International superstar Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80 in Nashville, according to a video message released by her family. Her passing comes after a brief battle with cancer.
I am absolutely gutted by the news.
From Variety:
Singer-songwriter-actress Dolly Parton, whose glittering country music stardom was matched by her pop fame and popular parallel careers in film and TV, died on Aug. 25. She was 80 years old.
Parton’s health issues had become headlines in the fall of 2025. On Sept. 28, she announced that she would not be able to follow through on a six-show December residency at Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace that had been announced as a long-awaited return to the concert stage.
Parton’s health had become a further subject of concern on Sept. 30 when she announced that she would not be participating in the Motion Picture Academy’s Governors Awards in November to accept the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
More from the Washington Post:
By the end of her career, she had written more than 3,000 — sometimes scribbling lyrics on dry cleaning receipts and other scraps of paper in her incessant creative drive — and sold more than 100 million records with hits such as “Jolene,” “My Tennessee Mountain Home,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You.”
She won 11 Grammy Awards, as well as one for lifetime achievement in 2011, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, received a Living Legend medal from the Library of Congress in 2004 and was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006. In 2022, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Ms. Parton parlayed her musical success into a movie career, starring with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in “9 to 5” as overworked office employees who seek vengeance — and fair pay — from their sexist boss.
Ms. Parton later played a brothel owner in the musical comedy “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (1982) and a Southern beautician, a.k.a. “glamour technician,” in the three-hanky film “Steel Magnolias” (1989).
On top of all that talent, Dolly was a true blueprint of a life well lived. An incredible humanitarian, it seems it was just in her DNA to be a good and kind person. And she shared the wealth of her incredible “rags to riches” life with untold charities and organizations.
A lifelong philanthropist and advocate for literacy, education, LGBTQ+ rights, healthcare and disaster relief. One example – her Imagination Library has provided hundreds of millions of books to children around the world, helping inspire a love of reading for generations.
Over the years, she repeatedly spoke about acceptance, individuality, and the belief that people should be allowed to live as their authentic selves.
In an interview with Joy Behar in 2009, Dolly was asked why she believed she had such a large gay following. Her answer was pure Dolly. She said that LGBTQ+ fans understood what it was like to feel different and to struggle to be accepted. Dolly didn’t ask people to tone themselves down – she celebrated difference.
When asked whether she supported same-sex marriage, she responded in a most Dolly Parton manner: “Sure, why can’t they get married? They should suffer like the rest of us do.”
The joke was vintage Dolly, but the message was serious.
“For LGBTQ+ fans, Dolly was always more than a country music superstar,” writes my Instinct Magazine colleague Adam Dupuis. “She was a safe space wrapped in sequins. A woman whose music, humor, kindness, and unapologetic larger-than-life personality made generations of queer people feel seen, welcomed, and celebrated.”
Factoid: Dolly wrote and performed the original song “Travelin’ Thru” for the 2005 film Transamerica, which centers on a trans woman on a road trip across America with her long-lost son.
In interviews, Dolly shared that she drew on her own experiences as an outsider raised in a strict religious family, as well as friendships with transgender individuals.
“Travelin’ Thru” was nominated for Best Original Song at the 78th Academy Awards and also received Golden Globe and Grammy nominations.
Here’s a little trip on the Wayback Machine with Dolly sharing what she always did so well.
Rest in rhinestones, dear Dolly. We will always love you.
In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com.
My only direct connection to Dolly – by one degree of separation: For years Olivia Newton-John would ask me if I had any thoughts on what she might consider for a new recording. My answer was always the same – “Please record ‘Jolene’ with Dolly Parton. Can the blondes please sing together?”
Olivia’s last recording before her passing in 2022 was a virtual duet with Dolly. I was (and am still) thrilled with the result.
Remembering Dolly Parton, an enduring LGBTQ+ icon whose music, compassion, and outspoken support for LGBTQ+ people helped create greater visibility and acceptance across generations. Her legacy as an ally and champion of love, individuality, and inclusion will continue to… pic.twitter.com/GShmohaZN6
— NOH8 Campaign (@NOH8Campaign) August 25, 2026
Dolly Parton, the beloved global entertainment icon who sold more than 100 million records and whose songwriting prowess and sure-handed approach to her career reshaped the face of country music, popular music, and the entertainment industry at large, has died. 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/26XKiL4snm
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) August 25, 2026
Dolly Parton spent her life helping kids, marginalized communities and people in need, while entertaining millions.
She never had to, she chose to.
In a world full of wannabe Donald Trumps, choose to be a Dolly Parton.
— Melanie D’Arrigo (@DarrigoMelanie) August 25, 2026
(lead image via Depositphotos)
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