Dolly Parton, who went from a loving childhood although marked by poverty in the mountains of eastern Tennessee to becoming the queen of country music, a Hollywood star, and a beloved American icon, died this Tuesday, her family announced. She was 80 years old and had been in fragile health for months.
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Her nephew, Brian Seaver, announced the news in a video posted on his Instagram account. He did not provide details about her death.
“My name is Brian Seaver, I am the son of Cassie Parton and today I represent the Parton and Owens families to announce the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, sister, ‘Sis’ and ‘Granny’ to one generation, and ‘Gigi’ to the next,” Seaver said in the video.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked me to do years ago, before I could fully grasp that one day it would be a reality. As the person responsible for her security for more than two decades, a position my father, Larry, held before me, I have imagined the weight of this moment, but I had not truly felt it until now,” he added.
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Seaver added that Dolly “lived in the light and is now in the arms of Jesus, surely welcomed by Carl, her parents, and many others.”
Her death comes after Parton suddenly announced in May 2026 that she was canceling a show in Las Vegas and said she had been undergoing treatment for kidney stones for several years.
“Lord, they take out more stones from me each year than there are in the Rockwood, Tennessee quarry,” Parton said in a statement then. “But seriously, my immune system and digestive system have been completely out of control for the last two or three years, and they are working very hard to rebuild and strengthen them. I hope to be back in full shape soon,” she promised.
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