Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, days after speaking openly about her health and revealing she was “still healing” after experiencing “hard times”. The country music legend's family shared the news in a statement on her Instagram page on Tuesday.
Final Health Comments
Her death comes just days after Parton gave an insight into her health following a series of cancelled and postponed appearances. The singer had been forced to pull out of an appearance at her Dollywood theme park earlier this month after experiencing dizziness and dehydration. Doctors advised her against travelling.
Speaking about her health, Parton said she had neglected her own wellbeing while caring for her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, before his death last year. She told People: “I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.”
A Career Spanning Decades
The Jolene singer was married to Carl Thomas Dean for almost 60 years until his death in March 2025, aged 82. Parton added: “It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health.
“But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago. I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI!
“Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’.”
Cancelled Shows and Public Appearances
Her comments came after a difficult period in which she had been forced to cancel or postpone a number of public appearances. In May, Parton cancelled a planned Las Vegas residency because of ill health. At the time, she apologised to fans and reassured them that her condition was treatable.
She said she was responding well to medication and treatment and was improving every day, although it would take time before she was ready to return to performing on stage.
Parton had also previously addressed rumours about her health after speculation spread online. In October 2025, she shared a video message joking that she “ain’t dead yet” and told fans that she wanted them to hear directly from her that she was okay.
Family Confirms the News
But just days after her latest comments about her health, Parton's family confirmed the death of one of country music's most recognisable stars. Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced the news in a video posted to her Instagram account.
He described the moment as one of “absolute pride and great sadness”, revealing that Parton had asked him years ago to make the announcement when the time came. Seaver said the family’s sadness was “with us, not with Dolly”, adding that she had “lived in the light”.
He also paid tribute to the enormous influence she had on generations of musicians and fans around the world. Parton was best known for iconic songs including Jolene, 9 to 5 and I Will Always Love You, and enjoyed a career spanning almost six decades.
Her family said she had opened doors for “generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life”.
