Dolly Parton, the country music trailblazer whose songs, screen work and open Christian faith reached generations, died Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 80, her family announced.
“Dolly has lived in the light, and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens,” said Bryan Seaver, Parton’s nephew and longtime head of security.
The family did not announce a cause of death. Parton’s immediate family plans a small, private service and asked supporters to give to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library instead of sending flowers. Her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died in March 2025 at 82.
Born Jan. 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of 12 children. She debuted at the Grand Ole Opry at 13, moved to Nashville after high school and found a national audience on THE PORTER WAGONER SHOW in 1967, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Parton wrote classics including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” then starred in movies including 9 TO 5 and STEEL MAGNOLIAS. She collected multiple music awards and entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Her generosity grew as famous as her songs. Founded in 1995 in honor of her father, who could not read or write, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library expanded from Sevier County, Tennessee, to five countries and has gifted more than 332 million books to children.
Parton was also a longtime friend of Movieguide®. Projects she starred in or executive produced received four Movieguide® honors over six years, and her performances drew additional nominations.
At the 24th Annual Movieguide® Awards in 2016, Parton attended as executive producer of DOLLY PARTON’S COAT OF MANY COLORS, which won the Epiphany Prize® for Most Inspiring Television Program. She praised the cast from the stage and called “Coat of Many Colors” her favorite among the thousands of songs she had written because it carried an attitude of love and forgiveness rooted in her parents.
“I just am who I am, and I hope that if somebody sees something good in me, I want God to have the credit,” Parton told Movieguide® on the red carpet.
One year later, DOLLY PARTON’S CHRISTMAS OF MANY COLORS: CIRCLE OF LOVE won a second consecutive Epiphany Prize® for Parton’s television work. The program also received a Faith & Freedom Award® nomination, while Parton earned a Grace Award® acting nomination. Accepting the Epiphany Prize®, executive producer Sam Haskell described Parton as devoted to serving God and said the team loved telling her stories.
Movieguide® met Parton again at Dollywood for the 2019 premiere of DOLLY PARTON’S HEARTSTRINGS. Its episode “These Old Bones” later won the 2020 Faith & Freedom Award® for Television before earning an Emmy nomination.
“I have a lot of faith, and that’s what gets me through my life, it always has,” Parton told Movieguide® at the premiere. “I believe that through God, all things are possible, and that included my creativity and my dreams.”
Parton won the 2021 Grace Prize® for Most Inspiring Performance for playing an angel in DOLLY PARTON’S CHRISTMAS ON THE SQUARE. Appearing in the Movieguide® Awards broadcast, she traced the honor back to her faith.
“When I do get recognized for things like this, it just makes me think, ‘Well, praise the Lord!’” Parton said.
In 2023, DOLLY PARTON’S MOUNTAIN MAGIC CHRISTMAS received an Epiphany Prize® nomination and Parton received another Grace Award® nomination. Awards never became the mission, though.
“It’s a reward enough just to do good work and to be able to work with good people,” Parton told Movieguide®.
Only weeks before her death, Parton put that mission in simpler words.
“I never do anything that I don’t pray about it, and I always ask God to lead me and show me and direct me,” Parton said. “Just to kind of guide me to do things that would glorify Him and to uplift mankind. That’s kind of my mission.”
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