Dolly Parton, Country Music Icon And Woman Of Faith, Dies At 80
Country music legend Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80. On Tuesday, Aug. 25, Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, made an announcement about her death.
“Hey everyone, my name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I am representing the Parton and Owens family today, announcing the passing of my Aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, sister, sis, Aunt Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” said Seaver in a video update to social media. “This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.”
“As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now,” Seaver said. “It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.”
“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 Parton’s nephew.
Dolly Parton ‘Farmed Songs and Happiness’
Dolly Parton built a seven-decade career as one of country music’s most influential singers and songwriters, with hits including “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “9 to 5.” The official website for the Grammy Awards lists 10 Grammy wins for Parton and 55 nominations. She also found success as an actor, appearing in films such as “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias.”
Parton was an outspoken woman of faith and a businesswoman whose ventures included the Dollywood theme park. Her honors include induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as well as the Kennedy Center Honors and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Beyond entertainment, Parton became a prominent philanthropist through her Imagination Library, which she launched in 1995 and which had gifted more than 304 million books to children worldwide by the end of 2025.
In 2025, Parton postponed her Las Vegas residency because of “health challenges.” In May, she ultimately canceled the residency as she continued to deal with health issues. She told fans that “some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit ‘swimmy-headed’” but expressed hope that she would “be up to snuff again soon.”
Seaver did not disclose in his video the cause of Dolly Parton’s death.
“I first went on the road with Dolly as a kid, getting a taste of the road life in the early 1980s,” said Seaver in the video update. “Dolly opened doors, not just for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible.”
Church LeadersCountry music legend Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80. On Tuesday, Aug. 25, Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, made an announcement about her death.
“Hey everyone, my name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I am representing the Parton and Owens family today, announcing the passing of my Aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, sister, sis, Aunt Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” said Seaver in a video update to social media. “This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.”
“As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now,” Seaver said. “It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.”
“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 Parton’s nephew.
Dolly Parton ‘Farmed Songs and Happiness’
Dolly Parton built a seven-decade career as one of country music’s most influential singers and songwriters, with hits including “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “9 to 5.” The official website for the Grammy Awards lists 10 Grammy wins for Parton and 55 nominations. She also found success as an actor, appearing in films such as “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias.”
Parton was an outspoken woman of faith and a businesswoman whose ventures included the Dollywood theme park. Her honors include induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as well as the Kennedy Center Honors and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Beyond entertainment, Parton became a prominent philanthropist through her Imagination Library, which she launched in 1995 and which had gifted more than 304 million books to children worldwide by the end of 2025.
In 2025, Parton postponed her Las Vegas residency because of “health challenges.” In May, she ultimately canceled the residency as she continued to deal with health issues. She told fans that “some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit ‘swimmy-headed’” but expressed hope that she would “be up to snuff again soon.”
Seaver did not disclose in his video the cause of Dolly Parton’s death.
“I first went on the road with Dolly as a kid, getting a taste of the road life in the early 1980s,” said Seaver in the video update. “Dolly opened doors, not just for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible.”
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