PHOTO BY GLENDA S. PARADEE
The legendary Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean died Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville following a brief battle with cancer. She was 80. A small, private service was held. She was interred next to her late husband, Carl Dean, in Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum. Memorials are encouraged to Imagination Library.
The death of Dolly Parton is as big as Elvis.
This rocks the country and the world in the same way and we won’t get over this for a long time.
God bless this beautiful girl.
– Don McLean
Quite simply The G.O.A.T
Thanks for the songs, the laughs, the humility and grace.
Without a doubt a woman who God truly has his hands on.
Rock on Dolly, baby rock on.
– Kid Rock
Dolly Parton has always carried a light that shines from deep within. It is a light that will never fade.
Her gifts as a singer, songwriter, musician, actress and entertainer are legendary. But as remarkable as her talent is, I believe her greatest legacy is her heart. Her faith in God, her kindness, her incredible work ethic and her generosity are simply part of who Dolly is. She has that rare gift of connecting with people and making everyone feel like they matter.
And perhaps that is why her music has meant so much to so many of us. We all lived a little bit of life through Dolly’s songs. She gave words to love and heartache, hope and hardship, joy and dreams. Somehow, she could tell her story and make it feel like ours.
Dolly has spent a lifetime sharing her light with others. Perhaps the greatest tribute we can give her is to carry a little of that light forward ourselves: to be kinder, to give more generously, to lift others up, and to leave the world a little brighter than we found it.
One beautiful way to do that is by supporting Dolly’s Imagination Library and helping continue the work she began, putting books into the hands and dreams into the hearts of children everywhere.
Thank you, Dolly, for the music, the laughter, the faith, the generosity and, most of all, the heart you have shared with all of us.
We will always love you, Dolly.
-Lee Greenwood
Dolly was the songbook of many of our lives. I remember when she joined the Porter Waggoner Show. We were on those shows and shared the same dressing room. She was charming then, just as she was the last time I saw her. “When I Sing For Him” is one of my favorite songs she ever sang. We recorded “Coat Of Many Colors”, written by Dolly. When she wrote, “I Will Always Love You”, I believe that is one of the greatest songs ever written.
When she called us to help open her new theater in Pigeon Forge, I was thrilled. One of the highlights of my career is to have THE OAK RIDGE BOYS, BOB HOPE, DOLLY PARTON, opening her new theater.
Dolly, I could go on and on about you giving to children’s learning, but others will want to thank you.
I will close with, “I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU”
– Duane Allen
The Oak Ridge Boys
George and Dolly shared a truly special bond. They came up together playing the Grand Ole Opry and became part of the very fabric of Nashville and country music. Dolly always said George Jones was her all-time favorite singer. I will never forget when they recorded together during The Bradley Barn Sessions. God bless Dolly. Country music will always love her.
– Nancy Jones
It would take a lifetime to express the love and gratitude I have for Dolly Parton.
She was a true friend and mentor, even making a trip from Nashville to Greentop, Missouri when I had a life threatening illness.
She said, “I had to make sure you’re okay myself.”
Her work ethic was unmatched, and although she was a world icon, she was as down to earth your next door neighbor.
I will ALWAYS love you Dolly!!
– Rhonda Vincent
When I was growing up in Wabash, Indiana, I would sit on the floor in front of our TV on Saturday afternoons waiting for the Porter Waggoner show to come on. I couldn’t wait for Dolly to sing.
I loved her voice and songs and how beautiful she was. I thought Dolly was an angel. When I first met her, I realized that she was.
We will always love and miss our Dolly.
– Crystal Gayle
My heart is broken over the passing of my dear friend Dolly Parton. Dolly brought so much joy to this world through her songs, her kindness, her humor, and her beautiful spirit. She had a special way of taking the everyday moments of life and making them feel extraordinary.
I am so grateful for every memory and for the privilege of calling her my friend. My prayers are with the Parton and Owens families and with everyone who loved her. I take comfort in knowing that Dolly is in the loving arms of Jesus and reunited with her beloved Carl. God Bless you Dolly.
– Janie Fricke
The sweet, kind, and incomparable Dolly Parton has passed on to rest in the arms of her Jesus. It would take volumes to list her many accomplishments.
Some of my favorite memories are of being on the road with her and Kenny Rogers. She always lit up the stage, and everyone in attendance was thrilled and delighted by her performance. She will live on in our hearts forever.
