Country music legend Dolly Parton has died at 80.
Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver announced the news Tuesday 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 says. “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,” he continues. “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.”
A rep for Parton has revealed the musician died following a brief battle with cancer.
After fans raised concerns about her health after a Las Vegas residency was canceled, Parton posted an update on social media on August 14.
“I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I’ve had a few little health issues and sometimes I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated. And I’m dehydrated. So my Nashville doctor has kind of clipped my wings, saying, ‘You ain’t traveling this week.’ So I guess if your doctor tells you, ‘You ain’t traveling this week,’ you ain’t traveling this week.”
Just days before her death, Parton revealed she was dealing with health issues she didn’t fully address when caring for her late husband, Carl Dean, who died in 2025.
Despite health complications, Parton had every intention to continue with her work, telling PEOPLE, “Even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’.”
Parton’s decades-long career saw her become the best-selling female country music artist of all time, selling more than 160 million albums worldwide. Best known for her distinct glamour and incredible songwriting, Parton was also a movie star, philanthropist, author, and entrepreneur. Her loss will be felt across industries.
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