Country music star and philanthropist Dolly Parton has died aged 80, her family has confirmed.
Parton’s nephew and long-time head of security, Brian Seaver, announced her death in a video statement released on her official Instagram account on Tuesday.
“My name is Brian Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean,” Seaver said.
He said the announcement video had been requested by Parton several years ago.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” Seaver said. “Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly. May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you.”
The family did not immediately disclose the cause of death.
Parton had cancelled a Las Vegas show in May 2026, saying she was undergoing treatment for kidney stones.
Born on January 19, 1946, in a small cabin in East Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of 12 children. She began performing on local television and radio in her early teens before moving to Nashville after graduating from high school in 1964.
During a career spanning more than six decades, Parton sold more than 100 million records worldwide and won 11 Grammy Awards. Her biggest hits include “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” the latter of which became an international hit after being recorded by Whitney Houston.
Parton also enjoyed a successful Hollywood career, starring in films including “9 to 5,” “Steel Magnolias” and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” In 1986, she launched Dollywood, a theme park near her hometown in Tennessee.
She was also widely recognised for her philanthropy. Through the Dollywood Foundation, she founded the Imagination Library, a programme that has distributed more than 300 million free books to children worldwide.
In 2020, Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University to support early research that contributed to the development of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Her husband of nearly six decades, Carl Dean, died in March 2025. The couple did not have children.