Dolly Parton, the singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist who became one of the most recognizable figures in American music, has passed away at 80.
The heartbreaking news was confirmed on Parton’s official Instagram account on Tuesday, August 25, by her nephew Brian Seaver, the son of Parton’s sister Cassie.
Seaver, who served as Parton’s head of security for more than two decades after taking over the role from his father, Larry, said his aunt had personally asked him years ago to be the person who announced her passing.
“It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness,” he said. “But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.”
A cause was not immediately disclosed by Parton’s family or representative.
Beloved singer and songwriter Dolly Parton has passed away at 80
Seaver framed the announcement around Parton’s lifelong Christian faith, telling fans that while the family was grieving, he believed his aunt was finally reunited with the people closest to her.
“Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.”
Carl Dean, Parton’s husband of nearly six decades, passed away in March 2025 at 82.
The couple married in 1966, before Parton became internationally famous, and Dean largely avoided the celebrity world that eventually surrounded his wife.
His loss would become particularly significant during the final period of Parton’s life, when she acknowledged that caring for him had led her to neglect her own health.
For Seaver, however, Parton’s impact extended well beyond those who knew her personally.
He remembered first joining her on the road as a child in the early 1980s and watching as her success created opportunities for relatives who had grown up far removed from wealth or fame.
“Dolly opened doors not just for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible,” he said.
She did the same, he added, for “generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life” and “across every continent.”
“By her example, we believed that anything was possible,” Seaver said. “She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history.”
Dolly Parton had been battling health problems for several years
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Parton’s passing comes after a prolonged period of health problems that increasingly affected her ability to travel and perform.
Parton herself said in May that problems involving her immune and digestive systems had developed over the previous “couple of three years.” She explained that she had neglected some of her own medical needs while caring for Dean before his passing.
“My immune system and digestive system got all out of whack over the past couple of three years,” she said at the time.
The problems became publicly apparent in 2025.
That September, Parton missed a Dollywood appearance after developing a kidney stone that led to an infection.
“I had a little problem. I had a kidney stone that was causing me a lot of problems,” she explained. “Turned out it’d given me an infection.”
She subsequently postponed a six-show Las Vegas residency that had been scheduled for December 2025, saying doctors wanted her to undergo several procedures.
Public concern grew further when her sister Freida asked fans to pray for her
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Parton reassured her followers in October of that year that the situation was not as dire as some feared.
She said doctors had identified several issues after she finally began paying attention to her own health following Dean’s passing, but stressed at the time that there was “nothing major” to worry about.
By May 2026, however, she acknowledged that her recovery was taking longer than expected.
Parton permanently canceled the rescheduled Las Vegas residency, which had been moved to September, explaining that medications and treatments could leave her dizzy.
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“The good news is I’m responding really well to meds and treatments and I’m improving every day,” she said.
She joked that performing while experiencing those side effects was hardly compatible with her trademark stage presence, particularly when it involved instruments and five-inch heels.
Only days before her passing, Parton was still discussing her recovery publicly.
“I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she said.
“Even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’!”
Parton added that she still had “so many things I want to achieve” and intended to continue working for as long as possible.
Parton’s songs crossed genres, generations and national borders
Parton ultimately wrote an estimated 3,000 songs, with roughly 450 recorded.
Among them were songs that became permanent fixtures of American popular culture, including Jolene, Coat of Many Colors, 9 to 5, Here You Come Again, and I Will Always Love You.
Twenty-five of her songs reached No. 1 on Billboard’s country charts. She sold more than 100 million records worldwide and became one of the most commercially successful female artists in music history.
Her influence also extended far outside traditional country music.
Jolene was recorded by artists ranging from The White Stripes to Beyoncé, while Parton collaborated across generations and genres throughout her career. She also became godmother and mentor to Miley Cyrus.
Parton consistently regarded songwriting as the center of everything she accomplished.
“I feel like I’m closest to God when I write,” she wrote in her book Dolly Parton, Songteller.
“At the end of the day, I hope that I will be remembered as a good songwriter. The songs are my legacy.”
Her achievements eventually included 11 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Seaver acknowledged the love many families across the country had developed for Parton
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“My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you,” he said.
“She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD, and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family, whether you liked it or not.”
Seaver said the Parton family and the team entrusted with managing her legacy would work to preserve the projects and causes she spent her life building.
He also shared one final request from his aunt.
“Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.”
“Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly, Aunt Granny, Gigi,” Seaver concluded.
“She will always love you.”
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