Remembering Dolly Parton: Country Music Legend Passes Away at Age 80

US country music legend Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, her family announced on Tuesday. In a video message honouring her legacy, Parton's nephew Bryan Seaver confirmed the news of her death. No cause was given. In May, she cancelled a planned Las Vegas residency due to health issues that she said left her feeling “swimmy headed.”

Over the course of her career, spanning seven decades, Parton became a household name, with hits such as I Will Always Love You, 9 to 5 and Jolene forming a musical backdrop for generations of Americans. Her timeless music, vibrant personality and glamorous appearance helped introduce country music to international audiences.

"A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family," a statement posted on Parton's X account read. "Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience."

Coming from a self-described "dirt-poor" family, Parton often stood as a symbol of working-class Americans and regularly threw her name and money behind causes she believed in. President Donald Trump ordered US flags to be flown at half-mast for a week in Parton’s honour, saying in a social media post that “there has never been anyone like her, and never will.”

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Parton donated $1 million to vaccine research at Vanderbilt University in 2020, making her an early sponsor of Moderna's vaccine development. She conducted a literacy program for young children across the United States, as well as in Canada, Britain, Australia and Ireland, and provided scholarships to high school students in the Tennessee county where she was born.

It was this ability to stay true to her roots, combined with her drive to work hard and her nonpartisanship, that fuelled her appeal among conservatives and liberals in a politically polarised America. As a businesswoman, she presided over the creation of Dollywood, a theme park that became the most-visited tourist attraction in Tennessee and the largest employer in her home county of Sevier. She sold over 100 million records worldwide and had an estimated net worth of $450 million, according to Forbes.

Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, and grew up in a one-room cabin in nearby Locust Ridge. One of 12 children of tobacco farmer Robert Lee Parton, her difficult childhood gave credibility to her often personal songs trilled in a distinctive soprano. Her mother, Avie Lee, would sing constantly — songs from England, Ireland and Wales that told a story. "Mama had this haunting voice, and Lord you would feel it," Parton wrote in her 2020 book Dolly Parton, Songteller co-authored with Robert K. Oermann. Parton got her first real guitar when she was eight.