Dolly Parton, music icon, Hollywood icon, business icon, philanthropic icon, Tennessee icon and American original, who inspired children to read, workers to not be satisfied with their 9 to 5 existence and Whitney Houston to sing about always loving someone at the top of her lungs, died today. She was 80.
Somehow, the world is a little less nice, a little less sunny with her no longer in it.
The family announced the news on the afternoon of Aug. 25.
"Hey everyone, my name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I'm representing the Parton and Owens family today, announcing the passing of my aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean."
"Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy. He farmed the soil -- she farmed songs and happiness."
"Dolly called me and said
she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton, because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest. Rest in peace, Dolly, aunt granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you."
Her talent for high pitched country singing and an equally high-pitched personality may have got her noticed, but her career became one of depth and lasting impact when she wrote two of the greatest songs of all time, "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You," within a few days of each other in October of 1973.
Outside her seven-decade celebrity career, she had become even more beloved when she donated millions of dollars to reading programs, animal sanctuaries, birthing centers, breast cancer research, college scholarships, anti-bullying programs, natural disaster recovery, childhood diabetes prevention and LGBTQ+ causes -- to name only some of her philanthropic endeavors.
In 1986, she opened Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN, not far from where she was born. Since then she expanded her East Tennessee footprint to include Splash Country water park, the DreamMore Resort and Spa and Dolly Parton's Stampede and Dinner Attraction.
She was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She has won 11 Grammy awards (after 54 nominations), and 25 other entertainment organizations (like the Academy of Country Music, the American Music Awards, Billboard, Broadway and the Academy Awards) have given her 384 nominations and 190 awards.
Dolly Parton made 21 gold or platinum albums, certified by the Recording Industry Association of America. She recorded 25 No. 1 Billboard country songs. She became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1969, and was the Ms. Magazine "Woman the Year" in 1986, the same year that she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Her business interests include Doggy Parton, a pet apparel business, and Dolly Beauty, a cosmetic brand. She also owns her own song catalog, which was estimated to be worth $150 million.
When she turned 79 in 2025, Parton announced she had finished writing the words and music for "Dolly: An Original Musical," which was set to premiere at Belmont University. She had forged an educational partnership with the college called "Dolly U." On the same day as the musical announcement, she said she would be releasing a new book "Star of the Show" about her life.
In an interview with The Tennessean, Parton said she planned to "bring Dollywood to Nashville" with the opening of The Songteller Hotel, which will include a bar, club, museum and restaurant.
At the time of the musical, book and hotel announcement, Parton said, "I feel like I'm entering an era where doing and saying the right things is more important than ever. The world is so loose-ended these days, and everybody's spinning around like dust devils."
Dolly Parton's early years
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born in a one-bedroom log cabin in Locust Ridge, TN, in the Great Smoky Mountains on Jan. 19, 1946. She was the fourth child of 12 siblings.
She was born into a family of sharecroppers. Her father Robert Lee Parton was illiterate, but he managed to run a tobacco farm, tend to and keep his large family fed.
Parton's mother Avie entertained her children with songs of Smoky Mountain lore. She made clothes for her children from feed sacks. She often bathed her children in a stream near their cabin.
At age 6, Parton was singing in the Church of God choir at her grandfather's church, the House of Prayer.
"Gospel was an important part of life in the Smoky Mountains where I grew up," she says, "And religion was apart of everyday life."
When Parton was 8, her uncle Lewis gave her a small Martin guitar. She called it her "Baby Martin."
It was another uncle, Bill, who introduced 10-year-old Dolly to Cas Walker, who had created and produced a radio and television variety show called the "Farm and Home Hour" to promote the chain of grocery stores he owned. At the time, her family didn't own a television.
On Facebook, Parton wrote about the importance of uncle Bill in her career.
"He was there to take me around to all of the local shows, got me my first job on the 'Cas Walker Show,'" she wrote. "He took me back-&-forth to Nashville through the years, walked up-&-down the streets with me, knocking on doors to get me signed up to labels or publishing companies."
Backstage on the Cas Walker show in 1956, she started to meet big shots in the country music industry.
Uncle Bill was on stage with her when Parton made her Grand Ole Opry debut at the Ryman Auditorium at age 13 in 1959.
Johnny Cash introduced her this way, ""We’ve got a little girl here from up in East Tennessee. Her daddy’s listening to the radio at home and she’s gonna be in real trouble if she doesn’t sing tonight, so let’s bring her out here."
Parton sang the George Jones song "You Gotta Be My Baby," and received three encores.
