American country music legend Dolly Parton died at age 80, her family announced on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Parton died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, according to her family.
Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her death in a video shared through her official social media accounts, saying the singer had asked him years earlier to make the announcement when the time came.
“Sadness lies with us, not with Dolly,” Seaver said, adding that she had “lived in the light” and was in the arms of Jesus. The family described Dolly Parton as a global icon whose seven-decade career extended beyond music into acting, writing, business and philanthropy. No cause of death was immediately disclosed.
Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Sevier County, Tennessee, into a poor farming family. She was the fourth of 12 children and grew up in a one-room cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains. Her father, Robert Lee Parton, worked as a farmer, while her mother, Avie Lee, sang traditional songs at home and became an early influence on her musical development.
Music became part of Parton’s life from childhood. She began performing in church and on local radio and television before her teenage years. At 13, she made her first appearance at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, one of country music’s most important stages. Her professional breakthrough came in the 1960s.
After moving to Nashville as a teenager, Dolly Parton worked as a songwriter before joining Porter Wagoner’s television programme in 1967. The partnership helped introduce her to a national audience, although she eventually established herself as a major solo performer. She went on to produce some of country music’s most enduring songs, including “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” “Coat of Many Colours” and “I Will Always Love You.”
Whitney Houston’s 1992 recording of the latter became a global hit and introduced Parton’s songwriting to an even wider audience. Her influence extended well beyond country music. She appeared in films including 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Steel Magnolias, while her business interests included Dollywood, the major Tennessee theme park that became one of the state’s leading tourist attractions.
Parton also built a substantial philanthropic legacy. Her Imagination Library provides free books to young children, while she contributed $1 million to research that helped support the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Her charitable work also included support for education, healthcare and communities affected by disasters. Parton sold more than 100 million records and received numerous honours during her career, including 11 Grammy Awards and induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The death of Dolly Parton comes about 17 months after the death of her husband, Carl Dean, whom she married in 1966. Dean died in March 2025 at the age of 82. Parton’s career began in poverty in rural Tennessee and grew into one of the most successful stories in modern entertainment. Her music crossed generations and genres, while her work outside music made her one of America’s most recognisable cultural figures.
Dolly Parton leaves behind a catalogue that has been recorded and performed by artists around the world, along with a philanthropic legacy that will continue beyond her lifetime.
Africa Global News publication.
