Country music star Dolly Parton dies aged 80

American country music star Dolly Parton has died in Nashville aged 80.

The Tennessee-born musician, actress and philanthropist leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of country music, film and television acting and philanthropy spanning seven decades.

Labelled the ‘Queen of Country Music’, Parton was well-known for classic hits such as Jolene, I Will Always Love You and 9 to 5. Parton has received multiple accolades, such as 11 Grammy Awards, including the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and inductions into various Halls of Fame.

A representative for the country star confirmed that Parton died at Nashville’s Vanderbilt-Ingram Centre after a brief battle with cancer.

Her nephew Bryan Seaver made the announcement via a statement shared on her social media channels, stating that his “family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you.”

“She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD, and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family, whether you liked it or not.”

During her career, Parton co-created and co-owned Dollywood, a theme park celebrating her life and career, founded the Dollywood Foundation to reduce school dropout rates in the Tennessee area where she grew up and launched the Imagination Library, which gives free books to children across the US every month until they reach age five.

In 2026, Parton opened a custom-themed truck stop and rest plaza called Dolly’s Tennessan Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee, in June and released her final memoir, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage, in November 2025.

RIP Dolly Parton (1946 – 2026)