Dolly Parton Dies at 80: Country Music Icon and Beloved Legend Leaves Behind an Unforgettable Legacy
Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, her family announced Tuesday, August 25, in a video statement shared across her social media accounts.
The announcement was delivered by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, son of Parton’s sister Cassie Parton and the head of Parton’s security team for more than two decades, a role his own father held before him. “My name is Bryan 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, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” Seaver said in the video. No details about the cause of death were provided.
Seaver said the video was something Parton had personally asked him to prepare years in advance, adding that the weight of the request “only fully set in” as he recorded the message. He described her as someone who had opened doors “not just for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible,” and closed with a message echoing one of her most famous lyrics: “Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly — Aunt, Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you.”
Parton’s death comes several months after she announced in May 2026 that she was canceling a planned Las Vegas residency, revealing at the time that she had been undergoing treatment for kidney stones for several years. “My immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past couple three years, and they’re working [to fix it],” she said in a statement at the time, according to NBC News. She had largely stepped out of the public eye in the months since.
Her death also comes roughly a year and a half after the passing of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82. The two had kept their marriage largely private throughout Parton’s decades in the spotlight. “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years,” Parton wrote in a statement following his death.
Born January 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, Parton rose from poverty in the Smoky Mountains to become one of the most successful and beloved entertainers in American history. She is credited with writing more than 3,000 songs over her career, including “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene,” and became a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Beyond music, she built a career as a film and television star, businesswoman, and founder of the Dollywood theme park, while her philanthropic work through the Imagination Library provided free books to millions of children worldwide.
According to CNN’s live coverage, Parton’s family has announced that a small, private funeral service will be held for immediate family, per her wishes. Fans and well-wishers have been encouraged to share tributes on social media by tagging her official accounts or through her official website. Tributes have already begun pouring in from public figures, including Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, who wrote that Parton’s passing “leaves a void that no one can ever fill.”
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