In that same year, she took a 30-hour bus ride to sign her first record deal with a tiny label "Goldband Records" in Lake Charles, LA. In that Lake Charles studio, she recorded her first song, one she had written at age 11, called "Puppy Love."
"Pullin' my pigtails make me madWhen you kiss me, make me gladYou turn to leave and make me sadStill you're the sweetest sweetheart I've ever had"
At 18, the house where she was born caught fire. The guitar she had been using since age 10 was destroyed in the fire. But that didn't slow her down.
After graduating from Sevier County High School in 1964, she moved to Nashville and signed with Monument records.
Dolly Parton moves to Nashville
On her first day in Nashville, she was washing clothes at the Wishy Washy Laundromat when a young man in a white Chevy pickup truck stopped. His name was Carl Dean, and he was 21, three years older than her. Her record label, however, didn't want her to get serious with any men.
But Parton was determined to get married. She married Dean on May 30, 1966 in a private ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia. Dean shunned the spotlight, rarely appeared in public with Parton and their marriage avoided public scrutiny.
"He loves music, but he is not the least bit interested in being in it, and he told me that right up front," Parton said on the "Dumb Blonde" podcast in 2024.
After appearing together an awards event early in their marriage, Dean decided that was it.
"He was so uncomfortable ...," Parton said. "He said, 'Look, now I want you to do everything you want to do, and I wish you the best, but don't ever ask me to go to another one of these damn things 'cause I ain't going."
Parton and Dean were married 58 years. Dean died March 3, 2025. He was 82. At his passing, Parton posted a simple message on social media: "Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years ..."
Over the years, Parton has revealed that some of her greatest songs were inspired by Dean.
"Jolene" is partly based on a flirty bank teller who had an interaction with Dean. When she explained to Dean she had been with other men before she met him, his reaction sparked the song "Just Because I'm a Woman." Dean is featured on the cover of her 1969 album “My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy." Dean also inspired songs "From Here to the Moon and Back," "Forever Love," "Say Forever You'll Be Mine" and "Tomorrow is Forever."
Just after the announcement of Dean's death, Parton released a new song "If You Hadn’t Been There." In a social media post she wrote: "Carl and I fell in love when I was 18 and he was 23, and like all great love stories, they never end. They live in memory and in song, and I dedicate this to him."
If you hadn't been there
Where would I be?
Without your trust, love and belief
The ups and downs
We've always shared
And I wouldn't be here, if you hadn't been there
Dolly Parton expands her musical artistry
As she rose to stardom, Dolly Parton began to reveal a persona that couldn't be confined to simply singing country songs.
At an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in 1967, Parton appeared on stage with Lynn Anderson and Connie Smith. The Tennessean wrote: "The sensation of the whole show, an electrifying personality and a stunning country style, was another blonde, Dolly Parton ..."
In September of that year, Parton exploded onto television screens across America. She was invited for a guest appearance on the "Porter Wagoner Show." Wagoner was a chart-topping singer with 81 top ten country singles between 1954-83. He was known for his blond pompadour hair-do, and his Nudie and Manuel rhinestone suits.
Later, Wagoner became the guy who gave Dolly Parton her TV break, and before long, she eclipsed him as a more popular performer.
When she finally left the show, Parton wrote "I Will Always Love You" about saying goodbye to Wagoner.
"If I should stayI would only be in your waySo I'll go, but I knowI'll think of you every step of the way."
Wagoner took her exit hard and sued Parton for breach of contract. He reportedly asked for $3 million and 15 percent of her future earnings. The suit was settled out of court for $1 million. Their relationship was frosty until 1980 when they reunited to record "Porter & Dolly."
Dolly Parton becomes a Grand Ole Opry member
On Jan. 4, 1969, Parton became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. At the time, she said, ""It was always my dream to be on the Opry," Parton said. "They call it the 'Mother Church' because the old Ryman was a church, but it's sacred to me, wherever it goes — the church of my heart. For me, the Opry is like the song "New York, New York" — if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere."
Parton's first No. 1 hit came in 1971 with the song "Joshua." That was followed by "Coat of Many Colors," "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" which all hit No. 1 from 1971-74. She was voted the Country Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year in 1975 and 1976.
She won her first Grammy in 1977, the same year her song "Here You Come Again" hit No. 1. In that same year, she made her first appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. She was her 31st birthday (Jan. 19, 1977) when she met the late night star for the first time.
She wore a pink pantsuit lined with rhinestones.
Carson said, "How come you haven't been with us before ...?"
