Dolly Parton, America's beloved 'Queen of Country,' has died. She was 80 years old.

Bryan Seaver, speaking on behalf of the Parton family, made the announcement on her official X account this afternoon.

"This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality," Seaver said. "As her head of security for more than two decades ... I have imagined the heaviness of this moment, but haven't truly felt it until now. It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived the life and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens."

Parton was born in a one-room cabin in Pittman Center, Tennessee. She was the fourth of 12 children born to Robert Lee Parton and Avie Lee Caroline. Her father was a sharecropper and later had a small tobacco farm and worked in construction. Her mother raised the children, and Parton attributed her musical abilities to her mother, and her business savvy to her father.

She began performing as a child on local radio and television in East Tennessee. At 13, she recorded "Puppy Love" on Goldband Records, a small Louisian label, and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry, where she met Johnny Cash.

Recommended
Abdul El-Sayed's Interview With Jesse Watters Was a Trainwreck for His Campaign Amy Curtis Did Hakeem Jeffries Really Just Call the Trump Administration That? Amy Curtis

Her big initial success came as a songwriter. She signed with Combine Publishing and wrote several hits with her uncle Bill Owens, including Skeeter Davis' number 11 hit "Fuel to the Flame." She signed with Monument Records in 1965 as a "bubblegum pop" singer; Parton wanted to record country songs but the record label resisted.

In 1967 she appeared on The Porter Wagoner Show, and that turned into a regular weekly spot and Wagoner convinced RCA Victor to sign Parton and her first single was a duet with Wagoner, "The Last Thing on My Mind." It reached the country Top 10 in January 1968. That started a six-year streak of Top 10 singles for the duo.

In 1974, her song "I Will Always Love You," written about her professional breakup with Wagoner, went to number one on the country chart. Elvis Presley wanted to record a version, but Parton refused after Colonel Tom Parker said she'd have to sign over half of the publishing rights to any song recorded by Elvis.

From 1976 to 1986, her audience broadened, and she had a series of number one hits.

Her career continued for decades, and she was still planning on touring, saying just a few days ago that she still had many things she wanted to do.

In 1966, Parton married Carl Thomas Dean in Ringgold, Georgia. The two would remain married until Dean's passing in March 2025. They had no children.

Parton supported many charitable efforts through the Dollywood Foundation, including her literacy program, Imagination Library. That was in honor of her father who never learned to read or write. That program mails a child one book a month from birth until kindergarten. To date, it has distributed more than 100 million books. She also worked to fund HIV/AIDS related charities, donated to a cancer center and hospital in Sevierville, and worked to save the bald eagle.

Parton also starred in films including "Steel Magnolias" (1989) and "9 to 5" (1980). During the course of her career, she won 11 Grammy Awards, three Emmy Awards, and was nominated for two Academy Awards. In 2025, she received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscars.

She has a total of 384 nominations and 190 wins.

She is survived by her siblings Willadeene, Robert Lee, Stella Mae, Cassie Nan, Frieda Estelle and Rachel Ann.