Cinema VinesUS country music icon Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, her family announced on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. The singer‑songwriter, who rose from a modest upbringing in Tennessee to become a household name with hits such as “Jolene” and “Coat of Many Colors,” left a legacy that spanned six decades of songwriting, recording and philanthropy.
Parton’s nephew posted a video on social media in which he said, “Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus,” adding that the artist had “opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life.” He also noted that she had spoken publicly about her recent ill health, though the family did not disclose a specific cause of death. The singer’s husband, Carl Dean, had passed away the previous year.
In May, Parton announced the cancellation of a series of Las Vegas concerts, citing ongoing health concerns. She posted on her own social‑media accounts that while treatment for an unspecified illness was progressing, she was not yet ready to perform on stage.
During her prolific career, Parton wrote roughly 3,000 songs, including the ballad “I Will Always Love You,” which became an international hit for Whitney Houston. She released 49 studio albums and more than 100 compilation and collaboration albums, earning her the title “queen of country music.” Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, remarked that “by her example, we believed that anything was possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history.”
