The Latest: Dolly Parton, iconic singer and songwriter, dies at age 80
Aug 25, 2026, 12:26 PM
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dolly Parton, the iconic songwriter, singer and actor, has died. A statement from her publicist says she died peacefully Tuesday at the age of 80 in Nashville, Tennessee. Parton wrote and sang hundreds of songs, including classics like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You,” that totaled more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams. Tributes are pouring in for Parton, who was among the most beloved personalities in music — the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.
Here’s the Latest:
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis called her “a great example for us all.”
Actor and producer Seth MacFarlane worked with her on “The Orville” and said her “kindness, generosity, and authenticity were evident from moment one.”
Actor Patricia Heaton simply said: “What a gift. What a loss.”
Parton was more than a musician, actor, author, philanthropist, or theme-park entrepreneur.
She occupied a space in our global cultural imagination — a figure of American mythology, someone best described as larger than life — and then a little bit more. But from the very beginning, at the heart of everything she accomplished, she was a songwriter.
Selecting 11 songs across her many decades of recorded music is a fool’s errand, but there are some classics that stand above others, from 1968’s “Just Because I’m a Woman” through 2014’s “Blue Smoke.” Listen to all of the tracks on our Spotify playlist.
▶See the full list and the stories behind Parton’s songs.
Carl Dean, Parton’s devoted husband of nearly 60 years who avoided the spotlight and inspired her timeless hit “Jolene,” died in March 2025. He was 82.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy,” Parton wrote after his death.
Parton met Dean outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat the day she moved to Nashville at 18.
“I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me),” Parton said. “He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”
▶Read more from the AP’s obituary of Dean
Dolly’s angelic voice floated throughout her first gospel album in 1971 with songs like “I Believe,” “Lord Hold My Hand” and the title track, “Golden Streets of Glory.”
She told The Associated Press last year that the steadfast faith that inspired those hymns anchored her throughout her grief after the death of her husband, Carl Dean.
“I am a person of faith, and I truly believe that I’m going to see him again someday. And I see him every day in my memories and in my heart, and in all the things that we used to do and all the things that we’ve built together,” Parton said in 2025. “You just kind of have to learn to kind of make new plans — but that’s the hardest part.”
▶ Read more from the AP’s May 2025 interview with Parton
Sarah Trahern said, “few artists define Country Music better than the one-word, Dolly.”
The CMA executive recalled Parton was always the most professional in every setting, “often walking off the bus in heels and hair and makeup ready to go.”
She says Parton will be remembered for “the genuine difference she has made in people’s lives throughout the world. There will only ever be one Dolly.”
Parton earned nine CMA Awards across her career. Her first was awarded to her in 1968. She also received CMA’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
Dionne Warwick says her heart is heavy from the news that Dolly Parton has died.
“The Heavenly Father has made the decision to bring another of his children to him. Dolly a true child of God is in the best hands now,” Warwick said in a statement Tuesday.
“I will certainly miss her laughter, jokes and her being. Rest well and in total peace my friend.”
President Donald Trump in a statement on social media called Dolly Parton “one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond.”
“This is a true loss for millions of people,” Trump added. “There has never been anyone like her, and never will.”
Trump also said that he was ordering the lowering of U.S. flags throughout the country for a week period beginning on Tuesday evening.
Bryan Seaver, Parton’s nephew and head of security, said she opened doors for her family and for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life.
“By her example, we believed that anything was possible,” Seaver said in a video posted to X.
The nephew noted, “She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history.”
“The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden,” the singer posted on X.
“So glad she’s with her Carl Dean. No one talk to me today.”
Parton wrote hundreds of songs, including classics like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You.” All told, her songs totaled more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams.
Known for her curvy physique, massive blonde wigs and skin-tight outfits that served her self-deprecating wit, she was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond. Hers was a unique celebrity appeal that transcended generations, geography and politics.
Parton also was a successful businesswoman whose projects included a theme park in the Smoky Mountain foothills near her birthplace.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young shared a statement about the passing of the superstar, who was inducted into the hall in 1999.
“Dolly Parton’s legacy is not celebrity, but humanity,” Young said, calling her a “champion of equality and literacy.”
“She was a picture of dignity, even when dressed outrageously. Anyone who seeks to be more like Dolly is on the right track, but they’ll never get to the finish line. She came from poverty to become the most important native of Tennessee. She shared her fortunes for the good of all of us, and shared her soul in every note she sang.”
The beloved American music and film star was known for her vibrant personality and poignant songwriting. Her career spanned decades, with hits like “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.”
She was born in Tennessee and rose from humble beginnings to become a country music icon. Her ensuing partnership with Porter Wagoner helped launch her career, and she later became a successful actor and businesswoman.
Parton was also a philanthropist, founding her Imagination Library to promote children’s literacy. Her charm and humor made her a beloved figure across generations and political divides.
For millions of fans, she was simply “Dolly,” a mixture of Southern charm, humor and glamour. But she was also considered a feminist role model for holding the reins of her own career, writing her own songs, owning her content and looking after her finances in an entertainment world dominated by men.
