Dolly Parton’s Life in Photos

Andrea Wurzburger, Brendan LeTue, August 25, 2026 at 6:33 PM UTC

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Dolly Parton in 2001Credit: Paul Harris/Getty

Dolly Parton will forever be remembered as one of music’s greatest.

Over her 70 years in the industry, the country icon did it all: She released 50 studio albums exploring many genres, won 11 Grammys and three Emmys, wrote 25 No. 1 hits, starred in timeless films, dedicated her fortune to philanthropy and even opened her own theme park.

On Aug. 25, 2026, her nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, announced via her Instagram that the legendary musician had died at age 80.

“Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by [her husband Carl Dean], her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens,” said Seaver.

In memory of the legendary star, look back at the singer, songwriter and actress’s life and career in photos.

01 of 25

Dolly Parton’s Childhood

Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on Jan. 19, 1946, in a cabin in Pittman Center, Tenn., the fourth-eldest child of Avie Lee Caroline and Robert Lee Parton Sr.

02 of 25

Dolly Parton’s Early Career

Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Parton was musical as a child, and, encouraged by an uncle who bought her a guitar, began performing by age 10 on a television variety show in Knoxville, followed by her Grand Ole Opry debut three years later, in 1959. In 1964, she moved to Nashville to pursue a music career, and gained initial traction as a songwriter rather than a performer herself.

03 of 25

Dolly Parton Marries Carl Dean

Dolly Parton and Carl DeanCredit: Dolly Parton/Instagram

In 1966, she married the love of her life, Carl Dean, after two years of dating. (In fact, they met on her first day in Nashville in 1964!) The two were a notoriously private couple, with Dean rarely accompanying her to public events and avoiding the spotlight. They remained together until his death at age 82 on March 3, 2025.

04 of 25

Dolly Parton’s Debut Album

Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

After a decade of success as a songwriter, she released her debut album Hello, I’m Dolly in 1967, beginning a six-decade music career. She became fast friends with fellow country singers including Porter Wagoner, and the two became musical partners in the early 1970s.

05 of 25

Dolly Parton Performs on ‘The Porter Wagoner Show’

Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

When she struck out to go solo, she was inspired to write her her No. 1 classic “I Will Always Love You,” which Whitney Houston later covered for The Bodyguard soundtrack.

06 of 25

Dolly Parton Goes Mainstream

Credit: Armando Pietrangeli/Shutterstock

By 1976, the country singer began positioning her music in a more pop-oriented direction. Her 1977 record New Harvest...First Gathering saw her cover pop and R&B classics like “My Girl” by the Temptations.

07 of 25

Dolly Parton at the Grammys

Dolly PartonCredit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Out of 55 nominations, Parton has won 11 trophies at the Grammys, picking up her first in 1979 and most recently in 2021, for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.

08 of 25

Dolly Parton in ‘9 to 5’

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For 1980’s 9 to 5, in which she costarred with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, Parton penned an Academy Award-nominated title track for the movie that has since become a working-class classic.

09 of 25

Dolly Parton in ‘Rhinestone’

Credit: 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images

She starred in the musical comedy Rhinestone opposite Sylvester Stallone. Though the film did not perform commercially, Parton earned two top 10 hits on the country charts with songs for the soundtrack, “Tennessee Homesick Blues” and “God Won’t Get You.”

10 of 25

Dolly Parton’s Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

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Parton has made her mark all over the country — literally! The Nashville legend received her Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 1984 alongside Rhinestone costar Stallone.

11 of 25

Dolly Parton’s Variety Show ‘Dolly’

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She debuted her primetime variety show Dolly in 1987, which ran for 22 episodes and concluded in 1988.

12 of 25

Dolly Parton’s Style

Credit: Ron Davis/Getty Images

Her fashion sense has become iconic in its own right, synonymous with maximalist country glam, complete with jeweled embellishments and massive wigs.

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13 of 25

Dolly Parton in ‘Steel Magnolias’

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She joined the star-studded ensemble of 1989’s Steel Magnolias alongside Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Daryl Hannah and Shirley MacLaine. (She’s seen here at the film’s L.A. premiere.)

14 of 25

Dolly Parton’s Dollywood

Credit: Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Parton bought an interest in theme park Silver Dollar City, and in 1986, the park reopened as “Dollywood.”

15 of 25

Dolly Parton at the Grand Ole Opry

Credit: Ron Davis/Getty Images

Following her Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 13, Parton has returned to the renowned venue multiple times over the years.

16 of 25

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

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She spoke about her initiative to promote literacy in children, Imagination Library, during a luncheon address at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

17 of 25

Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus in ‘Hannah Montana’

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Parton played the on-screen godmother to her real-life goddaughterMiley Cyrus in Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana.

18 of 25

Dolly Parton at ‘9 to 5: The Musical’

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For penning the music and lyrics for 9 to 5: The Musical on Broadway, she earned her first Tony nomination for Best Original Score.

19 of 25

Dolly Parton Inducts Reba McEntire into the Country Music Hall of Fame

Credit: Ed Rode/Getty Images

A 1999 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Parton returned in 2011 to give a speech in honor of her good friend Reba McEntire.

20 of 25

Dolly Parton Begins Her Last Concert Tour

Credit: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

In 2016, she embarked on her last full-scale concert tour, the Pure & Simple Tour, her biggest North American run of shows ever. Although she has not toured since, Parton continued to take the stage at a more limited capacity, with shorter concert series and one-off performances.

21 of 25

Dolly Parton Supporting Charities and Foundations

Credit: Shahar Azran/Shutterstock

Throughout her career, Parton has contributed to numerous philanthropic causes outside of her own endeavors, including performing at Nile Rodgers‘ We Are Family Foundation Gala.

22 of 25

‘Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings’

Dolly PartonCredit: Netflix

The 2019 Netflix anthology series Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings depicted the stories and inspirations behind her most famous songs, including “Jolene” and “Two Doors Down.”

23 of 25

Dolly Parton Gets Her Covid-19 Vaccine

Credit: Dolly parton/Twitter

After donating $1 million toward research for the Covid-19 vaccine, she received her first shot in March 2021.

24 of 25

Dolly Parton Rings in 2023 with Miley Cyrus

Credit: Vijat Mohindra/NBC via Getty

She made a special appearance to perform with Cyrus during her goddaughter’s New Year’s Eve special, during which they performed “Jolene.”

25 of 25

Dolly Parton Dies at 80

Dolly PartonCredit: Jim Wright

On Aug. 25, 2026, her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced on Parton’s official Instagram that the country music legend died at age 80, four days after she acknowledged her decline in health following the death of her husband Carl Dean.

“Dolly opened doors not just for me but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible. Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent,” Seaver said in the video message. “By her example, we believed that anything is possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history.”

He added, “My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you. She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family whether you liked it or not.”

“Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy; he farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest,” Seaver concluded. “Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly — Aunt, Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you.”

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