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| Via The Houston Chronicle |
@dollyparton 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 will be 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
Parton revealed in September that she was postponing a set of Las Vegas concerts to deal with “some health challenges.” THR reported days later that she would miss the Governors Awards, where she was to receive the prestigious Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in November, and she canceled scheduled Las Vegas residency dates for September in May. In the past few months, she put on a brave front, telling her fans that she was OK. Her husband of nearly 58 years, businessman Carl Dean, died at age 82 on March 3, 2025. The country music icon rose from an impoverished childhood in a one-room mountain cabin (shared with 11 brothers and sisters) to decades of global superstardom with hit songs, movies, eye-popping costumes and a joy of living few entertainers could match.
She landed her first No. 1 country single with “Joshua” in 1971. As her career took off, Parton wrote and recorded one of country music’s greatest songs, “Jolene,” in 1973. The first of four consecutive chart-topping country hits, it was followed by “I Will Always Love You,” which decades later become Whitney Houston’s signature song — and one the longest-running No. 1 singles ever — when it was featured in the 1992 box office hit The Bodyguard. Last year, “Jolene” topped Billboard‘s list of the 100 Best Country Songs of All Time. Sung in a vulnerable, pleading yet passionate voicer, the singer begs a woman “with flaming locks of auburn hair, with ivory skin and eyes of emerald green” not to “take my man … even though you can.” Beyoncé covered the song on her countryu-flavored 2024 disc Cowboy Carter, which won the Album of the Year Grammy. Her version is sung as a warning: “Jolene, I’m warnin’ you, don’t come for my man/Don’t take the chance because you think you can.” “I Will Always Love You” reached No. 1 twice on Billboard’s country singles chart, topping it again in 1982 as Parton’s popularity swelled.
Parton’s biggest public moment in recent years had been her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. She first said she did not want the honor when her name appeared on the ballot that year, saying she was not a true rocker, but she relented under enthusiastic pressure. Parton subsequently released what turned out to be her final album, “Rockstar,” in 2023, doing duets with top stars and claiming the “rock” mantle she had resisted. Extravagantly bewigged, boldly buxom, and graced with a peerless, vibrato-laden soprano voice, the exuberant Parton succeeded a hit-making early career in partnership with vocalist Porter Wagoner with a long series of solo hits. Many of her 25 No. 1 country singles were self-penned; after her predecessor Loretta Lynn, she was one of the first major female stars of the genre to write much of her own hit material. Country music historian Bill Malone noted, “As a songwriter she has had few peers in country music, bearing a strong comparison with Merle Haggard in her wide range of interests and in her facility with a diverse array of idioms. Her compositions encompass a virtually every major theme in country music.”
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