Dolly Parton – the 11-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, actor, author and noted philanthropist – has died, according to a statement released by her family on Tuesday 25 August. Parton was 80 years old.
“Global icon and humanitarian, Dolly Parton, known to the world as a beloved singer, songwriter, philanthropist, actress, playwright, and author died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old,” read a statement shared to her Instagram.
“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. 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.”
Parton, who was born 19 January, 1946, as the fourth of 12 children, made no secret of coming from humble beginnings. Indeed, a replica of the one-bedroom log cabin in a remote part of the Great Smoky Mountains where she was raised was displayed at the music legend’s Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and her 1973 song “My Tennessee Mountain Home” paid tribute to her rural, close-knit upbringing.
Parton first performed musically as a child in the East Tennessee area, moving to Nashville to launch her music career after graduating high school in 1964. She reached number 24 on the country chart with her first country single, “Dumb Blonde,” three years later.
Parton signed with the RCA Victor record label in the late 1960s, finding success collaborating with fellow country musician Porter Wagoner and releasing some of her most iconic songs – including “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Two Doors Down,” and “Baby I’m Burning” – throughout the 1970s.
Parton’s Hollywood breakthrough began in earnest with her role in the 1980 film 9 to 5, in which she starred opposite Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The newly minted actor went on to receive a Golden Globe for her performance in the musical film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and two Oscar nominations for best original song for the films Beethoven’s 2nd and Transamerica. She also appeared alongside Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah, and Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias (1989). After Parton left RCA Victor to sign with Columbia Records in the late 1980s, she worked with artists including Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Cat Stevens and Whitney Houston.
Parton was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, but that honour didn’t stop her from branching out into new genres; she would release her debut rock album, Rockstar, in 2023 and feature in Sabrina Carpenter’s hit song “Please Please Please” in 2025. Dolly: A True Original Musical, a show based on Parton’s life and songbook, is also due to begin performances on Broadway this December.
Despite her outsized legacy as a performer, Parton was perhaps equally celebrated for her generosity. Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 to gift free, high-quality books to children around the world; provided scholarships to high school students in her home county of Sevier, Tennessee through her Dollywood Foundation, founded in 1988; established the My People Fund in 2016 to assist families who lost their homes in severe Tennessee wildfires; and donated $1 million toward COVID-19 vaccine research in 2020.
Parton was married for almost 60 years to Carl Thomas Dean, a Nashville businessman who consistently showed up for his wife throughout her life and career despite mostly opting to stay out of the public eye. “It’s just not who he is. He’s a quiet, reserved person and he figured if he ever got out there in that, he’d never get a minute's peace, and he’s right about that,” Parton told Entertainment Tonight of Dean’s aversion to the spotlight.
Parton is survived by six of her siblings – Willadeene Parton, Robert Lee Parton Jr, Stella Parton, Cassie Parton, Freida Parton and Rachel Ann Parton George – and members of their families.
This story will be updated with further details.