Dolly Parton, Entertainment Icon, Dies at 80

Dolly Parton, the rags-to-riches superstar who became a global icon and national treasure, has died at 80. 

Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, revealed the news in an Instagram video Aug. 25.

“My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” he says in the video. “This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.”

Seaver added: “It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. 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 to meet her in the heavens.”

“I first went on the road with Dolly as a kid, getting a taste of the road life in the early 1980s. Dolly opened doors not just for me but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible. Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent,” Seaver added in the video message. “By her example, we believed that anything is possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history.

“My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you. 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. Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever. Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy; he farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.”

“Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly — Aunt, Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you.”

Just four days before her death, Parton opened up about her health struggles with People Magazine, admitting her physical decline was compounded by grief after losing her husband, Carl Dean, in March 2025. 

“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl. You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” Parton told PEOPLE.

She added: “But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago. I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’! You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”

Spanning a distinguished career over several decades, Parton became the best-selling female country music artist of all time, with global album sales exceeding 160 million. 

Here is a small list of her achievements:

1967 - Released her debut album “Hello, I’m Dolly”

1973 - Wrote "I Will Always Love You" and performed Jolene making her a solo superstar

1977 - Topped the Country and Pop charts with "Here You Come Again"

1980 - Academy Award Nomination for "9 to 5," bringing attention to how women were treated in the work place.

1982 - Best actress Golden Globe for "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" with Burt Reynolds.

1983 - Topped the charts with Kenny Rogers releasing "Islands in the Stream"

1986 - Opened her own Theme Park (Dollywood) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee putting it in the top 20 of North American theme parks with more than 4 million visitors per year.

1989 - Starred in "Steel Magnolias"

1997 to 2003: "Buffy The Vampire" Slayer Uncredited Executive Producer

2006-2010: Hannah Montana... Played along her real-life God Daughter Miley Cyrus.

2022: "The Orville: New Horizons," she played a simple gag cameo that would end up serving as the core thematic element of Seth Macfarlane's universe.

Pioneer... Legend... Icon... RIP Dolly Parton 1946-2026 - She was 80 years old.