NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Country music legend Dolly Parton has died. She was 80.
Parton’s death was announced Tuesday by her publicist. No cause of death was provided. She had previously disclosed that she was dealing with health challenges.
Born into poverty in East Tennessee, Parton moved to Nashville the day after graduating from high school in 1964 to pursue a music career. Nashville would become central to her rise from aspiring songwriter to international superstar. She became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1969 and wrote and recorded enduring hits including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.”
Her impact extended well beyond music. According to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Parton launched the program in 1995, inspired by her father’s inability to read and write. What began by providing free books to young children in her home county in East Tennessee eventually expanded internationally and has distributed hundreds of millions of books.
Parton, who generally avoided partisan politics, also drew attention in 2020 for speaking publicly about racial equality. In an interview with Billboard, she expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement, saying, “Of course Black lives matter,” and questioning why anyone would think only white lives mattered.
Parton was also an actress, businesswoman and philanthropist whose career spanned more than six decades. Her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died in March 2025.
