Country music superstar Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, her family has announced. The musician was best known for her genre-defining hits including 9 To 5, I Will Always Love You and Jolene.
The announcement of her passing came on her official Instagram account with a video from her nephew Bryan Seaver on behalf of the Parton family.
In the video shared on Instagram, Parton's nephew said: “My name is Brian Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean. Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next.”
A career spanning six decades
The beloved country singer had a career spanning more than six decades. She amassed 11 Grammy Awards and 54 nominations, including the Lifetime Achievement Award; 10 Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year; five Academy of Country Music Awards, including a win for Entertainer of the Year; four People's Choice Awards; and four American Music Awards.
In 1999, Dolly was inducted into the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2022, Dolly was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2024, Billboard named Dolly the #1 Country Music Artist of All-Time.
Her story began when she was born Dolly Rebecca Parton on January 19, 1946, in Sevier County, Tennessee. She grew up in a humble family as one of twelve children in a small one-bedroom home in East Tennessee - a place that continued to inspire her throughout her career.
Early life and rise to fame
She lived a simple childhood "chasing the beauty of butterflies, listening to Appalachian folklore and ancient ballads passed down by her relatives," her team describes.
From an early age, Dolly's musical talent was evident and encouraged by her mother. She began writing songs at the age of five, the first being about a corncob doll her mother made for her called “Little Tiny Tasseltop.” She couldn’t read or write at this point, so her mother wrote down the lyrics as Dolly sang them.
Her uncle, Bill Owens, who was also an accredited songwriter, began chaperoning Dolly to and from Nashville and encouraged her to continue honing her talents.
At just 10 years old, she began singing on local radio and TV shows and debuted on the Grand Ole Opry stage at just 13. She moved to Nashville a few years later and on her first day in town she met her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean.
Dolly often stated that was “the day her life began” outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat as the two quickly became inseparable. The couple wed two years later in a private ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia in 1966 with only her mother, the pastor and his wife present.
Dolly and Carl spent many years together taking sightseeing trips around the country in their RV, staying in roadside motels, having date nights at the drive thru and often revisiting the church where they married for simple picnics around their anniversary.
Carl notably didn’t care for the spotlight of Dolly's career, but his love, support and consistency built an unshakable foundation for her to come home to when she was off the road.
Musical milestones and iconic hits
In 1965, Dolly signed her first record deal with Monument Records followed by a songwriting deal with Combine Music. Her debut studio album, Hello, I’m Dolly, made an impact on the Country charts with her first two singles “Dumb Blonde” and “Something Fishy.”
The success of the album garnered her an invitation to join The Porter Wagoner Show in 1967. Between 1967 and 1974, Porter & Dolly would become one of Country music's leading duos, recording a dozen studio albums which would produce countless top 10 hit singles.
The partnership catapulted her into the national spotlight and led to a record deal of her own with RCA. In 1969, the rising star fulfilled a childhood dream and stepped into the hallowed circle at the Mother Church of Country Music to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry – an honor she cherished throughout her life.
Dolly earned her first #1 single in 1971 with “Joshua” – based on the Appalachian men she grew up around, the song cemented her as a Country music star in her own right.
Dolly's song writing in the early 1970s grew more and more prolific and, in this era, she issued now-classic hits including “Coat Of Many Colors”, “My Tennessee Mountain Home”, “Jolene”, and many more.
After seven years on The Porter Wagoner Show, Dolly left to chase her childhood dreams. Her departure in 1974 caused some friction between the two and inspired one of the greatest songs of all time, “I Will Always Love You.”
Initially released the same year as “Jolene”, “I Will Always Love You.” reached #1 on the Country charts twice (1974 & 1982) and was covered by Whitney Houston for The Bodyguard soundtrack which spent 14 weeks at #1 in 1992.
Between 1974-1979 Dolly toured all over the world and released hits that crossed over to the pop and AC charts (including her first Platinum single “Here You Come Again”).
In 1975 and 1976 the Country Music Association named her Female Vocalist of the Year. In 1978 she was honoured with the CMA for Entertainer of the Year.
Film, business and philanthropy
In 1980, Dolly starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the box office blockbuster 9 to 5. The theme song was an instant success and became an anthem for generations of working women everywhere. It took the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, the Country charts, and the AC charts.
The film also opened the doors for her to take on other iconic roles in classic films, including The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone, Steel Magnolias, Straight Talk, Joyful Noise, and many other television films.
Her production company, Sandollar, produced an array of television specials starring Dolly, including a 1987-88 self-titled variety series, which commanded the biggest deal ever negotiated in prime-time television at the time.
Throughout the 1980s, Dolly continued to top the radio charts. In this era, she recorded another multi-genre classic, “Islands In The Stream”, with Kenny Rogers. The two toured the world together between 1984-1990.
In 1986, Dolly opened a theme park called Dollywood, located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. After more than 40 years in business, the theme park and its affiliated businesses in East Tennessee draws more than 4 million visitors annually.
She went on to build an empire of businesses and enterprises that grew into lines of baking goods, frozen foods, coffee, wines, fragrances, cosmetics, jewellery, clothing, dinner theatres, hotels, and many more.
Dolly also carried out numerous charitable endeavours, including donating millions of dollars to various causes, such as education, healthcare, and disaster relief.
In 1988, she founded The Dollywood Foundation, which super-served the people of East Tennessee by providing scholarships to keep students in school.
In 1995, the superstar established Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a program that to date has donated over 300 million free books to children around the world from birth to age five. The Imagination Library, inspired by her father, who never learned to read or write, has fostered a love of reading and learning for countless children.
Later career and legacy
Dolly's later career saw her ascend to global headlining performer. Between 2006-2016, Dolly sold out a series of arena and stadium concert tours across North America, Europe, and Australia.
In 2014 she performed for the biggest global audience of her career during the Glastonbury Festival, with 140,000 people attending her performance.
Between 2020-2025, Dolly landed on the New York Times bestseller lists with a series of landmark books. Her life story was made into a musical in 2025, with the book and music penned by Dolly. Dolly: A True Original Musical will premiere on Broadway in December 2026.
Dolly's contributions to American culture were recognized in 2006 when she received a Kennedy Center Honor. In 2022, Dolly was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and followed the induction with the release of her album Rockstar. The album made history by reaching the biggest album debut sales week of her seven-decade career and earned her six #1s on the Billboard charts.
Dolly earned 29 RIAA-certified gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards across her career, selling over 100 million albums worldwide. She had 25 songs reach #1 on the Billboard Country charts during her lifetime - a record for a female artist. Across her career Dolly saw her music top Billboard's Hot 100, Country, Pop, Adult Contemporary, Bluegrass, Christian, Rock, and Dance charts.
