United States singer, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist, Dolly Parton, has died at the age of 80.
Parton, who was known for hit songs including “Jolene” and “Coat of Many Colors,” died on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
Her death was announced by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, in a video shared on social media.
“Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus,” Seaver said.
He described Parton as a multiple award-winning singer who had “opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life.”
The family did not disclose the cause of her death.
However, Parton had spoken publicly in recent months about her health, including her decision to cancel a series of planned Las Vegas concerts in May because of ongoing health concerns.
In videos shared on her social media accounts, Parton said that treatment for an unspecified illness was going well, but that she was not ready to return to the stage.
Parton’s death comes a year after the death of her husband, Carl Dean.
United States President Donald Trump ordered American flags to be lowered to half-staff across the United States for a week in honour of Parton, describing her death as a “true loss for millions of people.”
“There has never been anyone like her, and never will,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Parton spent her entire adult life at the centre of Americana, folk and country music, building a career that spanned six decades.
The day after graduating from high school, she moved to Nashville, the country music capital, to pursue a career in music.
By 1967, at the age of 21, Parton had become one of the most recognised figures in American music after joining Porter Wagoner’s syndicated country music television show.
The programme helped take her voice and image into millions of homes across the United States and marked a major stage in the development of her career.
Over the course of her six-decade career, Parton was prolific as a songwriter, penning about 3,000 songs.
Among her best-known works were the soundtrack hit “9 to 5,” “Islands In the Stream” and the iconic ballad “I Will Always Love You,” which later became an international success for Whitney Houston.
Parton released 49 studio albums as well as more than 100 compilation and collaboration albums during her career, earning her the title of the “queen of country music.”
Her influence extended beyond her own recordings, with her songs being covered by several prominent artists, including Shania Twain, Sinead O’Connor and the White Stripes.
Through her music and career, Parton became one of the most enduring figures in American popular culture, establishing herself as an American treasure whose work influenced generations of singers, songwriters and musicians.
