Dolly Parton dies at 80
The country music and film star died in Nashville at 80; her family and publicist said she passed away peacefully.
Dolly Parton, the American singer-songwriter, actor, activist and philanthropist whose career spanned six decades, has died at the age of 80, her family said. Her publicist said she passed away peacefully in Nashville.
Parton had told People magazine in recent days that she was dealing with health issues but planned to keep working; she did not specify the nature of those problems.
Career and public life
One of the best-selling artists of all time, Parton sold more than 100 million albums and won 11 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. She crossed music, film and television during a long career and built the Dollywood theme park in her native Tennessee.
Her ability to connect with people from different backgrounds and to present a vivid personal image — from hairstyles and costumes to showmanship — helped bring country music to international audiences. She often spoke of her upbringing in poverty and used her fame and resources to support causes she believed in.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Parton donated $1 million to vaccine research, becoming an early sponsor of Moderna's vaccine development. She also led literacy programs for preschool children in the United States and in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland, and funded high-school scholarships in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she was born. A statue honoring her stands in Sevier County; when Nashville proposed erecting a statue of her in 2021, she declined the offer, saying, "Given what is happening in the world today, I don't think it's appropriate to put me on a pedestal."
In a video message her grandson Brian Siver said: "Following her example, we believed that everything was possible. For her there was never a door that could not be opened, and the doors she opened created and changed history."
Photo: EPA/WILL OLIVER *** Local Caption *** 51452428
