Dolly PARTONLegendary singer Dolly Parton has died, aged 80.
Parton’s death comes after she lost her beloved husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Thomas Dean, in March 2025, following a long illness.
She recently sparked concern when she was forced to push her planned Las Vegas residency from last December to September, before confirming that she would instead cancel the shows due to health issues.
The Tennessee native has commanded an impressive, decades-long career and first found her passion for music at a young age, recording the single "Puppy Love" in 1959, when she was just 13. She was initially marketed as a pop singer before fighting to rebrand as a country artist, with her first country single, "Dumb Blonde," hitting the airwaves in 1966.
Shortly after this, she teamed up with Porter Wagoner and landed a coveted slot on his eponymous TV series, appearing in 218 episodes. The pair went on to release a string of hits together, including The Last Thing On My Mind. Their professional relationship was said to be the inspiration for her 1974 hit "I Will Always Love You," which was later covered by Whitney Houston.
After this, her solo career soared, and she released Here You Come Again, You’re The Only One, Heartbreaker and But You Know That I Love You, among many more.
Parton went on to become one of the most decorated singers in history and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. She landed 10 Grammys, 13 Academy of Country Music Awards, an Emmy win, as well as a Tony nomination and two Oscar nominations. In 2025, she was honoured by the Academy with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
She also showcased her talents on screen, appearing in a string of films and TV shows over the years, including Steel Magnolias, Gnomeo and Juliet, The Beverly Hillbillies, and a cameo in The Simpsons.
Away from the spotlight, she became known for her remarkable charitable efforts, primarily through her Dollywood Foundation. She founded her own literacy programme, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a book-gifting initiative aimed at inspiring young children to enjoy reading in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland.
Our thoughts are with Dolly's family, friends and fans at this sad time. We invite you to pay tribute to Dolly below.
* Credit Mirror.com for the article and image.
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