Dolly Parton, Country Music Icon Behind “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” Dies at 80

Dolly Parton, the singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman whose music made her one of the most beloved figures in American entertainment, has died. She was 80.

Parton died in Nashville on Tuesday, August 25. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced the news in a video shared on her social media accounts on behalf of the Parton and Owens families. A cause of death has not been disclosed. Reuters confirmed her death.

The announcement came only four days after Parton spoke publicly about the health problems she had been facing. She said she had neglected some of her own medical needs while caring for her husband, Carl Dean, before his death in March 2025. Despite those difficulties, she remained focused on the projects she hoped to complete.

“I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life,” she told People on August 21.

Parton had experienced health concerns over the previous year and postponed several professional commitments. She had also canceled a planned Las Vegas residency while receiving treatment. Still, she continued working on music, business projects and Dolly: A True Original Musical, the Broadway production based on her life and songs.

Born Dolly Rebecca Parton on January 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, she was one of 12 children raised by Robert Lee Parton and Avie Lee Owens. The family had little money, and Parton frequently wrote about those early years, particularly in songs such as “Coat of Many Colors.”

Music was part of her life from an early age. She performed in church, appeared on local radio and television programs and recorded her first song while still a child. The day after graduating from high school, she left for Nashville with the intention of becoming a professional songwriter.

Her first major success came through songwriting, but it did not take long for audiences to recognize her as a performer. In 1967, she joined Porter Wagoner’s television program and became his regular singing partner. Their professional relationship introduced her to a wider country audience, although Parton eventually wanted greater control over her own career.

When she decided to leave Wagoner’s show, she expressed her feelings through “I Will Always Love You.” Parton’s original recording reached No. 1 on the country chart in 1974 and did so again when she recorded a new version in 1982.

The song found another audience in 1992 when Whitney Houston recorded it for The Bodyguard. Houston’s performance became one of the biggest selling singles in music history and introduced Parton’s songwriting to millions of listeners who may not have known the original country version.

Parton’s catalog also included “Jolene,” “Here You Come Again,” “Two Doors Down,” “Islands in the Stream,” “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That” and “9 to 5.” Her songs were often direct and conversational, filled with details about love, poverty, work, faith and family.

Although country music remained at the center of her career, Parton never allowed the expectations of one genre to limit her. She recorded pop, gospel, bluegrass and rock music, collaborating with performers from several generations.

Her work earned her 11 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022 after initially expressing doubts that she belonged there. She later embraced the honor and released the rock album Rockstar.

Parton also found success in film. She made her movie debut alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the 1980 comedy 9 to 5, playing a secretary who joins her colleagues in taking revenge on their abusive boss. She wrote and performed the movie’s title song, which became another of her signature recordings.

Her other film roles included The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk. Her humor and personality translated easily to the screen, helping her build an audience far beyond country radio.

Parton’s public image was colorful and carefully planned. She openly joked about her wigs, makeup, clothes and cosmetic procedures, but she was equally serious about songwriting and business. She often used humor to respond to people who underestimated her, making it clear that the glamorous appearance was part of a persona she had created and controlled.

That business sense led to Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park that became one of the state’s leading tourist destinations and a major employer in the region. Parton continued investing in the area where she grew up through attractions, resorts and charitable programs.

Her philanthropy became as important to many people as her music. In 1995, she founded Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides free books to children from birth until age five. The program expanded from East Tennessee to communities in the United States and several other countries, distributing millions of books each month.

She also supported education, disaster relief and medical research. In 2020, Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for research that contributed to the development of Moderna’s COVID vaccine.

Away from the stage, Parton shared nearly six decades of marriage with Carl Dean. The couple met outside a Nashville laundromat shortly after her arrival in the city and married in 1966. Dean avoided public attention throughout their marriage, but Parton frequently described him as an essential source of love and support.

After his death at age 82, she released “If You Hadn’t Been There,” a song thanking him for the life they shared.

Parton wrote an estimated 3,000 songs during her career and sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Yet her popularity was never based on numbers alone. Fans responded to the warmth, humor and honesty she brought to both her music and her public life.

Her family plans to hold a private service. They have asked fans who wish to honor her to contribute to the Imagination Library instead of sending flowers. People reported that the family has also invited the public to share memories of Parton online.

Her songs, films and charitable programs leave behind a legacy that reaches far beyond country music. For generations of listeners, Dolly Parton was not simply a famous singer. She was someone whose talent, generosity and sense of humor made people feel that they knew her.