Dolly Parton died Tuesday, Aug. 25, at age 80 after being diagnosed with cancer, according to representatives for the country music star.
Her team said Parton had been dealing with cancer for a short period before her death. They did not say what type she had. Parton died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, where she had been admitted on Friday, Aug. 21.
Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced the death in a video posted to Instagram the same day. Seaver said he was speaking for the Parton and Owens families and explained that Parton had asked him years earlier to make the announcement when the time came.
Seaver had worked as Parton’s head of security for more than 20 years. His father, Larry, held the role before him. In the video, Seaver said he had thought about what the moment would be like for years, but the reality of it was still difficult.
Parton’s representatives also focused on the work she did outside of music. Her Imagination Library gave books to children, and she also helped support medical research. Her team described generosity as a major part of her life.
Parton had experienced other health problems before her death. She had been dealing with kidney and autoimmune issues, and health concerns had caused her to miss or delay some public appearances.
Just days before she died, Parton spoke about those problems. She said she had not paid enough attention to her own health while caring for her husband, Carl Dean. She also said she had gone through difficult health periods before, including problems in the early 1980s.
Even with those issues, Parton said she was still working and had more projects she wanted to finish. She talked about how social media had increased attention around her health in a way that did not happen earlier in her career.
Her music career began in the 1960s. She released her first album, “Hello, I’m Dolly,” in 1967 and later became one of country music’s biggest-selling performers. Her songs included “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You.”
Parton grew up in Tennessee as one of 12 children. She first performed in church and later sang on local television. At 13, she appeared at the Grand Ole Opry. After finishing high school in 1964, she moved to Nashville and continued writing and recording music.
Her career later expanded into movies, books and business. She appeared in films including “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias,” and Dollywood became one of the projects most closely tied to her name.
Parton’s husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025 after nearly 60 years of marriage. He mostly stayed away from public attention during their life together, though Parton often said he supported her career from behind the scenes.
In the months before her own death, Parton continued working while dealing with health problems. A stage production based on her life, “DOLLY: A True Original Musical,” was scheduled to open Jan. 19, which would have been her 81st birthday.
Image is in the public domain and was created by RCA Records.
