11-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter behind hits like “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” Dolly Parton has died at 80.
The announcement of her death was made by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, on her official social media accounts on Tuesday.
“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,” he said in a video announcement on the legend’s social media pages.
She died in Nashville, Tennessee but no cause of death has been given yet.
Parton had spoken publicly for over a year about health struggles, first revealing in September 2025 that she needed “a few procedures,” which forced her to postpone a planned Las Vegas residency before it was ultimately cancelled in May.
At Dollywood’s 2026 season opening in March, she told fans she had been “worn down and worn out,” pointing to both her health setbacks and the grief of losing her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82.
Beyond music, Parton built an entertainment and hospitality empire anchored by her Dollywood theme park, alongside a long career as an actress, producer and playwright.
She was also known for her extensive philanthropy through the Dollywood Foundation, most notably her Imagination Library, which has given away nearly 308 million free books to children across the US, UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia since it began in 1995.
She is survived by the legacy of a seven-decade career and a reputation, in the words of her fans, as “Saint Dolly.”
