US country ⁠music ⁠legend Dolly Parton ⁠has died at the age of 80, ⁠her ‌family announced on Tuesday. In a video message honouring her legacy, Parton's nephew Bryan Seaver confirmed the news of her death. No cause was given. In May, she cancelled a planned Las Vegas residency due to health issues that she said left her feeling “swimmy headed.”Over the course of her career, spanning seven decades, Parton became a household name, with hits such as I Will Always Love You, 9 to 5 and Jolene forming a musical backdrop for generations of Americans.Her timeless music, vibrant personality and glamorous appearance helped introduce country music to international audiences."A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family," a statement posted on Parton's X account read. "Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience."Coming from a self-described "dirt-poor" family, Parton often stood as a symbol of working-class Americans and regularly threw her name and money behind causes she believed in.President Donald Trump ordered US flags to be flown at half-mast for a week in Parton’s honour, saying in a social media post that “there has never been anyone like her, and never will.”US President Donald Trump posted this message about Dolly Parton on Truth Social on August 25, 2026.Show caption: US President Donald Trump posted this message about Dolly Pa…In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Parton donated $1 million to vaccine research at Vanderbilt University in 2020, making her an early sponsor of Moderna's vaccine development.She conducted a literacy program for ⁠young children across the United States, as well as in Canada, Britain, Australia and Ireland, and provided scholarships to high school students in the Tennessee county where she was born.The county erected a life-size statue of her in front of the courthouse ​in thanks, though she ⁠declined another proposed statue of her in Nashville in 2021, saying, "Given all that's going on in ‌the world, I don't think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time."It was this ability to stay true to her roots, combined with her drive to work hard and her nonpartisanship, that fuelled her appeal among conservatives and liberals in a ​politically polarised America.As a businesswoman, she presided over the creation of Dollywood, a theme park that became the most-visited tourist attraction in Tennessee and the largest employer in her home county of Sevier. She sold over 100 million records worldwide and had an estimated net worth of $450 million, according to Forbes.Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, and grew up in a one-room cabin in nearby Locust Ridge. One of 12 children of tobacco farmer Robert Lee Parton, her difficult childhood gave credibility to her often personal songs trilled in a distinctive soprano.Her mother, Avie Lee, would sing constantly — songs from England, Ireland and Wales that told a story. "Mama had this haunting voice, and Lord you would feel it," Parton wrote in her 2020 book Dolly Parton, Songteller co-authored with Robert K. Oermann.Parton got her first real guitar when she was eight. Her mother would say, whenever she had guests: "I want you to hear this song this little thing has made up. It’s really good." Parton loved the attention.