Chronicle: Dolly Parton Dies At 80

Country Music Hall of Famer Dolly Parton passed away today (8/25) in Nashville at the age of 80. Born Dolly Rebecca Parton on Jan. 19, 1946, she went on to become a prolific singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist and businesswoman with a career spanning nearly 60 years.

After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton released her debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, in 1967 leading to success throughout the remainder of the 1960s, both as a solo artist and with a series of duet albums with Porter Wagoner. Parton has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, including 44 career Top 10 country albums and 110 charted singles. She has composed more than 3,000 songs, and her catalog of hits includes “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene,” “Coat Of Many Colors,” “Here You Come Again” and “Why’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That.” In addition to her work with Wagoner, Parton charted hit duets with Willie Nelson (“Everything’s Beautiful [In Its Own Way]”), Smokey Robinson (“I Know You By Heart”), Ricky Van Shelton (“Rockin’ Years”) and Kenny Rogers (“The Greatest Gift Of All,” “Real Love,” “Christmas Without You,” “I Believe In Santa Claus” and “Islands In The Stream”). 

She also collaborated with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt on the Trio album; with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette on the Honky Tonk Angels project; and released “Romeo” with Billy Ray Cyrus, Tanya Tucker, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kathy Mattea and Pam Tillis. Many of her songs saw crossover success on the pop charts, as well. 

As an actress, Parton can be seen in 9 To 5, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk. Parton also co-owned Sandollar Productions, which produced her Academy Award winning documentary Common Threads: Stories From The Quilt (1989) as well as the television series “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003) and feature films Father Of The Bride and Father Of The Bride: Part II, among others.

She owns The Dollywood Company, which manages a number of entertainment venues, including the Dollywood theme park and Splash Country water park. Parton also found a number of charitable organizations, chief of which is the Dollywood Foundation, which manages a number of projects to bring educations and poverty relief to her native East Tennessee, and the Imagination Library, which provides free books for children from birth to age five.

Parton has earned 50 Grammy nominations and won 11 Grammys, including the Lifetime Achievement Award; 10 CMA Awards, including being one of only seven women to take home the organization’s Entertainer of the Year trophy; five ACM Awards; four People’s Choice Awards; three American Music Awards; and 48 BMI Awards.

Parton has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1969, and is a 1999 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

****   USE the Playlist play control 2nd left from top of the screen to see the playlisted tracks and select one to play from the drop down menu  ***  👇

Parton was named to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001, is a 2008 Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame inductee, and a 2022 inductee to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. She received the Library Of Congress Living Legend Award in 2004 and the National Medal of Arts in 2005, the same year the CRB presented her with the Artist Career Achievement Award. 

Parton was recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006, and three of her compositions – “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene” and “Coat Of Many Colors” – were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007, 2014 and 2019, respectively. Read Parton’s complete biography via the Country Music Hall of Fame here. A small, private service is being planned for immediate family. In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

TRIBUTES:

Dolly Parton, one of the most iconic and beloved artists in Country Music history, has passed away today, August 25, 2026. She was 80. We are heartbroken at the loss of a Country icon. Her impact around the world will be felt for generations to come.
"At the end of the day, few artists define Country Music better than the one-word, Dolly. Over her decades-long career, I worked with her on a number of programs. She was always the most professional in every setting, often walking off the bus in heels and hair and makeup ready to go, before expected and before the cast and crew. However, along with the music, our biggest loss today is her work as a philanthropist and the genuine difference she has made in people’s lives throughout the world. There will only ever be one Dolly.” 
– Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association CEO

“The last thing Dolly said to me was, “Bill Anderson - I Will Always Love You.” She was looking me in the eye from the giant video screen in the Grand Ole Opry House on the Occasion of my 65th Opry anniversary a few weeks ago. She was Smiling as only Dolly could, making my night even more special than it already was. The news of her passing has rocked my world, but as we sang together back in 2023, “Someday It'll All Make Sense." - Bill Anderson

I’ve said often in my life, “What will the world be without Dolly?” From the time I was a little girl, I wanted to be just like her. At 15 years old, my family uprooted their lives so I could start chasing my dreams, working in the country show at Dollywood. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of not only working with Dolly, but getting to know her. She was exactly who we all hoped she would be — kind, funny, gracious, and one of a kind. Heaven got a whole lot sassier, funnier, and brighter today. I will do my part as a woman in country music to continue carrying the light she shined so brightly for all of us. I love you, Dolly. 🦋 - forever your little Dollywood girl – Carly Pearce

Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side. Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you. We will remember and cherish every memory and every note you ever played and sang. Thank you, Lord, for Dolly. She’s gonna have a blast in heaven singing all her favorite songs with all her family and friends who have gone on before her. I’ll never forget the first time I met you and I’ll never forget our last conversation. I hold it with love in my heart. I will always love you, - Reba McEntire

The Academy is deeply saddened by the passing of Dolly Parton. She leaves behind a legacy that reaches far beyond the stage. Through her unmistakable voice, unforgettable songs, generosity and larger-than-life spirit, she touched generations and made the world a little brighter. A member of the Country 
Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry, Dolly was a 14-time ACM Award recipient and

three-time host of the ACM Awards. She gave us some of country music’s most enduring songs and moments, and at this year’s ACM Honors, she was honored with the ACM Poet’s Award — a beautiful recognition of the songwriter whose words became a part of so many lives. As we look back on these ACM moments, we’re reminded of the incredible mark Dolly left on country music and on all those who grew up with her songs. Her music will live on, carrying her voice and her story forward for generations to come. - ACM Awards

Dolly Parton, the beloved global entertainment icon who sold more than 100 million records and whose songwriting prowess and sure-handed approach to her career reshaped the face of country music, popular music, and the entertainment industry at large, has died. - Rolling Stone

The Library is devastated to learn of the passing of Dolly Parton, a music legend and titan of children's literacy. Her Imagination Library program has earned multiple Library Literacy Awards and, in 2018, she visited us to donate its 100 millionth book to our collection and host a story time. 🦋❤️ Rest in peace, Dolly. 🦋 - Library of Congress

Can you imagine how beautiful the angel band sounds today? - Lee Ann Womack

What a wonderful songwriter and singer Dolly was. She brought so many people together, we will all miss her so much. - Mick Jagger

Kacey Musgraves, who joined Parton on stage for an all-star tribute performance at the 2019 Grammy Awards, took to X and wrote, “Dolly. This really really hurts. The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden. So glad she’s with her Carl Dean. No one talk to me today.” 

“The death of Dolly Parton is as big as Elvis. This rocks the country and the world in the same way and we won’t get over this for a long time. God bless this beautiful girl” - Don McLean