Dolly Parton, the legendary country music singer and songwriter, has died at the age of 80, her nephew Bryan Seaver announced on Tuesday.
Seaver, who also served as her head of security, confirmed the country icon's passing in a video message posted to Instagram.
Her death followed months of health struggles that forced the performer to pull out of several public appearances in recent months.
Parton made her final public appearance on August 14 through a recorded video message shown to fans at her Dollywood theme park.
She had been scheduled to appear in person for the grand opening of NightFlight Expedition, a new ride at the park, but withdrew at the last minute on doctor's orders.
In the video clip, which was shared on TikTok by a fan, Parton appeared upbeat and energized in a bright pink top adorned with gems and large butterfly wings.
"I'm still in Nashville, and I'm sorry about that," Parton told the crowd. "I'm supposed to be there in person like we planned."
She explained to her supporters that her absence was due to recurring physical ailments. "I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I’ve had a few little health issues and sometimes I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated," she said. "And I’m dehydrated."
Parton added with her signature humor: "So my Nashville doctor has kind of clipped my wings, saying, 'You ain’t traveling this week.' So I guess if your doctor tells you, 'You ain’t traveling this week,' you ain’t traveling this week."
Despite missing the event, Parton assured fans that "all was going well on the medical end of things" and emphasized that she was still actively working.
Work on ongoing projects
She noted that she was continuing to progress on several major commercial and artistic endeavors across Tennessee and beyond.
These included the SongTeller Hotel, her property in downtown Nashville, as well as her Life of Many Colors Museum and an upcoming Broadway production about her life titled Dolly: A True Original Musical.
Days after the Dollywood video presentation, Parton discussed her health further in an interview with People magazine.
She explained that she had neglected her own physical condition while caring for her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025.
"I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl," Parton said.
She also reflected on how public scrutiny has shifted over her long career in the entertainment industry. "It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health, but I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago," she said.
"I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still working," Parton added.
She expressed her desire to stay active, telling the magazine: "I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I'm gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life."
Final public appearances
Prior to her August video message, Parton was last seen in person on June 24 at the grand opening of Dolly's Tennesseean Travel Stop, her new truck stop venture.
Her last update on social media came on August 12, when she posted what would be her final image on Instagram.
In his video announcement, Seaver revealed that Parton had asked him years ago to prepare the message for the public.
"This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality," Seaver said.
He paid emotional tribute to his aunt, saying she had "lived in the light" and was now "in the arms of Jesus."
Seaver added that she had been reunited in heaven with her late husband Dean, her parents, and "countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens."
Nephew remembers tour memories
Recalling his childhood in the 1980s, Seaver described traveling with Parton on tour and seeing her impact on her relatives.
He shared that his aunt "opened doors not just for me but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible."
Comparing her to her father, Seaver characterized Parton as "a farmer, just like her daddy," noting: "He farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness."
Seaver also shared a final personal conversation with his aunt about her wishes for her resting place.
"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 said.
Parton, often celebrated as the Queen of Country, enjoyed a music career that spanned six decades.
Her famous catalog of hits includes Jolene, 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You, cementing her status as one of the most successful cultural figures in American history.
