US country singer Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80. Her family announced the death on August 25, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Danish broadcaster DR reported the death on Tuesday evening, calling Parton the queen of country music. In its coverage, DR noted that the news was shared on the family’s behalf by Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver.
Reuters reports that the family confirmed the death in a statement, and that her publicist said she died peacefully in Nashville. Her career spanned close to six decades.
Statements from her team, cited by The Guardian and BBC live coverage, say she died after a brief battle with cancer. Both report that she died at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, surrounded by loved ones. The New York Times noted that no cause of death was given in the first announcement.
Parton’s official website has published a memorial page marking her dates as January 19, 1946, to August 25, 2026. It states that she died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee.
A catalog of more than 3,000 songs
According to DR, Parton leaves behind a catalog of more than 3,000 songs, including “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.” Her first album, “Hello, I’m Dolly,” was released in 1967, and her most recent, “Rockstar,” came in 2023. The BBC reports that she sold more than 100 million records.
DR notes that she performed in Copenhagen for the first time in the late 1970s. Guinness World Records honored her with a special Icon certificate in 2024, DR reports. That same year, Billboard named her the greatest country singer of all time.
Parton grew up in a small wooden cabin in Tennessee with 11 siblings, DR reports. She opened her own theme park, Dollywood, in Tennessee in 1986. DR, citing USA Today, reports that more than 4,000 people work there, and Forbes estimates her fortune at 450 million dollars.
She also donated repeatedly. DR reports that she gave one million dollars toward the development of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine in 2020, and another million dollars to relief work after Hurricane Helene in 2024. Her book gift program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, sends free books to children.
Health problems in August 2026
The Straits Times, citing her representatives and People magazine, reports that she was admitted to a cancer treatment facility on August 21, 2026. Reuters notes that she had recently told People she was dealing with unspecified health issues.
The family said the funeral will be a small, private service for immediate relatives, as reported by ABC7. Parton was married to Carl Dean for 60 years. He died in March 2025.
