Dolly Parton dead at 80

Famed country music singer, philanthropist and businesswoman Dolly Parton is dead at 80. Her death was announced by nephew Brian Seaver on social media.

"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."

Born in a one-room cabin in January 1946, Parton came from poverty in Tennessee to reign as country music's greatest legend, winning 11 Grammy awards (with more than 50 nominations!) and entering the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. Moving to Nashville in 1964, she appeared on "The Porter Wagoner Show," wrote for other artists, then launched a solo career yielding hits including "Jolene," "Coat of Many Colors" and "I Will Always Love You" (later a hit for Whitney Houston.) A detour into mainstream pop with "9 to 5" brightened the 1980 film, and she co-founded her own theme park, Dollywood, in 1986. For countless children, her Imagination Library delivered literacy and hundreds of millions of books. She donated $1 million toward Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine research. She wed her husband, Carl Dean, in 1966; he died last year.

An obituary is posted at The Music Universe: "Instead of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library."

My favorite of hers is Silver Dagger.