We will always love you. Rest in peace, sister.
– T. Graham Brown
The Oak Ridge Boys were guests on The Porter Wagoner Show in Nashville when we first met Dolly Parton.
With a voice like an angel and that special light about her, she captured our hearts from the very beginning. We treasured the many times we were blessed to share stages with her through the years.
Today, I am shocked and deeply saddened to hear of her passing. The last time I remember feeling this stunned was when Elvis Presley passed away.
Rest in peace, Dolly, until we sing with you in harmony again.
Your songs, your voice, and your light of love will live and shine in our hearts forever.
– William Lee Golden
The Oak Ridge Boys
I spent nearly ten years working with Dolly. Our first meeting was for a virtual junket from Reba’s downstairs studio at Starstruck on music row sometime in 2008. That was hug number 1. The hugs continued - for nearly a decade. All over the world. Hugs, winks, laughs, and that unmatched, world-renowned wit that should have it’s own dictionary entry. She made me blush on MANY occasions - and those who were around then, know exactly why!
One night at Thackerville, Oklahoma on her 2016 N. America tour, my grandmother and aunts drove up for the show. In that meet & greet line, my grandmother showed Dolly a photo pin-back button from my cross country running days in high school. Dolly squealed, and said ‘can I have it?’ So she promptly grabbed that photo button and kept it. From my grandmother. Everybody was cracking up and once again, I was blushing.
Beyond the personal memories - I also had the pleasure of shooting thousands of photos every night of/for her. Even bought extra cameras over the years, solely for that purpose! Impossible to edit them down to select favorites - they’re all just too good! But I’ve shared one of them here, from her performance at The Hollywood Bowl in 2016.
When I announced my engagement in 2020 to my bride, a massive boquet showed up at the house. That was just Dolly’s way of saying ‘I will always love you.’ Even after you have parted ways professionally, the friendship never dies.
And neither will she.
Her laughter and songs will live on in every heart that hears it, for eternity.
We love you Dolly.
– Jeremy Westby
Rest In Peace Dolly Parton. You were always so kind to me throughout the years. I am so grateful to have known you. Dolly, I know how much you love butterflies. You are now a beautiful butterfly - Fly high butterfly Dolly, fly high. Keep singing with the Lords choir!
My Mom loved butterflies too. Whenever I saw a butterfly, I always thought of my Mom. Now I will think of two of my most favorite women in Heaven, my Mama and Dolly!
My heart is breaking.
Dolly, I Will Always Love You!!!
Thanks For The Music Dolly!
– Glenda S. Paradee
Born Jan. 19, 1946, one of 12 children in a cabin in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of Sevier County, Tenn., Dolly rose to a country star, then pop superstar, movie and television star, philanthropist, theme park owner, author, and international icon. She passed 17 months after her husband of 59 years, Carl Dean.
Composer of more than 5,000 songs, she earned 25 country No. 1 singles, eight top 40 pop hits, 11 Grammy Awards and 55 nominations, two Oscar nominations and an honorary Oscar, one national and two regional Emmy Awards and five nominations, a Tony nomination, Kennedy Center Honors, Country Music Hall of Fame membership, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame membership, National Medal of Arts, Library of Congress Living Legend Award, 12 CMAs and 12 ACMs, and more. She turned a small mountain theme park into an international destination with 41 seasons of Dollywood. Someone who put her songwriting above all other talents, she composed the biggest-selling song ever by a female songwriter.
She gave back: over 330 million books delivered by the Imagination Library, a “transformational gift” to the Knoxville Children's Hospital resulting in renaming it Dolly Parton's Children's Hospital, the women's health center at her hometown hospital, her local Boys & Girls Club, the local children's home, the children's cancer wing at Vanderbilt Medical Center, scholarships for Sevier County students, wildfire relief, hurricane victims, the Covid vaccine, and more.
She advocated: for children, for LGBTQIA+ people, for women's equality, for workers, for racial equality, for peace and love.
