Dolly Parton, the country music singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist whose career spanned more than six decades, has died at 80, her family announced Tuesday.
Parton’s nephew disclosed her death in an Instagram video, according to People. A cause of death was not immediately announced.
Born into a poor family in rural Tennessee in 1946, Parton moved to Nashville after high school and became one of country music’s most successful performers. Her best-known songs included “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” later turned into a worldwide hit by Whitney Houston.
Parton won 11 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She also starred in films including 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias.
Her Imagination Library distributed hundreds of millions of free books to children. Her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died in 2025.
