American country music star Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80. Her death in Nashville was announced Tuesday by her nephew, Bryan Seaver.
DR reports, citing Ritzau, that Seaver confirmed the death in a statement on behalf of the family. Parton became world famous for songs such as “Jolene”, “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You”. According to DR, she received 11 Grammy Awards during her career.
DR notes that Parton grew up in modest circumstances in Tennessee. At the age of 18 she moved to Nashville to pursue a career as a country singer. By 2023 she had written around 3,000 songs and sold more than 100 million records worldwide, per DR.
Her publicist, Marcel Pariseau, said Parton died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville after facing a brief battle with cancer. That statement was reported by USA Today and CNN, which added that she was surrounded by loved ones.
Announced in a family video
The New York Times reports that the death was first made public in a video posted on Parton’s social media accounts. In it, Seaver identified himself as the son of Cassie Parton and spoke for the Parton and Owens family. As reported by The Guardian, the family said she had “lived in the light” and was now “in the arms of Jesus”.
CNN reports that the family said Parton died peacefully in Nashville. A small, private service will be held for close family in accordance with her wishes, according to the same coverage. The Guardian noted that the family also asked for privacy.
Reuters and the Los Angeles Times report that Parton had spoken publicly about health problems in recent months. She had postponed some performances because of those issues. Reuters also notes that she continued working and performing well into her late 70s.
DR’s archive material documents a career that stretched across music, film and stage. Parton performed several times outside the United States, including in Copenhagen, and she played the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival in England in 2014. She starred alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda in the 1980 film “9 to 5” and sang its title song.
According to DR, Parton received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the Country Music Association Awards in Nashville in 2016. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, although she had said she primarily saw herself as a country musician. In 2019 she performed “Jolene” with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus at the Grammy Awards.
