US country music legend Dolly Parton dies aged 80
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Dolly Parton grew up poor in Tennessee and became a household name with hits like Jolene.
PHOTO: AFP
- Dolly Parton, US country music legend, died at age 80; her family announced she is "in the arms of Jesus."
- She had a prolific 60-year career, writing 3,000 songs and releasing 49 studio albums, earning the title "queen of country music."
- Her family praised her for opening doors for many singers and inspiring generations; she had recent health issues and cancelled concerts in 2026.
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WASHINGTON - Dolly Parton, the American country music singer who rose from poverty in Tennessee to become a US cultural giant with hits like Jolene and 9 To 5, has died at 80, her family said on Aug 25.
“Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus,” her nephew Bryan Seaver said in a video on social media.
He said the multiple award-winning artist had “opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life.”
The family did not give a cause of death, but the singer-songwriter – also an actress, philanthropist and powerful businesswoman – had spoken about her recent ill health.
Her husband Carl Dean died in 2025.
Tributes quickly poured in for Parton, who won 10 Grammys and 13 Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards during her long career.
The ACM hailed her “unmistakable voice, unforgettable songs, generosity and larger-than-life spirit.”
“Her music will live on, carrying her voice and her story forward for generations to come,” it said.
The news sparked a rare moment of unity in a country often bitterly at odds over Donald Trump’s presidency, the war against Iran and cultural issues.
Trump ordered the lowering of American flags to half-staff across the United States for a week for Parton, calling her passing a “true loss for millions of people.”
“There has never been anyone like her, and never will,” Trump posted on his Truth Social network.
Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer wrote simply: “Rest in peace, Dolly Parton – a true legend and force for good. May her memory be a blessing.”
Lily Tomlin, Parton’s co-star in the 1980 film 9 To 5 posted a black and white picture of the two of them decades earlier, captioning it simply: “No words”.
A world ‘less sparkly’
Parton lived her entire adult life in the heart of Americana, folk and country music. The day after graduating from high school, she struck out for the country music capital Nashville.
By 1967, at age 21, she was among the most recognised figures in American music, having joined Porter Wagoner’s syndicated country music television show that broadcast her voice and face into millions of US homes.
During a prolific career that spanned six decades, Parton penned some 3,000 tunes.
They included Coat of Many Colors, the soundtrack smash hit 9 To 5 and the iconic ballad I Will Always Love You, which became an international success for Whitney Houston.
Releasing 49 studio albums and more than 100 compilation and collaboration albums, she earned the title of “queen of country music.”
“By her example, we believed that anything was possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history,” her nephew said.
Never one to downplay her striking looks, Parton essentially wrote the book on how a woman can rule the airwaves in a male-dominated industry, ultimately becoming an American treasure with songs covered by the likes of Shania Twain, Sinead O’Connor and the White Stripes.
“Instant Sainthood,” Jack White wrote on Instagram.
In 2025, Parton postponed a series of Las Vegas concerts, citing ongoing health concerns.
In May, she cancelled them altogether, sparking new fears.
In videos posted to her social media accounts, she said that while treatment for an unspecified illness was going well, she was not ready to perform.
Country star Kacey Musgraves took to X to mourn the passing of a legend.
“This really really hurts,” she wrote. “The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden.”
Actor, singer and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane wrote on X that “the world is a dimmer place without her.” AFP
