By Anthony Maliki, Abuja
Legendary country music singer, Dolly Rebecca Parton, has died on Tuesday 25, August, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. at the age of 80 years. She was born on 16, January, 1946.
Her death was announced by her nephew. The cause of death was not given.
“Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience,” her team says – read their statement.
The country legend sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and wrote over 3,000 songs in a career that spanned six decades.
Dolly was an American singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman. After achieving success as a songwriter for other artists, Parton’s debut album, “Hello, I’m Dolly”, was released in 1967, commencing a career spanning 60 years and 50 studio albums. Referred to as the “Queen of Country”, Parton was one of the most-honored female country performers in history and received various accolades, including 11 Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards including a humanitarian honorary Oscar win in 2025, six Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.
Her music includes Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)-certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards. She had 25 singles reach No. 1 on the Billboard country music charts, a record for a female artist (tied with Reba McEntire).
She had 44 career Top 10 country albums, a record for any artist and she had 110 career-charted singles over the past 40 years. Her 49th and final solo studio album, Rockstar (2023), became her highest-charting Billboard 200 album, peaking at number three. Parton composed over 3,000 songs, including “I Will Always Love You” (a two-time U.S. country chart-topper and an international hit for Whitney Houston), “Jolene”, “Coat of Many Colors” and “9 to 5”.
As an actress, she starred in the films 9 to 5 (1980) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), for each of which she earned Best Actress Golden Globe nominations, as well as Rhinestone (1984), Steel Magnolias (1989), Straight Talk (1992), and Joyful Noise (2012).
Dolly was born in a one-room cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River in Pittman Center, Tennessee. She was the fourth of twelve children born to Avie Lee Caroline (née Owens; 1923–2003) and Robert Lee Parton Sr. (1921–2000). Her siblings are Willadeene (born 1940), David Wilburn (1942–2024), Coy Denver (1943–2026), Robert Lee “Bobby” (born 1948), Stella Mae (born 1949), Cassie Nan (born 1951), Randle Huston “Randy” (1953–2021), Larry Gerald (1955–1955), twins Frieda Estelle (born 1957) and Floyd Estel (1957–2018), and Rachel Ann (born 1959).
Parton’s father, known as “Lee”, worked in the mountains of East Tennessee, first as a sharecropper and later tending his own small tobacco farm and acreage. He also worked construction jobs to supplement the farm’s small income. Despite her father’s illiteracy, Parton often commented that he was one of the smartest people she had ever known with regard to business and making a profit.
Parton’s mother cared for their large family. Her eleven pregnancies (the tenth being twins) in twenty years made her a mother of twelve by age thirty-five. Parton attributes her musical abilities to the influence of her mother; often in poor health, she still managed to keep house and entertain her children with Smoky Mountain folklore and ancient ballads.
Having Welsh ancestors, Avie Lee knew many old ballads that immigrants from the British Isles brought to southern Appalachia in the 18th and 19th century. Avie Lee’s father, Jake Owens, was a Pentecostal preacher and Parton and her siblings all attended church regularly. (With agency reports)
