Country music legend Dolly Parton dies at 80
Dolly Parton, the celebrated singer-songwriter and philanthropist, died at age 80, her family announced. The star had been dealing with health issues and had recently cancelled a Las Vegas show.
Dolly Parton, the iconic country singer and entertainer, died at age 80, her family said on Tuesday. The announcement was made by her nephew Brian Seaver in a video posted to Parton's Instagram, where he identified himself as the family representative and head of security.
"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," Seaver said. "She lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by her late husband Carl, her parents, and countless others. Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly. May God bless you all."
Parton's death follows a May announcement that she was canceling a Las Vegas residency and undergoing treatment for kidney-stone complications. In a prior statement she joked about the frequency of procedures and later described ongoing immune and digestive issues.
She had recently spoken about coping with the loss of her husband Carl Dean, who died in March, saying she remained determined to continue performing.
During a six-decade career, Parton sold more than 100 million records, earned 11 Grammy Awards and appeared in films such as "9 to 5" and "Steel Magnolias." She built a diversified entertainment business, including the Dollywood theme park, and founded the Dollywood Foundation and the Imagination Library, which has distributed over 300 million books to children worldwide.
Katherine Dacey, a professor at the Berklee College of Music, noted that Parton's "high soprano voice gets its distinctive character from her fast vibrato and vocal twang."