The world has lost a true icon. Country music legend Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80, leaving behind a legacy that is nothing short of legendary.
The heartbreaking news was shared by her nephew, Brian Seaver, in an emotional Instagram video posted on Aug. 25. “My name is Brin 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 said. “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 til now.”
Just days before her passing, Parton had opened up to PEOPLE about her health, acknowledging that she had been struggling following the March 2025 death of her beloved husband, Carl Dean.
“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,” she shared.
Even while facing these challenges, her signature work ethic remained front and center. “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.”
Born in 1946 in Pittman Center, Tennessee, Parton rose from humble beginnings to become the best-selling female country artist in history, with over 160 million albums sold worldwide. Reflecting on her childhood, she told PEOPLE in 1977, “We never actually starved, but sometimes we never had quite enough to eat.”
By age 6, she was already performing in her grandfather’s church, and by 7, she was writing her own songs. While she became known for her iconic, glamorous look, she candidly told PEOPLE in 2003, “I had freckles and a gap in my teeth. Everything was homemade or hand-me-downs. . . . I always wanted to be prettier. I got to fixin’ myself up. I wanted my clothes tight, my makeup bright, my nails long, my lips red. I got into it.”
After moving to Nashville in 1964, her talent took her to new heights. “My songs got me out of the mountains and took me everywhere I’ve wanted to go,” she told PEOPLE in 2012. Her big break came alongside Porter Wagoner, launching a career that produced timeless hits like “I Will Always Love You,” “9 to 5,” and “Jolene.”
“I’ll always be a country musician because I’m a country girl,” she told PEOPLE in 1975. “My style is my soul and my feelings. I’ll tell the world in my songs what I wouldn’t have told my mother.”