Dolly Parton, the country icon whose outsized voice, songwriting and unmistakable style made her one of the most beloved figures in popular music, has died at 80. The singer, songwriter and guitarist passed away in Nashville. No official cause of death has been issued at this time.
The “9 to 5” and “Jolene” singer’s death was announced by her family in a video message shared on her social media pages, bringing an end to a career that stretched across more than six decades and made Parton a cultural force far beyond country music.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” Bryan Seaver, Parton’s nephew, said in the video. “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.”
Seaver continued, “Dolly has lived in the light, and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by [her husband] Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.”
“She never saw a door she couldn't open, and the doors she opened made and changed history,” Seaver said. “My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you. She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD, and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family, whether you liked it or not.”
Seaver added that Parton requested to be laid 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,” he continued. “My God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you.”
Parton had spoken in recent days about health issues involving her compromised immune system and digestive problems. She said she had neglected her own health while caring for her husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025.
“I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” Parton told People on Friday, August 21. “It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” she added, recalling that she was “down for several months with female issues” in the early 1980s.
