August 26, 2026 — 4:12amDolly Parton, the singer-songwriter, literacy advocate and cultural icon whose wit, beauty and musicality shaped country music for more than six decades has died. Parton was 80 years old.The country music legend’s nephew Bryan Seaver confirmed Parton’s passing on behalf of her family via the singer’s Facebook page.Dolly Parton, pictured in New York in 2022.AP Photo/Andres KudackiParton’s music was rich and tender, exploring her impoverished childhood in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, and the familiar country music touchstones of love, heartache and regret. They include songs like Jolene, I Will Always Love You and the theme her most successful film, 9 to 5.“I have imagined the heaviness of this moment, but haven’t truly felt it until now,” Seaver said, in a statement on behalf of the Parton family. “Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by [her late husband] Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.”One of the acknowledged titans of country music, Parton has 11 Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards, one Oscar (and two Oscar nominations), and nominations for six Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony award. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was the recipient of the US National Medal of Arts and a Kennedy Centre Honour.“Dolly opened doors not just for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible,” Seaver said. “Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent. By her example, we believe that anything was possible.”The legendary singer “never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the door she opened made and changed history,” Seaver said.“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. Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever.”In a tender footnote, Seaver said that in death Parton’s connection to the land was as potent as her father’s. “Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy. He farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness,” he said.Seaver said Parton’s request was that she “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.“Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts on email or turn on notifications in the app.Michael Idato is the culture editor-at-large of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.From our partners