'Dolly has lived in the light' Country music legend Dolly Parton has died

Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer.

Nephew Brian Seaver said in a video shared on her Instagram page: “My name is Brian 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 added: “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.”

Mr Seaver added: “It is an honour, an honour 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.”

Dolly sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling country music artists in history.

Tributes from around the world have honoured the country music superstar.

The biggest names in music – including Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Mick Jagger, Taylor Swift and Beyonce – have all detailed her impact and her legacy, as both a musician and a humanitarian.

Landmarks around the US were lit up pink in her honour, including the Empire State Building in New York, the Willis Tower in Chicago and the Pacific Park Ferris Wheel in Los Angeles.

News of Parton’s death was announced by her family on Tuesday night, and her publicist Marcel Pariseau said: “After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Centre surrounded by loved ones.”

The singer, 80, was best known for her genre-defining hits including 9 To 5, I Will Always Love You and Jolene.

The statement continued: “Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.

“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.”

The type of cancer was not disclosed.

Parton’s husband Carl Dean died last year aged 82.

Flags will be lowered throughout America in Parton’s honour, US President Donald Trump announced, posting on Truth Social “there has never been anyone like her”.

Jane Fonda, who starred in the film 9 To 5 with Parton and was a lifelong friend, said she was “devastated”, adding: “I know that millions are mourning and I want to say this – more than anyone I have ever known, Dolly will always be with us because she was so present, so powerful, so generous and playful that she is woven into all our lives and hearts forever.

“We have our memories of her, her songs, Dollywood, ‘9to5’, the millions of books she got into the hands of children, all the iconic images that bring her to us.

“And they are all blessings. Let’s be grateful for all that she has left us to ease our sadness now.”

Singer Beyonce, who covered Jolene on her 2024 album Cowboy Carter, said Parton was the “north star” for the industry.

She added: “Dolly, you were the barometer. The north star. Bold and brilliant. Talented and tenacious. You taught so many lessons on how to be uniquely oneself. I am grateful for your art, your heart, your generosity, your humor, your entrepreneurship.

“I’m honoured that I had the privilege to work with you. I will treasure that forever. Thank you for your profound impact on the world. You are an angel who has made this world a happier place because of your joyful art. You are truly one of one. Rest peacefully.”

Swift said a world without Dolly Parton “doesn’t feel possible, real, or right”.

She added: “But because of the eternally generous way she spent her time on this earth and the countless lives she changed for the better, her legacy will be an everlasting one.

“She was truly the gift that kept on giving. Dolly gave us someone to look up to while encouraging us to be who we are as individuals. Somehow, she was able to give us her lessons about the world gently and honestly, simultaneously, and oftentimes hilariously.”

Sir Paul remembered Parton as a “magnificent star”, adding: “It is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly”, while Sir Mick said: “We will all miss her so much.”

Piano Man singer Billy Joel said Parton “transcended time and became one of those iconic artists who is known for just being Dolly, beyond a specific song or moment in time”.

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey said “she brought the light, and we are all better because she was here”.

The family of country singer Kenny Rogers, with whom Parton duetted on Islands In The Stream, said: “It’s painstakingly hard to put into words what you meant to Kenny… and to all of us.

“When the two of you sang about being islands in the stream who together had found peace unknown, having real love for each other as true friends who would always stand by each other, and how you just can’t make old friends, it was always as genuine as it could possibly be…coming straight from the heart and reflecting what you both felt for each other.”

Rogers died in 2020.

In May, Parton pulled out of a highly anticipated Las Vegas residency, which was due to begin in September.

She had already postponed her six-date run at The Colosseum Theatre at Caesars Palace from December 2025 to deal with “health challenges”.

At Parton’s request, a small, private funeral service will be held for immediate family, a statement from her family on social media said.

In lieu of flowers, her family asked for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

She was a savvy businesswoman with an empire that included a theme park, aptly named Dollywood, and a pioneering philanthropist.

Imagination Library, a programme devoted to inspiring a love of reading in children, has given more than 300 million books to children in need.

She was also a supporter of several charities for black and LGBT+ communities, as well as the Barbara Davis Centre for Childhood Diabetes, Save the Music Foundation and the Boot Campaign.

In 2020, she donated one million dollars (£733,000) to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University, which helped fund Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine.

Parton was also a prolific songwriter, who penned I Will Always Love You – one of the defining love songs of the 20th century – as a goodbye to her former creative partner Porter Wagoner, who hired her to be his sidekick on his eponymous TV show and helped her land a record deal.

The song became a blockbuster hit when Whitney Houston recorded a cover for the 1992 film The Bodyguard.

Parton was born in a single-room cabin in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, in 1946, as the fourth of 12 children.

She began her musical journey at the age of six, singing in the local church where her grandfather was the pastor.

By the age of 13, she had reached the pinnacle of country music success: an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

Over the course of her career, which spanned more than 60 years, Parton sold more than 100 million records worldwide and wrote more than 3,000 songs, including hits Coat Of Many Colours and Joshua.