Flags will fly at half-staff for a week in honor of country music legend Dolly Parton, according to the White House. Parton died on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at age 80.
The White House announced the honor in an Aug. 25 news release, calling it a "mark of respect" in memory of the "9 to 5" singer and philanthropist.
Parton died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, after a brief battle with an undisclosed cancer, her representatives told USA TODAY.
Flags will fly at half-staff at the White House, on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, on all naval vessels in Washington, D.C., and throughout the United States until sunset on Sept. 1, according to the news release. Flags will also be flown at half-staff for
the same period at U.S. embassies, legations, consular offices and other facilities abroad.
Notably, the flags will remain at half-staff longer than they did upon the deaths of other recent influential figures, including Charlie Kirk (four days), Pope Francis (five days) and Lindsey Graham (five days).
Why does the US fly flags at half-staff for deaths?
The American flag flies at half-staff or half-mast when the country or a state is in mourning. The president, a state governor or the Washington, D.C., mayor can order flags to fly at half-staff.
The order is usually given for one of three observances, according to USA.gov: The death of a government official, military member, or emergency first responder; a national tragedy; and Memorial Day or another national day of remembrance.
Flying a flag at half-mast refers to a flag on a vessel, not on land. But both are done in times of mourning.
Shortly after Parton's death was announced Tuesday, President Donald Trump offered his condolences and ordered the flags to be lowered in her honor.
"Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away. This is a true loss for millions of people," he wrote in a Truth Social post. "There has never been anyone like her, and never will," Trump wrote. "In her honor, I am lowering the American flag throughout the United States for a one week period beginning tonight at 6:00PM. Rest in Peace, Dolly! The World loves you."
Parton's health struggles
Though Parton's health diagnosis has not been revealed, Freida Parton raised concerns by asking fans to pray for her sister in October 2025 after the singer postponed her Las Vegas residency due to health complications and exhaustion.
At that time, Parton responded to concerns in a video message that she was doing "OK" but had "some problems" to deal with and was undergoing "a few treatments." Then, in May 2026, as she canceled all of her Las Vegas shows, she said she was "responding really well to meds and treatments" and "improving every day" but wasn't performance-ready yet.
The legendary songstress then skipped the grand opening of a new ride at her Dollywood theme park on Aug. 14 because of her health, instead attending virtually with a video message.
"I've told you before, all my fans, that I've had a few little health issues and sometimes I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated. And I'm dehydrated," she said at the time. "So my Nashville doctor has kind of clipped my wings, saying, 'You ain't traveling this week.' So I guess if your doctor tells you, 'You ain't traveling this week,' you ain't traveling this week."
Contributing: Liza Esquibias & Bryan West, USA TODAY
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Flags at half-staff for Dolly Parton. They'll be lowered for this long
