Dolly Parton, Country Music Legend, Dead at 80

The world will always love Dolly Parton.

With a multi-faceted career spanning six decades, the country music legend broke down barriers for female entertainers and championed the causes close to her, all while wielding a personality as infectious as her hit songs like “Jolene” and “9 to 5.”

Indeed, Dolly left behind an incomparable legacy—not to mention a closet full of rhinestone-encrusted attire—when she died Aug. 25 at the age of 80, including a string of acting credits, bestselling books and, of course, a songbook that touched generations of fans.

Fans previously expressed concern about the singer’s health in October 2025 after her sister Freida Parton asked for prayers on her behalf. Days later, she set the record straight, assuring well-wishers she was merely undergoing “a few treatments here and there.”

“I want you to know that I’m OK,” she said in an Instagram video at the time. “I don’t think God is through with me, and I ain’t done working. So I love you for caring and keep praying for me.”

Born in rural Tennessee on Jan. 19, 1946, Dolly grew up as the fourth in a family of 12 children, honing her musical talents from a young age through appearances on local radio stations. With her heart set on performing, she moved to Nashville at age 18, taking little more than the values her parents instilled in her.