Seaver, announced her death in a video, saying he was representing the Parton and Owens family in announcing the passing of “my Aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton-Dean, sister, sis, aunt granny to one generation and Gigi to the next.”
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.
“As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now,” Seaver said.
He described the moment as one of both pride and profound sadness, but said the grief belonged to those left behind rather than Parton.
“It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. 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 for her to meet them in the heavens,” he said.
Seaver recalled growing up around Parton and said her influence extended far beyond her immediate family, describing the doors she opened for others throughout her career.
“I first went on the road with Dolly as a kid, getting a taste of the road life in the early 1980s. Dolly opened doors not just for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible.
“Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent,” he said.
“By her example, we believe that anything was possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the door she opened made and changed history.
“My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you.”
Parton’s relationship with her audience, Seaver said, had grown beyond that of an entertainer and her fans.
“She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD, and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family whether you liked it or not.”
He said the family would continue to protect and advance the legacy Parton entrusted to them.
“Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever.”
Seaver also used farming, an important part of Parton’s upbringing, to describe the singer’s contribution to the world.
“Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy. He farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness.”
He said Parton had also expressed how she wanted to rest after decades of performing in her trademark rhinestone outfits.
“Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.”
Seaver ended the statement by saying: “Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly, Aunt Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you.”
Parton’s death comes months after she cancelled a Las Vegas performance in May 2026 and disclosed that she had been undergoing treatment for kidney stones for several years.
The health concerns came after the death of her husband, Carl Dean, in March 2025. Parton had acknowledged that she was still recovering from the loss but insisted she intended to continue working.
During a career spanning more than 60 years, Parton sold more than 100 million records and won 11 Grammy Awards, establishing herself as one of the best-selling and most influential performers in country music.
Her impact, however, extended well beyond music. She became a major Hollywood star through films including 9 to 5, Steel Magnolias and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, while her business interests grew into an entertainment empire centred on Dollywood.
Parton was also widely recognised for her philanthropy. Through the Dollywood Foundation, she supported education and poverty relief, while her Imagination Library provided free books to children in several countries.
Her philanthropic work was partly inspired by her father, Robert Lee Parton, who could not read or write. Parton said she wanted him to participate in the literacy initiative and take pride in its impact.
Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in a one-room cabin near Sevierville, Tennessee, the fourth of 12 children.
Her mother, Avie Lee Parton, introduced her to traditional Appalachian music, while her father supplemented the family’s modest farm income through construction work.
She began performing in church as a child and was appearing on local radio and television programmes by the age of 13.
After graduating from high school in 1964, she moved to Nashville and began building a career as a songwriter before releasing her first record, ‘Hello, I’m Dolly’, in 1967.
Her breakthrough came with ‘Jolene’ in 1974, followed by a string of country hits, including ‘I Will Always Love You’, which later became a global hit for Whitney Houston.
Parton’s influence also reached into healthcare research. In 2020, she donated $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University, funding work that contributed to the development of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Her legacy therefore extends across music, film, business, philanthropy and popular culture, with her family now preparing to carry forward the work and values she left behind.
