Country icon Dolly Parton dead at 80
Legendary country singer-songwriter, actress and activist Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80.
News broke Aug. 25 when her nephew Bryan Seaver posted a video on the singer’s Instagram account on behalf of the Parton family.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” said Seaver.
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The Country Music Hall of Fame member, known for timeless classics like “Jolene,” “Here You Come Again” and “9 to 5,” based on the titular movie in which she also starred, has amassed millions of fans from around the world since her career took off in the ’60s.
In Canada, Parton left a lasting legacy not just through her music or movies, but also through her activism and commitment to children’s literacy.
Parton announced a Canadian expansion of her Imagination Library in 2006, a charity that gifts young children with one free book every month. Since then, more than three million books have been gifted across Canada through more than 400 local community partners in every province and territory.
Alongside her long and celebrated career in music, Parton was also a devoted wife to Carl Thomas Dean, her husband of nearly 60 years. Dean, who largely stayed out of the public eye and rarely attended red carpet events with Parton, died in 2025 at the age of 82. Cause of death was never revealed publicly.
Dolly Parton and Carl Thomas Dean. dollyparton.com
While many fans believed the icon was in good health and wished she could live forever, Parton had quietly been dealing with health issues of her own.
Back in May, Parton cancelled a Las Vegas show and announced she’d been undergoing treatment for kidney stones for several years.
“Lord, they dig more stones out of me a year than the rock quarry in Rockwood, Tennessee,” Parton said on Instagram. She may have been feeling unwell, but she still managed to find the humour in it, showing once again why this country queen held such a special place in our hearts.
On Aug. 21, just four days before her own passing, Parton gave People Magazine an exclusive interview on her own health.
“I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she said.
Parton was to attend the grand opening of her SongTeller Hotel and Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville this September.
Parton’s family, which includes goddaughter pop star Miley Cyrus, has not yet released a cause of death; however, they did say she “died peacefully today in Nashville.”
“Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly, Aunt, Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you,” Seaver said at the end of the video.
This story is developing.