Dolly Parton, the country music legend, actor, and philanthropist whose music and personality spanned generations, has died at the age of 80 in Nashville.
Her death was publicly confirmed by her nephew, Brian Seaver, in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it til now,” he said.
“Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly — Aunt, Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you” he concluded.
Born as one of 12 children in rural East Tennessee, Parton moved to Nashville after graduating high school in 1964 to pursue a music career. She rose from early songwriting work to become a global pop and country star, earning acclaim for hit songs such as “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “I Will Always Love You”. Over the course of her career, her catalog generated over 100 million sales worldwide.
Beyond her music, Parton expanded into film with starring roles in movies such as 9 to 5 (1980) and developed commercial ventures, including the Dollywood theme park in the Smoky Mountains. She was also widely known for her philanthropic efforts, which included funding regional disaster relief, supporting global literacy initiatives, and donating $1 million to vaccine research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Parton was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Dean, who died in 2025.