Dolly Parton, the American country music icon who rose from poverty in Tennessee to become one of the country’s most celebrated entertainers, has died at the age of 80, her family announced Tuesday.
Parton, known for hits including “Jolene” and “Coat of Many Colours,” was also an accomplished actress, philanthropist and businesswoman whose career spanned six decades.
“Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus,” her nephew Bryan Seaver said in a video posted on social media.
Seaver said the multiple award-winning singer had “opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life.”
The family did not disclose a cause of death. Parton had, however, spoken publicly about recent health challenges. Her husband, Carl Dean, died in 2025.
President Donald Trump ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff across the United States for a week in honour of Parton, describing her death as a “true loss for millions of people.”
“There has never been anyone like her, and never will,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
In May, Parton announced the cancellation of a series of Las Vegas concerts, citing ongoing health concerns. She said treatment for an unspecified illness was progressing well but that she was not ready to return to the stage.
Parton moved to Nashville the day after graduating from high school, pursuing a career in country music. By 1967, at the age of 21, she had become a recognised figure after joining Porter Wagoner’s syndicated country music television programme, which reached millions of American homes.
Over a career lasting six decades, Parton wrote about 3,000 songs and recorded dozens of albums. Her catalogue included “9 to 5”, “Islands in the Stream” and “I Will Always Love You”, which later became a global hit for Whitney Houston.
Parton released 49 studio albums and more than 100 compilation and collaborative albums, earning widespread recognition as the “Queen of Country Music.”
Her influence extended well beyond country music, with artists including Shania Twain, Sinéad O’Connor and the White Stripes recording versions of her songs.
“By her example, we believed that anything was possible,” Seaver said. “She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history.”
Parton also became known for combining her music career with philanthropy and business ventures, cementing her status as an enduring American cultural icon.
