Dolly Parton, one of the most recognized figures in country music history, died at age 80. Her family announced her passing on August 25, according to Healthline.
The news was shared by her nephew Bryan Seaver in an Instagram video. "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, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next," he said in the video.
Seaver described the weight of the moment and his long connection to Parton. "This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, 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 in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens."
Seaver also shared a final wish Parton had expressed. She had told him she wanted to "rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest." He closed the announcement with the words: "Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly — Aunt, Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you."
Parton's cause of death had not been announced as of the time of reporting. Her health had been in decline following the death of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025. Just days before her own death, Parton had shared a video message with fans acknowledging her declining health. "As I've shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn't pay attention to when I was watching over Carl. You know, this isn't the first time I've had to manage something like this. Back in the early '80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it's not like I haven't been through hard times with my hea" she said, as reported by Healthline.
Parton's career spanned several decades and included 11 Grammy Awards, among them a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She appeared in films including Steel Magnolias and was connected to a musical inspired by her life, Dolly: A True Original Musical, which was reportedly set to open in the coming months.
Beyond music and film, Parton built a wide-ranging legacy. She founded Dollywood, a 165-acre theme park near the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, and created Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a children's book club program that has distributed books to millions of children around the world.
She was preceded in death by her husband Carl Thomas Dean, with whom she had been married for nearly 60 years.