Parton was open to making fun of herself; when she hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 1989 she told the writers that her only restrictions were she wouldn’t curse and she wouldn’t make fun of Jesus.
She regularly joked about her breasts or her dumb blonde appearance, but with a wink that she was the one controlling the laughs. In the memoir “My Life So Far,” Jane Fonda remembered Parton’s way with a wisecrack, “usually high raunch,” and a laugh that was “somewhere between a girl’s giggle, an explosive shriek, and a cascade of little bells.”
Producers tell The Associated Press that “as was Dolly’s wish, the Broadway production of ‘Dolly: A True Original Musical’ will begin previews on Dec. 7 at the St. James Theatre in New York City.”
Parton was writing new songs to go along with some of her past hits and co-writing the stage story, teaming up with Maria S. Schlatte on the story.
It won’t be the first time Parton’s music will be heard on Broadway.
A stage version of “9 to 5” landed in 2009 starring Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty and Allison Janney, and the 1993 Christmas special “Candles, Snow & Mistletoe” contained her song “With Bells On.”
In Sevierville, Tennessee, fans laid flowers at the base of a statue of the singer holding a guitar. Parton was born near Sevierville and she spoke proudly of her upbringing there.
In Nashville, fans lined up at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to write notes to the late singer, who is enshrined in hall. Outside the hall of fame, fans left yellow and pink flowers on another plaque dedicated to Parton.
Across the country in California, fans also placed flowers on Parton’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Tuesday afternoon. Someone also left a picture there of Parton with the caption, “Farewell to a beloved American icon.”
The digital library app Libby wrote on Facebook that Parton inspired generations of young readers through her Imagination Library, which provided free books to millions of kids around the world.
Parton created the program in honor of her father, who never learned to read or write.
“Dolly was a beloved artist and cultural icon, but perhaps just as importantly, she was a lifelong champion of literacy and the belief that everyone deserves access to books,” Libby wrote in the post.
Separately, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio and his wife, Fran, said she changed many lives through her efforts. Fran DeWine had worked with Parton to create one of the largest Imagination Library programs in the nation.
“Because of Dolly, millions of children around the country and the world are getting free books and learning how to read, which will, in many cases, change the trajectory of their lives,” Fran DeWine said.
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon also praised Parton, saying she “helped spark a lifelong love of reading” in generations of youth.
Throughout her career, Dolly Parton was embraced by the LGBTQ community. And for good reason: acceptance has long been a theme in her music.
Take, for example, “Family” on her 1991 album “Eagle When She Flies.” It’s a moving song about tolerance in which Parton sings: “Some are preachers, some are gay / Some are addicts, drunks and strays / But not a one is turned away / When it’s family.”
“I don’t condemn nor condone anything,” Parton once told The Associated Press regarding the song. “I just love and accept people where they are for who they are.”
On Tuesday, GLAAD’s President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis issued a statement paying tribute to Parton.
“Dolly Parton was not only the ‘Queen of Country Music’, but indeed the queen of inclusivity and philanthropy,” Ellie wrote. “Parton’s entire career was built on love and respect for all, and her unwavering allyship is a legacy that will last forever.”
A weather system brewing in the Atlantic Ocean off Africa could develop enough to become Tropical Storm Dolly sometime over the next few days. That’s according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Meteorologists at the center said Tuesday that the tropical wave south of the Cabo Verde Islands has about a 70% chance of becoming a tropical depression by Thursday. If it ultimately develops into a tropical storm — with sustained winds of at least 39 mph — it would likely be named ‘Dolly.’
The name isn’t a tribute to the queen of country, but rather the next name up on the World Meteorological Organization’s rotating list of potential Atlantic hurricane names. The alphabetized list repeats every six years, and names are only retired if they are used for a particularly deadly or destructive storm.
Known for dispensing folksy down-home wisdom, Parton was often quoted as saying, “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
Dollywood, the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, theme park established by Dolly Parton, is mourning the death of its “Dreamer-in-Chief.”
A statement released by the park said Parton’s wish was that “Dollywood always remain a place of joy, hope and togetherness — a space where families and friends could honor her memory, not with silence, but with laughter, music and shared dreams.”
The park, which was closed Tuesday, will open Wednesday as planned — “the show must go on,” the statement said.
“Dolly’s heart was as vast as the mountains she cherished, and her compassion knew no bounds. She inspired generations to dream boldly and love deeply. While we grieve her loss, we are honored and committed to carry her light forward,” Dollywood Parks & Resorts President Eugene Naughton said.
“Her legacy will continue to shine in every melody sung, every smile shared and every dream kindled within these gates,” he added.
For an entire generation of young girls, Dolly Parton was first introduced to them as “Aunt Dolly” on “Hannah Montana.”
Parton’s real-life role as Miley Cyrus’ honorary godmother was mirrored on the Disney Channel show, giving viewers a glimpse of the close bond they shared.
Over the years, that relationship extended beyond the screen and into music, with the two collaborating on songs including “Rainbowland” and “Wrecking Ball.”
