Dolly Parton Dead at 80 Following Short Fight with Cancer

Country music legend Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer, her team confirmed. She passed away on Tuesday, August 25, at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, surrounded by loved ones. Parton had been admitted to the center just four days earlier on Friday, August 21. The type of cancer was not shared publicly.

In a statement released to PEOPLE, her team reflected on the life she lived. “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. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”

The news first came through a video posted by her nephew Bryan Seaver on her Instagram account. Seaver, who has served as head of security for more than two decades following in his father’s footsteps, spoke on behalf of the Parton and Owens family. He introduced himself as the son of Cassie Parton and explained that Dolly had asked him years ago to make this announcement when the time came. “It is an honor, an honor 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.”

Parton had been open in recent months about health struggles that intensified after the March 2025 death of her husband of nearly six decades, Carl Dean. Just days before she died, she told PEOPLE she was dealing with issues she had not paid enough attention to while caring for him. She recalled earlier challenges in the 1980s and insisted she was still healing and still working, saying she still had so many dreams left to chase.

Over a career that spanned more than six decades, Parton became one of the best-selling female country artists of all time with classics like “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene,” and “9 to 5.” Beyond the music she was known for her warmth, humor, and extraordinary generosity that touched millions who never met her.