Singer Dolly Parton, dubbed the “Queen of Country,” has died in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 80. Her nephew, Brian Seaver, said the cause of death was not disclosed. US President Donald Trump ordered flags in the country to be lowered to half-staff in connection with the singer's death. Read about how Parton became one of the most recognizable American singers, what legacy she left behind and why it went far beyond music.
Parton's career lasted more than 60 years, during which time she received 10 Grammy awards, sold over 100 million copies of records worldwide, and also succeeded in film and built her own business empire, writes ABC News. Among the singer's most famous hits are Jolene, 9 to 5 and I Will Always Love You.
A message from Parton's family, read by her nephew, was published on the singer's official Instagram page on Wednesday.
“Dolly opened doors not only for me, but for her entire family, allowing us to discover opportunities we never knew existed. Dolly opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every continent. Through her example, we believed that anything is possible,” Sievers said.
Last September, Parton told fans that she was faced with “health problems” and, on the recommendation of doctors, had to undergo several medical procedures, but she did not give an exact diagnosis. Six months later, at an event, the singer said that she was still recovering from “several minor health problems.”
Just ten days before her death, Parton canceled a planned appearance at the opening of a new attraction at her Dollywood theme park in Tennessee.
“I already told all my fans that I had minor health problems. Sometimes I feel dizzy, sometimes I get dehydrated,” Parton shared in a video message shown in the park.
US President Donald Trump called Parton “one of the greatest country singers ever” and ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of her death.
“It is with great sadness that I announce that Dolly Parton, one of the country's greatest country singers and, without exaggeration, one of the greatest singers of all time, has passed away. This is a real loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her and there never will be again. In her honor, I have ordered American flags throughout the United States to be flown at half-staff for one week, beginning today at 6:00 p.m.,” Trump wrote.
Dolly Parton was born in 1946 into a large family in the small settlement of Pitman Center in Tennessee. Out of dire need, her mother sewed clothes for her children from scraps – an experience that later became the basis for one of the singer's most famous early songs, Coat of Many Colors.
Parton's musical career began as a child. At first she sang on local radio, and at the age of 13 she released her first single, Puppy Love, notes Variety. Dolly began creating her signature look—voluminous blonde hair, bright outfits, and bold makeup—as a teenager.
In 1965, the singer signed a contract with Monument Records. Several of her compositions reached the top 20 of Billboard magazine's country charts, but her real breakthrough came in 1967, when Parton began performing with Porter Wagoner. Parton quickly won the love of the audience thanks to weekly episodes of her partner's television show. One of the duo's main successes was the song Please Don't Stop Loving Me, released in 1974, which topped the country chart.
By the mid-1970s, Parton had already established herself as an independent performer: by that time she had released Joshua, Coat of Many Colors, Touch Your Woman, My Tennessee Mountain Home and Jolene. In 1974, the singer left the duo, and as a farewell to her partner she wrote the song I Will Always Love You. Parton recorded this composition several times, but the song gained worldwide popularity when performed by Whitney Houston.
Over the course of her career, Parton has reached No. 1 on the Billboard country charts 25 times and has released nearly 50 solo albums in genres ranging from pop and bluegrass to rock.
Parton also achieved success in films – Parton's first major role was in the 1980 comedy Nine to Five, where she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. If you do not take into account cameos, the singer played in a total of eight full-length films.
At the same time, Parton developed her own business. In 1986, she purchased an interest in a small theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near her hometown. The park was named Dollywood, and for its development and implementation of other projects, the singer created The Dollywood Company. Over time, the business expanded to operate amusement parks, restaurants and tourist attractions in Tennessee, Missouri, Florida and South Carolina. In June 2025, Forbes estimated her fortune at approximately $450 million, and she took 78th place in the ranking of the richest women in the United States.
The singer is also known for her charitable projects. Through the non-profit Dollywood Foundation, the singer, sometimes called “Saint Dolly” by fans, supported educational programs, provided scholarships and financial assistance to those in need. Founded in 1995, the Imagination Library program has distributed nearly 308 million free books to children in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia.
Parton has been married once, to Carl Dean, whom she met the day after moving to Nashville at age 18. They lived together for more than 60 years. Dean died in March 2025.
