Country icon Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80.The legendary singer-songwriter's nephew Bryan Seaver announced her death on Instagram Tuesday."I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now," Seaver stated in a video clip.“It is an honour, an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness.”"But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.”.As reported by People, Parton had shared an update on her health on Friday, acknowledging its recent decline following the death of her husband, Carl Dean, in March 2025.She also announced back in May 2026, that she was canceling a Las Vegas show and said she would be undergoing treatment for kidney stones she'd had issues with for several years, as reported by NBC News. “As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl. You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this," Parton told People. "Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so 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," Parton added."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’!""You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”Parton is the best-selling female country artist of all time, her career lasting decades, and she has sold more than 160 million albums worldwide.Her debut album, was released in 1967, Hello, I'm Dolly, and she went on to release well-known hits like I Will Always Love You, 9 to 5, and Jolene. .Parton was born into a poor family with 11 siblings in Pittman Center, Tennessee, in 1946. “We never actually starved, but sometimes we never had quite enough to eat,” she recalled, back in a 1977 interview.At six, she began playing guitar and singing in her grandfather's church, she began writing songs a year later.As for how she adopted her glam and put-together look Parton recalled in 2003, that growing up, "I had freckles and a gap in my teeth. Everything was homemade or hand-me-downs. . . . I always wanted to be prettier. I got to fixin’ myself up. I wanted my clothes tight, my makeup bright, my nails long, my lips red. I got into it.".She began her career after graduating from high school and moving to Nashville in 1964.While playing in clubs and writing songs for other artists, she recalled, “My songs got me out of the mountains and took me everywhere I’ve wanted to go.”She got her big break when country star Porter Wagoner hired her to be her sidekick on the Porter Wagoner Show, which later helped her land a record deal."My style is my soul and my feelings. I’ll tell the world in my songs what I wouldn’t have told my mother,” Parton said in 1975. .In a November 2025 interview with People, Parton added that she was at a point in her life where she hoped the good things she'd done could be carried on."I’m proud of my legacy so far, and I hope to just continue to do things that might be of use to other people," Parton stated. US President Donald Trump reacted to the news of Parton's passing, stating, "This was a true loss for millions of people.""There has never been anyone like her, and never will."He added he would be lowering the American flag throughout the country for one week, beginning Tuesday."Rest in peace, Dolly! The world loves you."
