Dolly Parton, whose death was announced on 25 August, was the Queen of Country Music, with hits including 9 to 5, Jolene and I Will Always Love You14:10, 26 Aug 2026Hearts across the world have broken upon hearing that Dolly Parton has died. The iconic country singer's death was announced on 25 August, with her family revealing that the 80-year-old had been battling cancer. And while fans will always love all her music, there are a certain few that are among the world's favourites.‌Dolly had several hit songs, including Jolene, which peaked at number seven in the UK and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.‌The 1973 song was an ode to a red-headed bank clerk who used to flirt with Dolly's husband Carl Dean. Dolly wrote it as a way of dealing with her jealousy, begging the clerk not to take her man. It has been covered by many an artist, including Beyonce, who changed the lyrics to "I'm warning you, don't take my man".‌Dolly also wrote 9 to 5, a 1980s track that was recorded for the soundtrack of a film of the same name. The film, which was about three women who kidnap their employer and starred Dolly, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.‌The song earned Dolly an Oscar nomination for best song, and three Grammy nominations. It showcases the ingenuity of Dolly's songwriting as it is one of the only songs to feature the tapping of a typewriter - which Dolly initially came up with whilst clacking together her acrylic nails.A song that has become equally iconic is Dolly's duet with Kenny Rogers, Islands in the Stream. The song has been used time and time again in pop culture, such as in Gavin & Stacey, when Nessa (Ruth Jones) and Bryn (Rob Brydon) sang it for their barn dance.The duet featured in Dolly's last Instagram post before her death. She shared a video of her and Kenny singing the song a week before she died, to celebrate 43 years since they first sang it.‌One song beloved by Dolly fans is Coat of Many Colors, which shed light on Dolly's childhood. The autobiographical song is about how her mother had made her a coat out of rags when she was younger.In the lyrics, Dolly recounted how her family struggled to afford clothes and her mother's ingenuity with a needle and thread left her daughter at the mercy of classmates' ridicule. She sang: “I know we had no money, but I was rich as I could be, in my coat of many colors my mama made for me.”‌In a statement shared with The Mirror on August 26, representatives for the country star confirmed that the “Jolene” singer’s death at 80 on Tuesday followed a “brief battle with cancer.”The statement read: "Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones."Article continues belowLike this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.