Dolly Parton, the country music singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist known for songs including “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” died Tuesday in Nashville at age 80, according to statements posted on her social media accounts.
Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced the death in a video and said Parton was reunited with family members who died before her, including her husband, Carl Dean. No cause of death was disclosed. A separate family statement said Parton died peacefully and that a private funeral would be held for immediate relatives. Fans were encouraged to post tributes online and donate to her Imagination Library instead of sending flowers.
Parton established the literacy program in Tennessee in 1995. It later expanded across the United States and internationally, distributing hundreds of millions of free books to children. She had described the initiative as one of her proudest achievements.
In the year before her death, Parton discussed health problems that prompted her to postpone and later cancel Las Vegas performances. She said she needed several procedures and treatments after neglecting her own health while caring for Dean. Although she reported kidney stones and immune and digestive issues, she said doctors considered the conditions treatable and that she was responding to medication. Four days before her death, she said she remained committed to working but no longer expected to tour as extensively.
Political and entertainment figures issued tributes. Trump ordered flags lowered for a week, while Marsha Blackburn, Bill Clinton, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and Linda McMahon cited Parton’s cultural influence. Musicians including Dionne Warwick, Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson and Kacey Musgraves remembered her. Jane Fonda, her co-star, highlighted Parton’s generosity, empathy and support for LGBTQ+ fans. The tributes reflected a career spanning music, film, business and philanthropy, as well as an appeal that crossed cultural divisions.