Dolly Parton, who was born in a two-room log cabin and rose to become the world’s wealthiest country music star with timeless hits including “9 to 5” and “Jolene,” has died 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 later in the day, but did not give further details on her illness. 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.
After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.” Earlier, Seaver said that Parton had asked him years ago to record the video announcing her death. He served as Parton’s head of security for more than two decades. A cause of death was not revealed.
However, Parton had been open about struggling with her health in recent months, forcing a slew of concert and public appearance cancellations. Most recently, Parton was forced to pull out of attending the opening night of a new attraction at Dollywood, her Tennessee theme park last week. The singer suffered dizziness and dehydration and her doctor advised her against travel.
Parton became one of the most beloved singer-songwriters of all time and sold more than 100 million records globally, earning her the nickname the “Queen of Country,” over the course of her six-decade career. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
She wrote more than 3,000 songs, and a record-breaking 44 of her albums reached the top 10 on the country music charts. She won eleven Grammy Awards, three Emmy Awards and was set to receive an honorary Oscar for her humanitarian work in 2026. She was believed to be the world’s wealthiest country music star, with an estimated net worth of $500m, and became a noted philanthropist.
She was known for her efforts to encourage literacy around the world through her Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library, and also used her money to fight the HIV/Aids crisis, fund the American Red Cross and develop a Covid vaccine. In 2022, she was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy and commented: “I just give from my heart. I never know what I’m going to do or why I’m gonna do it.
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