We've lost a plethora of incredible artists in 2026 so far, but no one's death has quite shocked the world like Dolly Parton's. Yesterday (August 25), the country music trailblazer, film actress, businesswoman and philanthropist passed away. Her team has confirmed she perished after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80 years old.
Notably, Parton's death comes almost a year and a half after her beloved husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, passed away. Throughout 2025 and 2026, Dolly postponed and curtailed a few public events to focus on her health: including a Las Vegas residency, and an in-person appearance at Dollywood for the NightFlight Expedition ride opening. (She appeared in a short video message instead.)
Check out our selection of free stations streaming Dolly Parton music at Live365.com.
It was Bryan Seaver - Dolly Parton's nephew and head of security - who broke the news to the world in a video posted to social media. In the message, he recapped Parton's personal and professional legacies. "Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton, because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest," he said.
In her lifetime, Parton was dubbed "the Queen of Country" and remains one of the most honored performers in the genre. She earned eleven Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, six Golden Globes and a Tony Award. She was also known for her cultural influence and philanthropy via Dollywood and the Dollywood Foundation. With more than 100 million records sold, Parton is among the best-selling music artists of all time.
Parton spent her early life in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. She was the daughter of a farmer. The fourth of twelve children, Parton described herself as "dirt poor." She started performing at church, and by the age of 13, she made an appearance at Tennessee's famous Grand Ole Opry. Her modest roots would go on to inspire hit songs like "Coat of Many Colors," "Nickels and Dimes," and "In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)."
After high school, she moved to Nashville. It only took the gifted performer three years to score her first hit single, "Dumb Blonde," in 1966. It made it onto the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, peaking at number 24. After writing songs for others, she released her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly (1967), starting a nearly 60-year career.
She topped the charts in 1974 when she released the iconic country classic, "Jolene." She later revealed it was inspired by a bank teller who flirted with her husband when they were newlyweds. (In her later years, she would appear on a cover of the song created for Beyoncé's Grammy-winning album, Cowboy Carter.)
Her next four singles were also country chart-toppers, and one of them, “I Will Always Love You,” later became a gigantic hit for Whitney Houston in 1992. Interestingly, Parton penned both that song and "Jolene" within a short span of time. In an interview, she revealed: "We were looking through my files to get all my old cassettes and they were putting them on the hard drive. "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" were on the same cassette. So that must have been a really good night!" Parton would later clarify the songs were likely written a few days or within a short span apart from each other, rather than the exact same afternoon. But having both of those juggernaut tracks on her 1974 album Jolene would cement her status in country music history forever.
Parton won her first Grammy with a single from a following record called “Here You Come Again.” By 1984, she would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But her career achievements were far from over.
It was the 80s when Parton began to establish her silver screen career. She famously starred in 9 to 5 (1980), and penned the iconic theme song for the flick. She also appeared in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), and her performances in both movies earned her Golden Globe nominations.
She also appeared in Rhinestone (1984), Steel Magnolias (1989), Straight Talk (1992), and Joyful Noise (2012).
On TV, she played Aunt Dolly in Hannah Montana (2006–2010). It was a very special role, considering Parton was the real life godmother of Miley Cyrus. (The two shared a close relationship and even co-hosted a New Years Eve special with Cyrus in 2022.) She also hosted Saturday Night Live (1989), and guest-starred on Reba (2005) as well as on Grace and Frankie (2022). She produced and starred in Christmas on the Square (2021 musical film), winning a Primetime Emmy Award.
On Broadway, she wrote the score for the musical adaptation of 9 to 5 (2009) and will soon have her life depicted in Dolly: A True Original Musical (2026). A production of 9 to 5 is currently playing in the West End. An announcement was made during yesterday's performance alerting the audience of Parton's passing.
"9 to 5 was originally produced by Dolly, whose extraordinary talent, creativity and and spirit are woven into every part of this work," a cast member said. "Tonight, we will perform the piece as she intended: with great respect and affection for the woman whose vision brought it to life. Our thoughts are with Dolly's family, friends, and all those around the world who loved and admired her. So as we begin, we dedicate tonight's performance to Dolly Parton, with our deepest thanks for the music, laughter, and joy she gave us. Thank you, Dolly."
Despite working on a plethora of projects across the world, Parton always returned to the music that first made her famous — and to the hollers of East Tennessee where she was born and where she and her husband made their home. “Never ignore your roots - your home or your hair,” she once said.
In 1986, Parton opened the Dollywood theme park in the Great Smoky Mountains near her hometown. The 165 acres include roller coasters, a bald eagle sanctuary and music and crafts that pay tribute to the region's Appalachian heritage.
She performed a number of philanthropical works throughout her lifetime; including the founding of the Imagination Library, which has gifted more than 300 million free, age-appropriate books worldwide to children from birth to age five. She famously donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University for COVID-19 research that helped fund Moderna's vaccine, gave $1,000 monthly to displaced families of the 2016 Smoky Mountain wildfires, and created scholarships to reduce high school dropouts in Sevier County, Tennessee - later adding college scholarships and covering 100% of tuition and books for Dollywood employees.
Through all her accomplishments, she leaned on the love of her life: her husband, Carl. They met outside a laundromat when she was 18 and he was 21. The couple dated for two years before getting married on May 30, 1966. Carl happily ceded the spotlight to his world-famous wife. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years,” Parton said in July 2025. Carl passed away in March 2025, at the age of 82.
An outpouring of tributes for Parton have come from all over the world. President Trump ordered U.S. flags lowered to half-staff nationwide for one week, the Empire State Building lit up a brilliant glittery pink to honor the icon, today (August 26), the King's Guard band played "9 to 5" outside Buckingham Palace, and out of pure coincidence, the next Atlantic Hurricane name will be "Dolly." Not to mention the plethora of other tributes from the world's biggest music stars; Miley Cyrus, Sabrina Carpenter, Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, Cyndi Lauper, and even Eminem have all voiced their grief on social media.
Dolly Parton did not have any children of her own, but she is survived by over a dozen nieces and nephews, as well as six siblings: Willadeene Parton, Robert Lee Parton Jr., Stella Parton, Cassie Parton, Freida Parton, and Rachel Parton.
Listen to some more of Dolly Parton's greatest hits below.
READ NEXT: Top 10 Dolly Parton Songs
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Article Image: An old black and white close-up of Dolly Parton in her younger years, and a portrait of Dolly Parton in 2012. (RCA Records [Available through Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons, PopularImages via DepositPhotos.)
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