Dolly Parton Dies Peacefully In Nashville At Age 80
Dolly Parton died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 25, 2026, her representatives said.[1]
Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced her death in a social media video earlier Tuesday.[1] Her representatives called her life a "rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see" in the statement confirming she died peacefully.[1] CBS News aired a special report anchored by Tony Dokoupil that framed the development as breaking news and did not provide a cause of death or memorial plans.[2]
Parton grew up in a Tennessee log cabin and rose to global fame with songs such as "Jolene," "Coat of Many Colors" and "I Will Always Love You." PBS News Her catalog sold more than 100 million records worldwide and exceeded 1 billion online streams.[3] She wrote "I Will Always Love You" as a farewell to Porter Wagoner.[3] The song later became a global hit for Whitney Houston, and Parton turned down Elvis Presley's request to record it because she refused to share publishing rights.[3] She founded the Imagination Library to mail free books to children.[3] She recently marked donating the program's 100 millionth book to the Library of Congress.[4] Her honors included 55 Grammy nominations and 10 wins, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2025.[3]
CBS's initial broadcast presented breaking coverage with few details, while outlets such as NPR and PBS published fuller obituaries tracing her career from the Grand Ole Opry to film and business ventures.[3]
No cause of death or plans for public memorials have been announced.[2]
Show source details & analysis (5 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- Her representatives' statement confirmed that Dolly Parton died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 25, 2026, describing her life as a "rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see" (representatives' statement).
- Parton's death was also announced earlier that day in a social media video by her nephew Bryan Seaver (Bryan Seaver).
- CBS aired a breaking special report on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, anchored by Tony Dokoupil, which framed the coverage as breaking news and did not provide additional details on cause of death or memorial plans.
- Parton was a country-music icon whose catalog — including 'Jolene,' 'Coat of Many Colors' and 'I Will Always Love You' — sold more than 100 million records worldwide and exceeded 1 billion online streams (Jolene).
- 'I Will Always Love You' was written as a farewell to Porter Wagoner (their pivotal collaboration began in 1967) and later became a global hit for Whitney Houston; Parton also famously turned down Elvis Presley because she would not agree to share publishing rights (I Will Always Love You).
- Her philanthropy included founding the Imagination Library to mail free books to children (inspired in part by her father's literacy struggles), and she recently marked the donation of her 100 millionth book to the Library of Congress through that program (Imagination Library).
- Parton received extensive honors — including 55 Grammy nominations and 10 wins (making her the third-most nominated woman), a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2025 — and she opened the Dollywood theme park and the Dollywood Foundation (55 Grammy nominations).
- Her acting career included starring roles in '9 to 5,' 'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' and 'Steel Magnolias,' and her work inspired stage shows such as '9 to 5: The Musical' and the scheduled December 2026 opening of 'DOLLY: A True Original Musical' (9 to 5).
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
August 25, 2026
6:22 PM
Country music legend Dolly Parton dies at 80
New information:
- MS NOW reports on August 25, 2026, that Dolly Parton's death at age 80 was announced in a social media video by her nephew Brian Seaver (spelling here) earlier that day.
- The article emphasizes Parton's acting career, noting starring roles in the films "9 to 5," "Rhinestone," and "Steel Magnolias," and that "Steel Magnolias" won a People’s Choice Award in 1990.
- It reiterates that Parton received 10 Grammys including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, an Emmy, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
- MS NOW notes that Parton sold over 100 million records worldwide and collaborated with artists such as Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, and Kenny Rogers.
- The piece highlights that she recently marked the donation of her 100 millionth book to the Library of Congress through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and quotes her describing the library as a tribute to her father and "probably the most important" thing she had ever done.
6:17 PM
Dolly Parton, one of country music's most singular performers, has died at age 80
New information:
- NPR reports Parton's representatives issued a formal statement confirming she died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 25, 2026.
- The article notes her death was also announced in a video posted to social media by her nephew Bryan Seaver.
- The representatives' statement describes her life as a "rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see" and highlights her wit, warmth and kindness.
6:16 PM
Dolly Parton dies at 80 | Special Report
New information:
- CBS aired a special report on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at 1:16 p.m. Central anchored by Tony Dokoupil on Dolly Parton's death.
- The segment reiterated that Dolly Parton, described as a legendary singer-songwriter, actress and philanthropist, died at age 80 according to a statement from her family.
- The special report itself is framed as breaking news coverage rather than providing additional details on cause of death or memorial plans.
6:15 PM
Dolly Parton, beloved music star, actor and philanthropist, dies at 80
New information:
- PBS/Associated Press obituary on August 25, 2026, describes Dolly Parton as a country music icon whose career spanned from a log cabin upbringing in Tennessee to global stardom in music, film and business.
- The article emphasizes that her catalog of songs, including 'Jolene,' 'Coat of Many Colors' and 'I Will Always Love You,' has totaled more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams.
- It details her philanthropy, especially her Imagination Library program that mails free books to children, which she founded in part because her father struggled with literacy.
- The piece recounts her early career timeline: performing in church, appearing on the Grand Ole Opry at age 13 introduced by Johnny Cash, and moving to Nashville after high school in 1964 to write songs and record.
- It describes her pivotal collaboration with Porter Wagoner beginning in 1967, including their duet 'The Last Thing On My Mind,' his advocacy in getting her an RCA deal, and later litigation when he sued her in 1979 for management fees and royalties.
- The obituary notes 'Jolene' (1973) as the hit that made her career, highlights that it became one of her most-covered songs, and explains that 'I Will Always Love You' was written as a farewell to Wagoner and was later recorded to massive success by Whitney Houston for 'The Bodyguard.'
- It notes that she turned down Elvis Presley's request to record 'I Will Always Love You' because she would not agree to share publishing rights.
- The article chronicles her major pop crossover successes, including 'Here You Come Again,' the '9 to 5' title song, 'Islands in the Stream' with Kenny Rogers, and the 1987 'Trio' album with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris.
- It provides detailed characterization of her public persona: self-deprecating humor about her appearance, insistence on not cursing or mocking religion on 'Saturday Night Live,' and her deliberate embrace of wigs, makeup and rhinestone outfits as part of her brand.
- The obituary states she married Carl Dean, an asphalt paving contractor, in the mid-1960s and that they remained together until his death in 2025 at age 82, and notes that 'Jolene' was inspired by a bank teller she thought was flirting with Dean.
- It recounts her film career, highlighting her debut in '9 to 5' with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, followed by 'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' and 'Steel Magnolias,' and notes Roger Ebert called her a natural-born movie star.
- The article notes that '9 to 5: The Musical' opened in 2009 and that 'DOLLY: A True Original Musical' had been scheduled to open in December 2026.
- On honors, it states she has 55 Grammy nominations and 10 wins, making her the third-most nominated woman in Grammy history behind Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.
- It reports that she opened the Dollywood theme park in East Tennessee, created the Dollywood Foundation, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, received a Recording Academy lifetime achievement award, and was chosen for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2025.
- The obituary stresses that she was widely seen as a unifying figure across political and cultural divides and that she consistently avoided public partisan statements, saying on the 'Dolly Parton's America' podcast that she does not do politics because she has fans on both sides.
- It mentions that despite initially questioning her inclusion, she accepted induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022 and subsequently released a rock album.