Dolly Parton, the celebrated singer-songwriter, actor, and philanthropist whose many awards and accolades—including 11 Grammys, three Emmys, six Golden Globes, a Tony, and an honorary humanitarian Oscar—earned her the nickname “The Queen of Country,” has died at the age of 80. A cause of death has yet to be made public, but her nephew Bryan Seaver said in a statement on behalf of the Parton family that his aunt “died peacefully today in Nashville.”
“Hey, everyone. 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,” Seaver said in a video posted to her social media accounts. “Rebecca Parton Dean. Sister, sis, Aunt Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next. 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 until now. It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.”
“Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy,” Seaver continued. “He farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest. 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, who was born on January 19, 1946, as the fourth of 12 children, made no secret of coming from humble beginnings. Indeed, a replica of the one-bedroom log cabin in a remote part of the Great Smoky Mountains where she was raised was displayed at the music legend’s Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and her 1973 song “My Tennessee Mountain Home” paid tribute to her rural, close-knit upbringing.
Parton first performed musically as a child in the East Tennessee area, moving to Nashville to launch her music career after graduating high school in 1964. She reached number 24 on the country chart with her first country single, “Dumb Blonde,” three years later.
Parton signed with the RCA Victor record label in the late 1960s, finding success collaborating with fellow country musician Porter Wagoner and releasing some of her most iconic songs—including “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Two Doors Down,” and “Baby I’m Burning”—throughout the 1970s.
Parton’s Hollywood breakthrough began in earnest with her role in the 1980 film 9 to 5, in which she starred opposite Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The newly minted actor went on to receive a Golden Globe for her performance in the musical film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and two Oscar nominations for best original song for the films Beethoven’s 2nd and Transamerica. She also appeared alongside Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah, and Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias (1989). After Parton left RCA Victor to sign with Columbia Records in the late 1980s, she worked with artists including Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Cat Stevens, and Whitney Houston.
Parton was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, but that honor didn’t stop her from branching out into new genres; she would release her debut rock album, Rockstar, in 2023 and feature in Sabrina Carpenter’s hit song “Please Please Please” in 2025. Dolly: A True Original Musical, a show based on Parton’s life and songbook, is also due to begin performances on Broadway this December.
