NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) 鈥� , the country music icon whose soaring vibrato vocals, poignant songwriting and sparkling costumes defined her rise from a log cabin in the Tennessee mountains to the height of stardom and acclaim, . She was 80.
Parton died peacefully Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, her publicist said in a statement.
Known for her curves, massive blonde wigs and skin-tight outfits that served her self-deprecating wit, she was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond 鈥� the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.
She wrote hundreds of songs, including such favorites as 鈥淛olene,鈥� 鈥淐oat of Many Colors鈥� and 鈥淚 Will Always Love You,鈥� which totaled more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams. Parton was a and whose projects included near her birthplace.
Her career was influenced by her upbringing as one of 12 children born into what she called a 鈥渄irt poor鈥� Tennessee family. She started her , Imagination Library, to send free books to needy children because her father quit school to work on the farm and struggled to learn to read.
Her first musical performances were in church, where her grandfather was a preacher. At 13, she appeared on the in Nashville, where Johnny Cash introduced her as 鈥渁 little girl here from up in East Tennessee.鈥�
With a suitcase of songs, she followed her uncle, Bill Owens, also a songwriter, to Nashville after graduating high school.
鈥楾he Porter Wagoner Show鈥�
Her partnership with Porter Wagoner and his syndicated TV show kicked off her career. Their first duet, 鈥淭he Last Thing On My Mind,鈥� was released in 1967, the year she started her publishing company.
Their duets were often radio hits, but her solo singles didn鈥檛 chart as highly at first. With Wagoner as co-producer, she adjusted her country warble to a more polished pop-leaning style.
Her first No. 1 solo single was 鈥淛oshua.鈥� She reached the top 5 with the ballad 鈥淐oat of Many Colors,鈥� about her mother sewing together scraps to make a coat Parton wore 鈥渟o proudly鈥� even as her peers mocked it.
In 1973, she had the hit that made her career 鈥� 鈥淛olene,鈥� a country music standard with its churning rhythm and Parton鈥檚 repetition of the title as she pleads for the woman not to steal her man.
A pop crossover star
鈥淛olene鈥� was followed by the 1974 hit, 鈥淚 Will Always Love You,鈥� an ode to Wagoner that helped her win the Country Music Association鈥檚 female vocalist of the year back to back in 1975 and 1976. She famously turned down Elvis Presley, who wanted to record it, because she would not share publishing rights.
Decades later, Whitney Houston鈥檚 version became a smash for the 1992 soundtrack of her film, 鈥淭he Bodyguard.鈥� Houston won a Grammy for her performance in 1994, presented to her by Parton.
Down home charm
For millions, she was simply 鈥淒olly,鈥� a mixture of Southern charm, humor and glamour. She was also considered a feminist role model for holding the reins of her career, writing her own songs, owning her content and controlling her finances in an entertainment world dominated by men.
Parton was open to making fun of herself; when she hosted 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� in 1989 she told the writers her only restrictions were she wouldn鈥檛 curse and wouldn鈥檛 make fun of Jesus. She’d regularly joke about her breasts or her dumb blonde appearance, but with a wink that she was the one controlling the laughs. In the memoir 鈥淢y Life So Far,鈥� her friend Jane Fonda remembered Parton鈥檚 way with a wisecrack, 鈥渦sually high raunch,鈥� and a laugh that was 鈥渟omewhere between a girl鈥檚 giggle, an explosive shriek, and a cascade of little bells.鈥�
She married Carl Dean, an asphalt paving contractor, in the mid-1960s and they were together until his death in 2025 at the age of 82. Though rarely seen in public, he was an influence on her career: She said she wrote 鈥淛olene鈥� about a flirty bank teller who seemed to take an interest in Dean.
鈥�9 to 5鈥� to Hollywood and Broadway
In her first major film role, Parton played alongside Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the hit comedy 鈥�9 to 5.鈥� Critic Roger Ebert called her a 鈥渘atural-born movie star鈥� and the title song, written by Parton, earned her two Grammy Awards and was a pop crossover hit. Starring roles in 鈥淭he Best Little Whorehouse In Texas鈥� and 鈥淪teel Magnolias鈥� followed.
鈥淚 never thought of myself as a movie star,鈥� she told The Associated Press’ Bob Thomas in 1979. 鈥淚 knew I鈥檇 be a star, but as a singer or as a writer of songs or books or poetry. I wanted to be a famous performer and wear flashy clothes, but singing in movies was not one of my ambitions. My family lived in the mountains and we didn鈥檛 see movies.鈥�
Her love affair with TV and film continued for decades, with appearances alongside Miley Cyrus on 鈥淗annah Montana鈥� and adaptations of her music for Christmas specials, films and streaming series.
The stage adaptation 鈥�9 to 5: The Musical鈥� debuted in 2009, and was set to open in December 2026.
United States of Dolly
Parton鈥檚 appeal spanned social and political divides. But she was strict in not voicing her own political beliefs, often turning aside questions about presidents, candidates, policies and other controversies.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 do politics,鈥� Parton told Jad Abumrad on his hit podcast 鈥淚 have too many fans on both sides of the fence. Of course, I have my opinion about everything, but I learned years ago to keep your mouth shut about things.鈥�
When the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation sent out a ballot with her name on it, though she said , the voters answered with a 鈥淗ello, Dolly.鈥� Parton showed up to the induction ceremony, performed and then .
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Associated Press writer Hillel Italie contributed.
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