Watch: Audience gasps as Dolly Parton’s death is announced on stage at 9 to 5 musicalYour support helps us to tell the story
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The news of Dolly Parton’s death has been met with widespread heartbreak after the country music icon died at 80 following a “brief battle” with cancer.
According to TMZ, the singer will be buried in the mausoleum at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville, Tennessee, next to her husband Carl Dean, who died last year.
Singer Miley Cyrus, Parton’s goddaughter, remembered her “Aunt Dolly” as an “angel,” saying, “I will always love her and want to make her proud.
“My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply,” Cyrus said.
Everyone from Taylor Swift and Beyoncé to Eminem and Linda Ronstadt paid tribute to Parton, describing her as “the gift that kept on giving” and saying her legacy would be “an everlasting one.” Paul McCartney also remembered Parton, saying her songwriting, singing, and philanthropy were “unrivaled in the world of country music.”
Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver announced the news of her death saying: “Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus.” Her representative later confirmed that she had died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, surrounded by loved ones.
US president Donald Trump ordered flags to fly at half-staff in the US to honor Parton, writing: “This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will.”
Full story: Country legend dies aged 80 after a brief battle with cancer
Her death was announced by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, in an Instagram video posted Tuesday afternoon. The musician’s publicist confirmed Parton’s cancer diagnosis to the Associated Press later in the day, but did not give further details on her illness.
“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,” the statement from her reps to People magazine read.
“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. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”
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Jacob Stolworthy & Kevin E G Perry26 August 2026 04:08
Dolly Parton spent 35 years helping protect bald eagles
Four days before Dolly Parton died, Dollywood announced the next chapter of a conservation partnership she had helped sustain for 35 years.
Since 1991, Dollywood and the American Eagle Foundation have worked together to care for bald eagles and educate visitors about America’s national bird. Their partnership included Eagle Mountain Sanctuary at Dollywood, where non-releasable eagles were housed and displayed.
The sanctuary was damaged by a storm earlier this year, and the birds have since been cared for at the American Eagle Foundation’s 50-acre conservation and education campus in Kodak, Tennessee.
On August 21, the organisations announced that those eagles would remain there permanently.
“For 35 years, our partnership with the American Eagle Foundation has allowed millions of Dollywood guests to learn about and appreciate the bald eagle and other birds of prey,” said Eugene Naughton, Dollywood Parks & Resorts President. “We look forward to continuing our work together, and we plan to continue inspiring our guests to care for these remarkable birds and the natural world around us.”
The partnership has also contributed to broader conservation efforts: the American Eagle Foundation says it has successfully released more than 400 bald eagles into the wild.
Shahana Yasmin27 August 2026 09:45
Dolly Parton expertly shut down this woman who tried to fashion shame herDolly Parton expertly shut down this woman who tried to fashion shame her
Shahana Yasmin27 August 2026 09:30
Dolly Parton’s greatest quotes
Dolly Parton: A life in quotes
Parton was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond, a rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics
Jacob Stolworthy27 August 2026 09:15
Ricky Schroder, who played Dolly Parton’s father in biographical TV movies about the singer’s life, has been branded insensitive for questioning her politics in his tribute.
Alongside a photo of himself with Parton, he wrote: “I didnt agree with her advocating for Transgender & Covid Vaccine support…but Loved her anyway. Thank you for choosing me Dolly to be your Movie Daddy.”
Ricky Schroder with Dolly Parton in 2015 (Getty Images)
Jacob Stolworthy27 August 2026 09:00
Dolly Parton secretly recorded a song for a time capsule – which won’t be opened until 2046
Dolly Parton secretly recorded new music, which has been sealed inside a time capsule that won’t be opened until the year 2046.
The track, titled “My Place in History”, was placed by the late queen of country in a wooden box at Dollywood’s DreamMore resort, which opened back in 2015.
In her book Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, Parton reveals that the resort’s staff have been specifically instructed to leave the box unopened until the date she specified: what would have been her 100th birthday on 19 January 2046.
Jacob Stolworthy27 August 2026 08:45
Vin Diesel shares surprising Dolly Parton tribute
The most unexpected tribute to Dolly Parton has rolled in from gruff-voiced Fast & Furious star Vin Diesel, who has shared a tender rendition of her hit “I Will Always Love You”.
Jacob Stolworthy27 August 2026 08:30
I interviewed Dolly Parton – this is what she taught me
The Independent’s Music Editor Roisin O’Connor writes…
I don’t often get nervous interviewing people, but Dolly Parton was someone I’d idolised since I was a child, driving my family crazy with off-key renditions of “9 to 5” and “Jolene”. Alongside my grandma and Shania Twain, she was one of the three big role models in my life. She was the queen of country music and so much more: a pioneer, a business genius, an exceptional songwriter and storyteller, a producer, a benefactor… in short: a one-of-a-kind woman. As someone who has often been made to feel as though I am “too much” – something I know many women will relate to – Parton seemed to exist to tell you to be more.
O’Connor goes on to say…
When I asked Parton how she wanted to be remembered, I thought she might say as a songwriter, as she had in previous interviews. Instead, she said she wanted to be remembered “as somebody who took her work serious, but not herself. Someone who brought books to children all over the world. For the fact that I managed to make a living doing something I love to do. And as a caring, giving, working girl.”
I interviewed Dolly Parton – this is what she taught me
The queen of country has died aged 80, leaving behind a phenomenal legacy. Roisin O’Connor remembers interviewing her idol in 2023 and the lessons she taught her then and throughout her life, from leading with kindness to being ‘more’ when people try to tell you to be ‘less’
Jacob Stolworthy27 August 2026 08:25
The devastated Dolly Parton tribute acts who have to keep on singing
Dolly Parton tribute acts have revealed that they’ve received a huge number of requests for performances and interviews since the “9 to 5” singer’s death, and have been fielding calls and emails while processing their own grief over the country music icon’s shock passing.
Jacob Stolworthy27 August 2026 08:15
Dolly Parton’s funeral arrangements revealed
According to TMZ, the singer will be buried in a mausoleum at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville, Tennessee, next to her husband Carl Dean, who died last year. It will be a private ceremony.
Jacob Stolworthy27 August 2026 08:10