Dolly Parton, the country music icon whose songs and story touched generations of fans, has died at the age of 80.
Her nephew, Brian Seaver, confirmed the news in an Instagram video posted Tuesday, Aug. 25, offering a tribute. He shared that Parton had gone to be reunited with her late husband Carl, her parents, and loved ones who had gone before her, saying she was "in the arms of Jesus." Seaver closed with a blessing for Parton and for fans mourning her loss.
The announcement came just four days after Parton spoke candidly to PEOPLE about her declining health, describing health issues she had set aside while caring for her husband, Carl Dean, before his death in March 2025. She told the outlet she planned to "keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life."
As JubileeCast reported just one day earlier, concern over her health had already been building online, driven in part by the recent deaths of her longtime songwriter Cynthia Weil and her older brother, Coy "Denver" Parton. Through it all, Parton pointed to her faith, once telling fans, "God hasn't said anything about me stopping yet."
Born January 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, Parton became the best-selling female country music artist of all time, selling more than 160 million albums worldwide. Her catalog includes "Jolene," "9 to 5," and "I Will Always Love You," and her legacy reaches far beyond music through Dollywood and her Imagination Library, which has given away more than 178 million free books to children.
Tributes from fellow artists and fans are pouring in across social media as the world remembers one of country music's most beloved and enduring figures.
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