Music legend Dolly Parton dies at 80 after brief cancer battle, family announces
Music legend Dolly Parton passed away on Tuesday, August 24, 2026, at 80 after a brief battle with cancer, her family announced. The singer-songwriter rose from poverty in Tennessee, moving to Nashville after high school and joining Porter Wagoner’s syndicated TV show by 1967, launching her to stardom with hits like “Jolene” and “Coat of Many Colours».
Her six-decade career produced over 3,000 songs, including “9 to 5,” “Islands in the Stream,” and the timeless “I Will Always Love You”—later made an international success by Whitney Houston. Parton released 49 studio albums and more than 100 compilations, earning the title “queen of country music.” She also excelled as an actress, philanthropist, and extraordinarily successful businesswoman. Her songwriting prowess, evident in penning thousands of tunes, established her as one of music’s most influential figures.
Her husband Carl Dean predeceased her last year. President Donald Trump ordered American flags flown at half-staff for a week, calling her passing “a true loss for millions.” Fans gathered at her Hollywood Walk of Fame star in Los Angeles on August 25 and at memorials in Sevierville, Tennessee, and Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame, with many leaving flowers and sharing stories of how her music touched their lives.
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