Dolly Parton, the legendary country singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist whose career spanned nearly six decades, has died at age 80, her family announced Tuesday.
Parton’s nephew, Brian Seaver, announced her death in a video shared on social media. He did not provide a cause of death.
Parton was born Jan. 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, and grew up in a large family in the Appalachian Mountains. One of 12 children, she was raised in poverty and began performing music at a young age. By 13, she had appeared at the Grand Ole Opry, and after graduating high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music.
Her breakthrough came through her partnership with country star Porter Wagoner before she established herself as a solo artist. Parton went on to write and record some of country music’s most recognizable songs, including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You.” Whitney Houston’s 1992 recording of “I Will Always Love You” became an international hit and introduced Parton’s songwriting to an even larger audience.
Parton also built a successful career outside of music. She starred in films including 9 to 5, Steel Magnolias and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, while also becoming the driving force behind Dollywood, the popular theme park in Tennessee.
Throughout her career, Parton received 11 Grammy Awards and numerous other honors. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. She wrote an estimated 3,000 songs and sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
Parton’s influence extended well beyond entertainment. Her Imagination Library literacy program has provided hundreds of millions of free books to children, while she also supported education and other charitable causes. In 2020, she donated $1 million toward COVID-19 vaccine research at Vanderbilt University.
Parton’s death comes after a period of health challenges and following the March 2025 death of her husband, Carl Dean, whom she married in 1966.
She leaves behind a legacy as one of the most successful and recognizable figures in American music, with an influence that reached across generations and far beyond country music.
