By
Chy okeke

Country music icon Dolly Parton has passed away at 80, according to reports from The Independent, The Guardian, and Sky News.

Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced the news on Instagram Tuesday.

“I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now. It is an honour, an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness,” Seaver wrote.

In response, US President Donald Trump directed that American flags be flown at half-staff nationwide for one week.
“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away. This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will,” Trump posted on Truth Social, a message later shared by the White House on X.

A Life From Humble Beginnings to Global Stardom
Born January 19, 1946, in a two-room cabin in Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of 12 children. Her family was poor, but she credited her mother for her love of folk music and her father for teaching her hard work.

She started performing young — on local radio and TV by 13, at the Grand Ole Opry, and with her first single “Puppy Love.” A day after high school graduation in 1964, she moved to Nashville to write songs.

Her 1967 debut album Hello, I’m Dolly and her time on The Porter Wagoner Show launched her career. She later split professionally from Wagoner in 1973 and penned “I Will Always Love You” about it. The ballad became a worldwide hit, later covered by Whitney Houston for The Bodyguard.

She also wrote “Jolene,” featured on her 1974 album of the same name, which pushed her beyond country audiences. Her 1977 album Here You Come Again sold a million copies and won her a Grammy.

Music, Film, and Business
Parton sold over 100 million records globally, wrote more than 3,000 songs, and won 11 Grammys. She earned the nickname “Queen of Country.”

She transitioned to film with 9 to 5 in 1980 alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, also writing the Oscar-nominated title track. Other roles followed in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias, and Joyful Noise.

Off stage, she built Dollywood in Tennessee in 1986 and a brand that included TV specials and food products.

Philanthropy and Final Years
Parton was widely known for giving back. Through Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library she promoted childhood literacy. She also donated $1 million to COVID-19 vaccine research and supported disaster relief and medical causes. In 2022 she received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.

“I just give from my heart. I see a need and if I can fill it, then I will,” she said at the time.

Health issues surfaced in September 2025 when she postponed her Las Vegas residency and pulled back from public events.

She died months after her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who passed away in March 2025 at 82. They married in 1966.