"Mostly because you didn't ask me," she said, and got a big laugh.
Dolly conquers Hollywood
By 1980, Dolly Parton was conquering Hollywood. She wrote the song "9 to 5" for the movie of the same name about the the unequal treatment women face in the workplace. She was cast alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda to play office workers who fantasize about getting revenge on their horrible boss, played by Dabney Coleman.
The film grossed more than $100 million. Parton was nominated for a Golden Globe award as Best Supporting Actress and Best New Film Star. But it was the song that sparkled on the awards circuit. "9 to 5" was nominated for an Academy Award and won two Grammys. The song also reached the top spot on the Billboard chart in 1981.
Her next movie role was alongside Burt Reynolds in "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," an establishment that is owned by Parton's character, Mona Stangley. Parton was nominated for a Golden Globe award in the Best Actress category.
She had a great movie run in the 1980s with "9 to 5," "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," "Rhinestone" and "Steel Magnolias."
Her music career was thriving too. In 1983, Parton and Kenny Rogers performed "Islands in the Stream," a song written by the Bee Gees. The song was later named the best country duet of all time by Country Music Television.
Parton's influence on music and movies together peaked in 1992 in the film "The Bodyguard." The film's star Whitney Houston sang "I Will Always Love You," which Parton had written in 1973. Houston's recording is considered one of the greatest performances of all time.
The song won the Grammy for Record of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance and the Bodyguard soundtrack won Album of the Year.
The back story about the song is incredible. Elvis Presley wanted to cover the song, but he insisted on getting a share of the publishing rights. Parton refused to give in, and Elvis released it.
As "The Bodyguard" was being developed as a film, Houston was supposed to sing "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted." But that song had been used in the film "Fried Green Tomatoes," so it was nixed. Then, Bodyguard star Kevin Costner suggested "I Will Always Love You," of which he had heard a cover version on a 1975 Linda Ronstadt album.
Ronstadt, however, had covered the song without the final verse:
I hope life treats you kind
and I hope you have all you've dreamed of
And I wish you joy and happiness
But above all this, I wish you love
When Parton heard her song was being used, she gave Houston her original version including the final verse.
After the movie came out, Parton said, "The way she took that simple song of mine and made it such a mighty thing, it almost became her song."
*****
While she was conquering Hollywood, Parton was opening Dollywood.
In 1986, Parton became part owner of Silver Dollar City, an aging amusement park in Pidgeon Forge, near the base of the Great Smoky Mountains. The park had opened in 1961 as Rebel Railroad, then Goldrush Junction, then simply Goldrush before it became Silver Dollar City in 1977.
Parton said her inspiration was bringing jobs to an otherwise poor area of Tennessee.
She changed the name to Dollywood, and the refurbished, 70-acre park re-opened May 3, 1986. Over the decades, the park more than doubled in size and added an adjacent Dollywood's Splash Country, Dollywood's DreamMore Resort and Spa and Dolly Parton's Stampede Dinner Attraction.
Dollywood grew to employ about 4,000 people. It attracts about 3.5 million people each year.
The park is designed to highlight East Tennessee culture with distinct areas: Showstreet, Rivertown Junction, Craftsman's Valley, The Village, Country Fair, Timber Canyon, Wilderness Pass, Jukebox Junction, Owens Farm, Adventures in Imagination and Wildwood Grove. The park is full of references to Parton's life growing up and after she became a star.
In 1988, she created the Dollywood Foundation, which was aimed at helping to educate children near her birthplace in Sevier County, specifically focusing on lowering the high school dropout rate. She promised $500 to every middle school student who graduated from 12th grade.
The "Buddy Program," as it was called, began with 35 percent dropout rates. The rate was six percent for the first graduating class. The program also offered several $15,000 scholarships to students.
*****
In the 1990s, Parton became a movie producer when her Sandollar Productions was one of the the companies behind the film "Father of the Bride" with Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley.
On television, Sandollar produced the hit show"Buffy the Vampire Slayer," starring Sarah Michelle Gellar.
She wrote a book in 1994 entitled "Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business" (Harper Collins). And, inspired by her father's inability to read and write, Parton established the Imagination Library in 1995 with the goal of getting books to pre-school age children.
“My daddy just loved it when all the little kids would call me ‘The Book Lady,’" Parton said. "That meant more to him than the fact that I had become a star and worked my butt off.”
By 2025, the Imagination Library had given away 270 million books through the mail.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Country star, philanthropist Dolly Parton has died at 80
