Dolly Parton Passes Away at 80
The world is a little darker today.
The legendary Dolly Parton has left us.
Parton was one of the few universally loved stars. What you saw is what you got.
Never caring what people thought, Parton’s larger-than-life vocals and personality made her a country music and movie star.
The woman literally lit up every room she entered. How could you not love Dolly Parton?
Her nephew Bryan Seaver made the announcement, but did not give a cause of death.
A message from the family of Dolly Parton. pic.twitter.com/9DNRgRx0uH
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) August 25, 2026
Parton has dealt with health issues for the past year. Fears over her health spiked when she missed an event at Dollywood in September 2025 after a kidney stone infection.
A few weeks later, Parton postponed her Las Vegas residency.
Parton canceled the residency in May because of medication and treatment.
Parton admitted that she didn’t pay much attention to her health while taking care of her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean.
Dean passed away in March 2025.
I honestly believe Parton was also dealing with a broken heart.
Parton met Dean in 1964 when she was 18, and he was 21.
The lovebirds were together ever since. Together for 60 years and married for 58 years.
The fiercely devoted couple lived on a farm near Nashville where Dean could live a private life and run his asphalt company.
I think Parton’s upbringing kept her grounded and humbled, but also generated her giving nature.
The fourth of 12 children, Parton grew up poor. She was born in a one-bedroom cabin without plumbing, heat, or electricity. Her father had to pay a doctor with a sack of cornmeal to attend her birth.
But Parton always recalled a happy childhood filled with music.
Parton’s Dollywood Foundation has helped millions of kids and families since the 1980s:
In the early 90’s Dolly promised every 7th-grade and 8th-grade student she would personally give them $500 if they graduated from high school. This effort, called the Buddy Program, reduced the drop out rate for these two classes from 35% to 6%. More importantly, the program catalyzed the community to provide additional resources to sustain this improvement in the drop out rate.
In 1995, the Foundation implemented Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Sevier County, Tennessee. This monthly book gifting program for children under five focused on inspiring a love of books and reading for all preschool children in the county. What was founded as a local program grew into an international movement through the unique partnership among the Foundation, the publisher, the fulfillment centers and the thousands of local organizations who adopted the program. The Imagination Library continues to be the signature program of the Foundation.
Rest in peace, beautiful queen.
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Comments
Heaven just welcomed a child of the
King.. well done good and faithful
servent …
Was she ever involved in politics? I don’t think so. All entertainers should follow her example not that they will. Their egos are too big. Not Dolly’s. She always seemed down to earth.
She was asked about it regularly and refused to participate, which tells me she sure wasn’t a leftist.
I once attended an otherwise boring conference in which Dolly spoke for an hour about her literacy philanthropy (https://imaginationlibrary.com/).
She owned that room from the moment she walked on stage. She was charming, funny, a little risqué, intelligent and a hundred more superlatives. The applause at the end was deafening.
The world is *much* darker today with the passing of this wonderful woman. For her though it’s the day she’s reunited with Carl. That’s more important than our sorrow.
Requiescat in Pace, Dolly.
It is a sad day with her passing. While many of her songs were among my favorites, her recording, acapella, of Jolene with the Pentatonix was one of my favorites.
I did not know she worked with Pentatonix. I’ll have to search that out. Strikes me as like Home Free and the Oak Ridge Boys covering “Elvira” — a torch being passed and the students showing respect to the masters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYCoyUxY2HY
One of a kind. The world is lessened.
Quite a personality, and a true philanthropist. There are country artists whose music I appreciate more than Dolly’s, but none who I admire more.
Rest In Peace, Dolly and Thank You!
RIP, and 80 isn’t that old anymore.
I will always love you!
Goodbye to a classy lady.
RIP. dear woman.
Very sad day indeed
Dolly really was Americas Country Queen
There never was one like her, and never will be again.
The stories of being born on a one room shack with 11 siblings in Tennessee without electricity and paying Drs with bags of cornmeal for delivering the babies
Those times, that made America, and put such a desire of steel in the back of its destitute citizens, are gone
We are a Country of ungrateful, liberal cry babies…
The poor today, just aren’t poor at all, and as nation, we are less for it
I will always love you Dolly Parton… thank you for being you, and Nothing said it better, than you showing up on National TV, in A Dallas Cheerleading costume just a few years short of 80 performing in Cowboys Stadium!!!
God bless you and your family
I hope President Trump flies our flag at half mast…
And just like that flags at half mast
You don’t know how big of a deal this woman is in TN.
You might think you do, but you don’t.
The Volunteer state will be the tear drop state for the rest of the year.
I was at Dollywood on opening day of the season right after her husband died. We had no idea what we were walking into. She was in the parade despite the freshness of losing her husband. The outpouring from fans was like nothing I’ve seen in my lifetime. She’s the Mother Theresa and Patron Saint of the state with good reason. Her kindness sets the tone for the region and yet another reason to love it. Her presence will be missed and unlikely we’ll ever get another like her.
Well, Trump did have flags go to half mast for a week. It is such a plus and a blessing to finally see somebody who was very well known appears to have always taken the high road; if not the high road for whatever reason, the kind road and God’s road. A real gem.
That’s very good
God’s road
Stealing it
True legend that will be missed.
I have not seen a single negative comment anywhere about the passing of Dolly Parton. That is truly a sign of a life well lived.
Earlier this year I explained to my daughter what a good death looks like. She was perplexed. Everyone dies, but what you leave behind, how you leave it behind and what surrounds you when you die is what matters.
My grandma died at 96 with no major health issues until the last month. She even mowed her own lawn with a push mower (not self propelled) and because her heart was getting weak the last year she put a 5 gallon bucket at each end and sat down for a minute to catch her breath.
At her bedside during hospice was 4 generations of kids, grand kids, greats and the first of the great greats. All productive members of society and no chaos. She told everyone to enjoy the peas from the garden that were just starting to come in (it was june going on july). Despite being a widow of 30 years she left a decent nest egg.
This was a very good death. Better than most of can hope for.
To that excellent death….Dolly could say (though she wouldn’t) “Hold my beer darlin.”
It aint a contest, but if it were, she won.
I remember her singing on the “Porter Wagoner Show’ in 1968. What a voice!
God bless her.
After donating $1 million toward research for the Covid-19 vaccine, she received her first shot in March 2021.
First shot
How many did she have
She had cancer I know,
And autoimmune disease, don’t o own much more,
Yes she was 80, but it does sound like turbo
Cancer… which the vaccine is known for
The loss of Dolly Parton will reverberate as time goes by.
There just aren’t any more Dollys out there, quiet philanthropy, gracious to all, including the gay and trans community.
I don’t know her views on child mutilation, but I doubt she supported any of that crap, talent beyond description.
Maybe touched by an angle at birth
There really is not a word I can find to describe her., she really is not angelic, too spicy for that.
It was like she wasn’t real, she just tried to do good and love everyone
And she’s one of the people I believe actually did. I really know anyone else I would believe