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The family of Dolly Parton on Tuesday announced that the country music icon had passed away at the age of 80.
Dolly Parton, beloved country music singer, actress, and philanthropist, died on Tuesday. She was 80 years old.
Her family confirmed her death via X.
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Dolly Parton dies at 80, family confirms
What they're saying:
"I have imagined the heaviness of this moment, but haven't truly felt it until now," Dolly's nephew Bryan Seaver said in the video post. "Dolly has lived 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."
"I first went on the road with Dolly as a kid, getting a taste of the road life in the early 1980s. Dolly opened doors, not just for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn't even know was possible," he added. "Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent. By her example, we believed anything was possible."
He added, "She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history. 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. Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever."
RELATED: Dolly Parton: Fellow singers, actors, and elected officials remember the global superstar
Check out the gallery to see photos throughout Parton's career.
FILE - American singer and songwriter Dolly Parton poses for a portrait with her guitar at Dollywood circa 1993 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. (Photo by Ron Davis/Getty Images) Dolly Parton attends the 58th Academy Of Country Music Awards at The Ford Center at The Star on May 11, 2023 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage) Dolly Parton performs during halftime in the game between the Washington Commanders and the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) Dolly Parton attends the opening of Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum's new exhibit 'Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker' at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on May 19, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images) Dolly Parton With Porter Wagoner Former duet partners, American singer-songwriter, actress, and businesswoman Dolly Parton and American country music singer Porter Wagoner (1927-2007), sing on stage circa 1990's at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Ron Davis/Getty Images) American Country musician Dolly Parton and comedian John Belushi (1949 - 1982) hug as they pose together at the Windows on the World restaurant (on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center), New York, New York, May 14, 1977. The event was an after party following Parton's performance at the Bottom Line. (Photo by Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images) American Country musicians Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers (1938 - 2020) perform together onstage at Brendan Byrne Arena (later Meadowlands Arena), East Rutherford, New Jersey, October 20, 1988. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images) American Country musician Dolly Parton and Pop artist Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987) together at the Windows on the World restaurant, New York, New York, May 14, 1977. The event was an after party following Parton's performance at the Bottom Line. (Photo by Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images) Singer and Actress Dolly Parton poses for a portrait in October 1989 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images) Country Music Legend Dolly Parton with Jack Boden (and parents L) and Jake and Josh Devey (and parents (R) at the press launch for Dolly's Imagination Library and European 'Backwoods Barbie 2008 Tour' at The Savoy Hotel on December 4, 2007 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Davies/Getty Images) Country and western superstar singer Dolly Parton meets young children at the Magna Science And Adventure Park on December 5, 2007 in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. Dolly Parton honoured the former steelworks town to be the first European location to participate in her 'Imagination Library' literacy scheme. The charitable programme, which she launched in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee in 1996, encourages young children to discover the joys of reading, with every participating pre-school age child being sent a free book every month. (Photo by Pool/Getty Images) American singer, songwriter and actress Dolly Parton, performs with a guitar, 1976. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns) Dolly Parton at the Mill Run Theater in Niles, Illinois, August 29, 1977. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) Steel Magnolias actresses Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Shirley MacClaine, Dolly Parton, and Daryl Hannah pose for a portrait in October 1989 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images) Country singers and collaborators Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton pose for a portrait with their back up band, "The Wagonmasters", in circa 1968. Mr. Wagoner is wearing a Nudie Suit designed by Nudie Cohn of Nudie's Rodeo Tailors. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Dolly Parton 1977 during Dolly Parton File Photos in London, California. (Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage) Country singer Dolly Parton poses for a portrait session in 1978 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry Langdon/Getty Images) DECEMBER 1980: Country singer Dolly Parton acts in a scene from the movie "9 to 5" which was released on December 19, 1980. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) FILE - Side by side image of country singer Dolly Parton poses for a portrait in 1965 in Nashville, Tennessee, and Dolly Parton poses for a portrait in circa 1955 in Tennessee. (Getty Images) FILE - Country singer Dolly Parton performs onstage wearing a yellow dress, circa 1975, Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) FILE - Photo of Dolly PARTON (Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns) FILE - Singer Dolly Parton arrives for the 58th Academy of Country Music awards at The Ford Center at The Star on May 11, 2023 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Omar Vega/FilmMagic) FILE - Portrait of, from left, Australian-American film director Colin Higgins (1941 - 1988), and American actors Jane Fonda (fore), Lily Tomlin (in checked blazer), and Dolly Parton on the set of the film '9 to 5' (also known as 'Nine to Five,' directed Higgins), Los Angeles, California, 1979. (Photo by Steve Schapiro/Corbis via Getty Images) Dolly Parton speaks onstage during Kicking Off CMA Fest: A Special Conversation With Dolly Parton Hosted By Rachel Smith at Music City Center on June 06, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Credit: Terry Wyatt/WireImage) Dolly Parton speaks onstage at Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs In Symphony World Premiere at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on March 20, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images) FILE - Dolly Parton (L) and Miley Cyrus perform onstage during the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on Feb. 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) RELATED: Flags to fly at half-staff for Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton’s legacy
The backstory:
Born on January 19, 1946, iconic country music star Dolly Parton launched her music career shortly after moving to Nashville in 1964, following early childhood TV and Grand Ole Opry appearances.
After her 1967 debut album Hello, I’m Dolly, she rose to massive fame throughout the 1970s and 1980s with timeless hits like "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You," while expanding into acting with films like "9 to 5" and "Steel Magnolias."
Beyond her musical success—which includes multiple Grammys, a Lifetime Achievement Award, a 2022 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and a 2023 rock album — she built a multi-million-dollar empire with her Dollywood theme park and established herself as a dedicated philanthropist through her Imagination Library and a $1 million contribution toward the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Married to Carl Dean for nearly six decades until his passing in March 2025, Parton remained an active creative force before her death, continuously developing new projects, including a Broadway stage musical based on her life.
RELATED: Dolly Parton: Fellow singers, actors, and elected officials remember the global superstar
The Source: Information for this article was taken from reporting by LiveNOW from FOX and The Associated Press.