Dolly started her career as a child performer on a regional weekly television program, The Cas Walker Show, and made her Grand Ole Opry debut at 13. She recorded off and on as a teenager before moving to Nashville the day after graduating high school, meeting future husband Carl Dean at the laundromat that afternoon. She signed to Monument Records where Fred Foster tried to mold her into a bubblegum pop singer until a song she and her Uncle Bill Owens wrote became a top 10 country hit for Bill Phillips with her singing uncredited harmony. Switching her to country, she started having mild chart success, which drew the attention of Porter Wagoner. He hired her for his nationally-syndicated television show and moved her to RCA Records, where they began recording duets that consistently made the top 10 while Dolly's solo work was only mid-charting.
Her first No. 1, “Joshua,” was followed three years later by a string of five consecutive No. 1 singles including “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” which later would become Whitney Houston's signature song. Soon, she left Wagoner's show and went out on her own including her own syndicated program Dolly, eventually hiring manager Sandy Gallin and shifting her music to pop including two pop No. 1s and a string of duets with Kenny Rogers. Movies followed with hits 9 To 5, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, and Steel Magnolias, an ill-fated network variety show Dolly!, and a return to roots music for most of the past 30 years while also experimenting with gospel, contemporary Christian, electronica, rap, rock, folk, and Broadway. In recent years, she expanded her branding including successful lines of home goods, clothing, cosmetics, perfumes, and foodstuffs.
A very private person about her health, she revealed a year ago that she was experiencing kidney stones which forced her to postpone, and then cancel, a planned two-week Vegas residency. The health concerns continued with additional cancellations including missing the presentation of her honorary Oscar, as she assured fans she was responding well to medical treatments but had side effects of dizziness and dehydration limiting her mobility. In that period, she only made two public appearances: the season opening of Dollywood in March and a surprise pop-in at the opening of her first truck stop in June where she was not scheduled to appear. She cancelled a planned appearance to open the new ride at Dollywood 11 days ago, sending a video where her voice sounded weak, which worried fans. TMZ reports she was hospitalized five days ago.
President Donald Trump ordered the nation's flags flown at half-staff for seven days in her honor and memory – a highly unusual step, as only nine other non-government officials have had flags lowered in their memory nationwide: Martin Luther King, Jr., Roy Wilkins, Bob Hope, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Dorothy Height, Neil Armstrong, Billy Graham, and Charlie Kirk. The Empire State Building lit up in pink in her memory at 9:25 p.m. Tributes poured in from around the world.
Her passing was announced on her social media via a video from her nephew Bryan Sever available here or in the media player above.
A statement from her team to People magazine stated: “Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand. Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly's unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”
The official obituary released on her social media accounts read:
“Global icon and humanitarian, Dolly Parton, known to the world as a beloved singer, songwriter, philanthropist, actress, playwright, and author died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old.
“Dolly is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years Carl Thomas Dean (1942 – 2025), her mother Avie Lee Caroline Owens (1923 – 2003), and father, Robert Lee Parton, Sr. (1921 – 2000).
“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. Dolly Parton's legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.
“At Dolly's request, a small, private service was held for immediate family. Dolly's fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com
“In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com”
As she always closed her concerts and TV programs:
”I hope life treats you kind,
And I hope you have all you ever dreamed of.
I wish you joy, and I wish you happiness.
But above all of this, I wish you love.
I Will Always Love You .
God’s Coloring Book
Song by Dolly Parton ‧ 1977
Today as I was walking
In the fields just down the way
I sat down on a fallen log
To pass the time away
And as I looked around me
The more that I did look
The more I realize that I am viewing
God's coloring book
I saw a golden ray of sunlight
A silver drop of dew
A soft, white floating cloud
Sailing cross the sky 'a blue
A yellow dandelion
Pretty evergreen
And some red and orange flowers
Growing wild along the stream
And the more I look around me
And the more that I do look
The more I realize that I am viewing
God's coloring book
The greyness in an old man's hair
The pink in baby's cheeks
The blackness in a stormy sky
The brown in fallen leaves
And the multicolored rainbow
Stretched out across the sky
And the purple haze at sunset
Just before the night
And the more I look around me
And the more that I do look
The more I realize that I am viewing
God's coloring book
Then I turn my face toward the sky
And say a silent prayer
Though God doesn't speak to me
I see him everywhere
He is all around me
He's everywhere I look
And each new day is but a new page
In god's coloring book
Tag:
Each new day is but a new page
In god's coloring book
Hmmmmmm
Go to Dolly's website at: www.dollyparton.com
THANKS FOR THE MUSIC DOLLY!
