Dolly Parton, the singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist whose career made her one of the most recognizable figures in American entertainment, died Tuesday, August 25, in Nashville. She was 80.
Parton’s family confirmed that she “died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee.” A cause of death was not immediately released.
The news was shared in a video posted to Parton’s official social media accounts by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who spoke on behalf of the Parton and Owens families. Seaver, who also served as Parton’s head of security for more than two decades, said his aunt had asked him years earlier to make the announcement when the time came.
Born Dolly Rebecca Parton on January 19, 1946, in Sevier County, Tennessee, Parton grew up as one of 12 children before moving to Nashville following high school to pursue a career in music.
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Her breakthrough came through The Porter Wagoner Show, where she became a nationally recognized performer before establishing herself as a solo artist. Over a career spanning nearly seven decades, Parton wrote approximately 3,000 songs and sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
Her extensive catalog included “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.” Originally written and recorded by Parton in the 1970s, “I Will Always Love You” reached another generation when Whitney Houston recorded the song for the 1992 film The Bodyguard.
Parton successfully crossed from country music into mainstream pop culture while also building a film career. She starred opposite Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the 1980 comedy 9 to 5, earning acclaim for both her performance and the film’s title song. Her other notable films included The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk.
Her achievements extended well beyond entertainment. Parton became a prominent businesswoman through ventures including Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park located near where she grew up.
She was also widely recognized for her philanthropic work. In 1995, she launched Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides free books to young children and grew from a program serving her home county in Tennessee into an international literacy initiative. Parton also donated $1 million toward research that contributed to the development of Moderna’s COVID 19 vaccine.
Throughout her career, Parton received numerous honors, including multiple Grammy Awards, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died in March 2025 at the age of 82. The couple married in 1966 and largely kept their relationship away from the public spotlight.
In the family’s announcement Tuesday, Seaver reflected on the loss while emphasizing Parton’s faith, saying, “Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus.”
Parton leaves behind a body of work that crossed country, pop, film, television and theater, along with decades of charitable initiatives focused on literacy, education and communities in need.
