Camille Naredo

US singer Dolly Parton performs onstage during the 61st Annual Grammy Awards on February 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. Robyn Beck, AFP/File

(FILES) US singer Dolly Parton performs onstage during the 61st Annual Grammy Awards on February 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. Legendary US singer-songwriter and country music legend Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, her family announced on August 25, 2026. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)

Article (news)

US country music legend Dolly Parton dies at 80: family

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787682340972AFP__20260825__C6GY6G4__v1__HighRes__UsCountryMusicLegendDollyPartonDiesAt80Family.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="US singer Dolly Parton performs onstage during the 61st Annual Grammy Awards on February 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. Robyn Beck, AFP/File"/>US singer Dolly Parton performs onstage during the 61st Annual Grammy Awards on February 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. Robyn Beck, AFP/File</div>WASHINGTON (UPDATED)—Dolly Parton, the American country music singer who rose from poverty in Tennessee to become a US cultural giant with hits like &quot;Jolene&quot; and &quot;Coat of Many Colors,&quot; has died at 80, her family said Tuesday.&quot;Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus,&quot; her nephew Bryan Seaver said in <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://x.com/DollyParton/status/2092309743981228273">a video on social media</a>.He said the multiple award-winning artist had &quot;opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life.&quot;The family did not give a cause of death, but the singer-songwriter -- who was also an actress, philanthropist and extraordinarily successful businesswoman -- had spoken about her recent ill health. Her husband Carl Dean died last year.President Donald Trump order the lowering of American flags to half staff across the United States for a week for Parton, calling her passing a &quot;true loss for millions of people.&quot;&quot;There has never been anyone like her, and never will,&quot; Trump posted on his Truth Social network.In May, Parton had announced the cancellation of a series of Las Vegas concerts, citing ongoing health concerns. 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 be performing on stage.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 recognized figures in American music, having joined Porter Wagoner&#x27;s syndicated country music television show that broadcast her voice and face into millions of US homes.Parton was prolific in a career spanning six decades during which she penned some 3,000 tunes.They included the soundtrack smash hit &quot;9 to 5,&quot; &quot;Islands In the Stream,&quot; and the iconic ballad &quot;I Will Always Love You,&quot; 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 &quot;queen of country music.&quot;&quot;By her example, we believed that anything was possible. She never saw a door she couldn&#x27;t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history,&quot; her nephew said.Parton -- never one to downplay her striking looks -- essentially wrote the book on how a woman can rule the airwaves in a male-dominated industry, ultimately becoming an American treasure whose songs were covered by the likes of Shania Twain, Sinead O&#x27;Connor and the White Stripes.

US country music legend Dolly Parton, who grew up poor in Tennessee and became a household name with hits like "Jolene" and "Coat of Many Colors," has died at age 80, her family said Tuesday.

US country music legend Dolly Parton, who grew up poor in Tennessee and became a household name with hits like "Jolene" and "Coat of Many Colors," has died at age 80, her family said Tuesday.

US country music legend Dolly Parton dies at 80

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

BINI

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Music

US country music legend Dolly Parton dies at 80

Michael Mathes,

Agence France-Presse

Published August 26, 2026 02:26 AM PHT

|

Updated August 26, 2026 02:57 AM PHT

Read More:

Dolly Parton

obituary

country music

Nashville

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

Haven't received our newsletter?

Check your inbox to verify and confirm your subscription. If you don’t see it, please check your spam or junk folder.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.