Icon Dolly Parton dies at 80

I hope people were looking me in the eye

Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean (Jan. 19, 1946–Aug. 25, 2026) has passed away. She was an American icon, musician, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman.

Once dubbed the "Queen of Country," she was one of the most-honored female country performers, receiving various accolades, including

• 11 Grammy Awards,
• 3 Emmy Awards, and
• 1 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, along with nominations for
• 2 Academy Awards,
• 6 Golden Globe Awards, and
• 1 Tony Award.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

Dolly wrote her first song at the age of 6, began performing regularly on TV at the age of 10, and made her first recording at the age of 11.

She became a professional songwriter at the age of 16 and, after writing hits for other artists, released her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, in 1967, beginning a career spanning 60 years that produced 50 studio albums.

Dolly composed more than 3,000 songs, including "I Will Always Love You" (a two-time U.S. country chart-topper and an international hit for Whitney Houston that sold 40 million copies worldwide), "Jolene," "Coat of Many Colors," and "9 to 5."

As an actress, she starred in 9 to 5 (1980) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), earning Golden Globe nominations for both, as well as Rhinestone (1984), Steel Magnolias (1989), Straight Talk (1992), and Joyful Noise (2012). More