Country Music Icon Dolly Parton Dies At 80

Dolly Parton, the legendary country singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist whose career spanned more than six decades, has died. She was 80.

The announcement came Tuesday in a video message posted to Parton’s official X account and shared by the family. Her nephew Bryan Seaver, son of her sister Cassie Parton and longtime head of her security, delivered the statement on behalf of the Parton and Owens families.

“My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” Seaver said. 

He noted that Parton had asked him years earlier to make such an announcement when the time came. As her head of security for more than two decades—a role previously held by his father—he said he had imagined the moment but “haven’t truly felt it until now.”

The video closed with the words “I will always love you” alongside a black-and-white portrait of Parton and her signature.

Parton was born Dolly Rebecca Parton on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, the fourth of 12 children in a poor family in the Great Smoky Mountains. She rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s with hits including Jolene, Coat of Many Colors, 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You. 

She sold more than 100 million records, won 11 Grammy Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award), and was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Beyond music, she starred in films such as 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias, built the Dollywood theme park, and became known for extensive philanthropy, including the Imagination Library book program that has distributed millions of free books to children.

In recent years Parton had faced health challenges. She canceled a Las Vegas residency and other appearances, citing issues she said she had neglected while caring for her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82. 

In late August 2026 she publicly discussed ongoing recovery and plans for projects including avatar performances and a new museum.

No cause of death or additional details about funeral arrangements have been released. Tributes from fans, fellow artists, and public figures began pouring in immediately after the family statement.