Legendary country music artist Dolly Parton dies at 80

Dolly Parton, the 10-time Grammy-winning country singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist known as the “Queen of Country,” has died at 80, her family announced in a video statement Tuesday.

Parton died peacefully Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, her publicist said in a statement. The statement is attributed to her nephew Bryan Seaver. A small, private service will be held for her close family, the statement added.

Watch the video statement below.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a statement in wake of Parton’s death, ordering flags to be lowered across the country for one week.

Parton was born Jan. 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, to parents Robert Lee Parton, a farmer, and Avie Lee Parton, to whom Parton credited her musical abilities. She was the fourth of 12 children. She married Carl Dean in May 1966, and the couple was together until his death on March 3, 2025. She is survived by six of her 11 siblings: Willadeene, Robert Jr., Stella, Cassie, Freida and Rachel.

Beginning her career with folk-influenced songs shaped by her upbringing in humble mountain surroundings and reflecting her family’s Christian background, Parton went on to pen the classics “Coat of Many Colors,” “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene,” among others, for which she is best known. Parton said she started writing songs seriously at the age of seven and estimated in 2009 that she had written at least 3,000 across her life. She has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.

Throughout her life, Parton received 10 Grammy awards and a Lifetime Achievement award. She was nominated for two Academy Awards and one Tony Award and was nominated for five Emmy awards, winning one. In 1978, she became one of only six women to ever receive the Country Music Association’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year.

Video below: Dolly Parton shared her rise to fame from 1981 interview

She has had 26 songs reach No. 1 on the Billboard country charts, a record for a female artist, as well as 42 career Top 10 country albums, a record for any artist, and 110 career-charted singles over the past 40 years.

Parton appeared on the country music charts in each of seven decades, the most of any artist, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. The 1980 hit “9 to 5” made Parton one of the few female country singers who had a No. 1 single simultaneously on the country and pop charts.

In 2005, she was honored with the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor given by the U.S. government for excellence in the arts.

Parton was ranked at No. 27 on Rolling Stone’s 2023 list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Video below: Dolly Parton thanks fans for their support in the wake of her husband’s death in March 2025

In addition to her career as a singer, Parton was also co-owner of The Dollywood Company, which manages entertainment venues including the Parton-themed park Dollywood. She founded a number of charitable and philanthropic organizations, including the Dollywood Foundation. Parton created the foundation in 1988 to inspire children in her home county to achieve educational success. In the early ‘90s, Parton promised every seventh grade and eighth grade student she would personally give them $500 if they graduated from high school. The program reduced the dropout rate for these two classes from 35% to 6%.

The foundation’s literacy program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, was founded in honor of her father, Robert, who never learned to read or write. The charity mails one book each month from birth to kindergarten to almost 850,000 enrolled children.

Video below: Dolly Parton talks about growing up in a religious family in 1978

In June 2025, Parton announced she would perform at a six-day residency in Las Vegas, planned for December 2025. However, she announced in September that the residency would be postponed to September 2026 due to health procedures.

“As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures,” she posted on social media. “As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”

Her message continued, “Don’t worry about me quitting’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet. But, I believe He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you. I love you and thank you for understanding.”