Dolly Parton Dead At 80

Dolly Parton, the singer, songwriter, actress, playwright, author, and philanthropist known for writing and performing country hits like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “I Will Always Love You”—as well as for the good-natured, glamorous-yet-self-effacing persona she created for herself—has “died peacefully” at the age of 80, according to a press release.

“A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family,” reads a press statement. “Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.”

Dubbed the Queen of Country Music, Parton was, in many ways, a great American success story. Born into poverty in Pittman Center, Tennessee, on January 19, 1946, Dolly learned to sing from her family and received her first guitar at the age of eight. She began recording songs as a teenager, and the day after she graduated from high school, she moved to Nashville, country music’s mecca.

“I wanted to be able to do things,” she told American Songwriter. “To do for the people in my home area. I just wanted to see the world. I didn’t want to stay in the mountains, as proud as I was of them and my people.”

In the mid-’60s, Dolly began writing for other artists, and in 1967, she released her debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly. That same year, she joined up with the country star Porter Wagoner on his popular TV and stage shows. Her career took off in the early ’70s, as she scored massive country hits with “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” and “I Will Always Love You,” the latter of which was about her decision to leave Wagoner’s show and go solo. According to legend, she wrote “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” (famously covered by Whitney Houston in 1992) on the same day, though it’s likely not true.

Dolly’s career reached new heights in the ’80s, as she scored two No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “Islands in the Stream,” a duet with Kenny Rogers, and “9 to 5,” from the movie of the same name, which she also starred in.

In the decades that followed, Parton continued making music. Her most recent album, Rockstar, arrived in 2023, and the following year, she guested on Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER, which includes a cover of “Jolene.” But she became equally well known as a public figure and philanthropist. She helped to fund Covid-19 vaccine research during the pandemic, and she used royalties from Whitney Houston’s blockbuster version of “I Will Always Love You” to invest in Nashville’s Black community. Her literacy charity, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, has distributed more than 332 million books to children around the world.

Over her lifetime, Parton earned countless awards and accolades, including 11 Grammys, as well as the National Medal of Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2022, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and when she was initially nominated, she responded in typically humble fashion.

“Even though I am extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I don’t feel that I have earned that right,” she wrote on Instagram. “I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out.”

The Rock Hall responded by affirming what everyone already knew: that Dolly absolutely belongs.

“From its inception, Rock and Roll has had deep roots in Rhythm & Blues and Country music. It is not defined by any one genre, rather a sound that moves youth culture,” the Hall of Fame said. “Dolly Parton’s music impacted a generation of young fans and influenced countless artists that followed.”

Parton had been in ill health for sometime, and last week, she told People that she’d been struggling with some issues she ignored while caring for her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025. But even that update came with some positive news, as Parton announced a forthcoming Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville.

In 2025, country singer Zac Brown sat down with Parton for Interview, and at one point in their conversation, he asked if there was anything left on her bucket list.

“No, I always say I’ve pretty much done everything, I just need a new bucket,” she said. “It’s like when somebody says, ‘What you got on your plate?‘ I say, ‘I have a platter. I don’t have a plate.’ [Laughs] My life is full of all kinds of things. But I can’t think of anything that I haven’t done that I haven’t planned to do. I just want to be able to continue doing what I do. I like trying to make people happy and lift people up and glorifying god. That’s my mission in life, so I just hope to get to do more of that.”