Dolly Parton, one of country music’s biggest stars and an icon of American pop culture, died on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at her home in Nashville. She was 80. The news was announced in a special video message by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who for more than two decades served as head of her security.
The family said Parton died peacefully. The cause of death has not been disclosed. In recent years the singer had struggled with health problems. In 2025 she cancelled Las Vegas performances, and in May 2026 she again had to cancel shows. Just a few days before her death, she spoke about problems with her immune and digestive systems.
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, into a poor family in Locust Ridge, Tennessee. She grew up in a one-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains. As a child she was already writing songs and performing locally. In 1964 she moved to Nashville. A breakthrough came with her work alongside Porter Wagoner in the second half of the 1960s. In 1974 she wrote “I Will Always Love You,” a song that later became a worldwide hit in Whitney Houston’s version.
Her biggest hits include “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5” and “Here You Come Again.” She sold more than 100 million records, won 11 Grammy Awards (including one for lifetime achievement), and was nominated for Oscars and Emmys. She appeared in films, ran her own theme park, Dollywood, and was widely active in philanthropy, including supporting children’s education and fighting illiteracy through the Imagination Library. She was also godmother to Miley Cyrus.
Parton was known for her distinctive look, her sense of humor and her ability to bring people together across political divides. Her husband, Carl Dean, died in 2025. The couple had been together since the mid-1960s.
US President Donald Trump announced that flags across the United States will be lowered for one week as a sign of mourning. The funeral is to be private.
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