Dolly Parton, the Tennessee-born singer-songwriter who rose from poverty in Appalachia to become one of the most recognizable figures in American music, has died at age 80, her family announced Tuesday.
Parton died in Nashville, Tenn., on Aug. 25, according to the family announcement. Her death followed a period of health problems that had forced the country-music star to cancel appearances and previously postpone a Las Vegas residency, though her family didn't disclose a cause of death.
The announcement was made in a video posted to Parton's official Instagram account by her nephew Bryan Seaver on behalf of the Parton and Owens family. Seaver said Parton "lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus," while referring to her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, and her parents.
Dean died in 2025 after 59 years of marriage to Parton. The family, in an obituary announcing her death, described the singer's life as "a rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see" and credited her music, songwriting, "wit, warmth, and kindness" with influencing generations.
Parton's health had increasingly disrupted her schedule during the final year of her life. In the fall of 2025, she canceled a planned six-show residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas after doctors told her she needed "a few procedures" before she could safely return to the stage.
"As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up," Parton said at the time. She also acknowledged that her condition would prevent her from adequately rehearsing and preparing for the planned performances.
By May 2026, Parton had disclosed more about the medical problems she had been confronting. She said she had undergone treatment for chronic kidney stones for several years and joked that "they dig more stones out of me a year than the rock quarry in Rockwood, Tennessee."
Parton also said her immune and digestive systems had "got all out of whack," with doctors working to restore her strength. The disclosures offered a rare glimpse into the health difficulties of a performer who remained professionally active well into her late 70s.
Her health again interfered with her schedule this month. Parton canceled a planned appearance at Dollywood in mid-August after experiencing dehydration and dizziness and said her physician had advised her against traveling.
"My Nashville doctor has kinda clipped my wings, saying, 'You ain't traveling this week'," Parton wrote.
The family announcement didn't say whether those health problems contributed to her death. Representatives also hadn't announced plans for a public memorial or funeral service in Tennessee, according to the supplied report.
Parton's death closes a career that spanned roughly seven decades and extended far beyond country music. Born in 1946 in Sevier County, Tenn., she was one of 12 children raised in a one-room cabin before building a career that took her from the Grand Ole Opry to international concert stages and Hollywood.
Her songwriting produced some of the most enduring songs in American popular music. "Jolene" became one of her signature recordings, while "I Will Always Love You" reached audiences across generations after Parton recorded it in 1974 and Whitney Houston transformed it into a worldwide hit in 1992.
Parton also crossed successfully into film, starring in movies including 9 to 5. Her business ventures remained closely tied to her East Tennessee roots, most prominently through Dollywood, the theme park that became one of the region's major tourism attractions.
Her philanthropic work became nearly as closely associated with her public identity as her music. Parton's Imagination Library has distributed more than 200 million books to children around the world, expanding from a program originally established in her home region into an international literacy initiative.
The music industry repeatedly recognized the breadth of her career. Parton was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and, despite initially expressing reservations about whether she belonged there, entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
