Country music legend Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, a little short of 18 months on from the death of her beloved husband of nearly six decades, Carl Dean. The singer-songwriter spent most of her life in the spotlight, and her nephew Bryan Seaver, son of her sister Cassie, confirmed the news of her death in an emotional Instagram post on the star's official page.
A career that began in childhood
Parton first landed a regular spot performing on the highly popular The Cas Walker Show on both WIVK Radio and WBIR-TV at the age of ten. By her mid-20s she was a superstar, having landed a slot on The Porter Wagoner Show at the age of 21 in 1967.
She would leave the show in 1974 and go on to enjoy massive solo success until the day she died. Her hits include I Will Always Love You, Jolene and the infamous "9 to 5."
Life in pictures
Express.co.uk takes a look back at her life in pictures, from a fresh-faced farm girl to a country music icon.
In 1955, at nine years old, Dolly was pictured just a year before she would become a regular singer on local radio. By the time she was 19 in 1965, she was already a respected name in the business, and just two years later she would get her big break.
In 1967, at the age of 21, Dolly got her big break when she was signed up for The Porter Wagoner Show. The pair enjoyed great success together, but she would leave to go solo in 1974, writing I Will Always Love You for him before she left.
Having released I Will Always Love You in 1974, Dolly's solo career got off to a flying start in 1975. Tributes have flooded in for the legend following the news of her death.
