Dolly Parton, one of country music's most singular performers, has died at age 80

In her songs, stage banter and interviews, Dolly Parton always presented herself as a humble, yet audacious mountain dreamer made good. Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty Images hide caption

The artist's death was confirmed in a statement from her representatives, as well as in a video posted to social media from her nephew Bryan Seaver.

"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," reads the statement, which notes that Parton "died peacefully" in Nashville, Tenn., on Aug. 25, 2026.

Her singular performing career spanned seven decades and only grew in prominence over all of that time. She came to fame as a star in country music and went on to become one of its most recognizable and universally adored ambassadors to broader popular culture.

In her songs, stage banter and interviews, Parton always presented herself as a humble, yet audacious mountain dreamer made good. She built her identity on proudly claiming the Appalachian poverty and ingenuity she came from.

"I remember the time we didn't have electricity in the early days," she told NPR's Morning Edition in 2002. "And I was thinking how far I've come from no electricity to now living in this high-tech world, selling my records, as they are."

Long after Parton's success, she continually returned to her stories of what it was like growing up as one of 12 kids in a rural hamlet nestled in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.

"We made it," she told NPR. "We barely made it, but we did make it. We had a lot of stuff that money can't buy anyhow, as I often talk about — things like love and kindness and understanding. And we had music. My mother's people are very musical, so that really got us through a lot of hard times. And the fact that on both sides of my family, the Partons and the Owens family, had a great sense of humor."