Dolly Parton, the country music icon who wrote “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You”, has died aged 80, her family announced on Tuesday. The post Country music legend Dolly Parton, who wrote ‘Jolene’ and ‘I Will Always Love You’, dies aged 80 appeared first on Nehanda Radio .
Country music legend Dolly Parton, whose songwriting and unmistakable voice made her one of the world’s most beloved entertainers, has died aged 80.
Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced her death on Tuesday, August 25, in a video published through Parton’s official social-media accounts on behalf of the family.
A cause of death was not immediately disclosed. The singer had recently spoken about experiencing health problems following the death of her husband, Carl Dean, in March 2025.
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Tennessee and grew up as one of 12 children in a poor family living in a one-room cabin near Locust Ridge.
She began performing in church before appearing on local radio and television programmes as a child. At 13, she performed at Nashville’s celebrated Grand Ole Opry.
After completing high school in 1964, Parton moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music. Her major breakthrough came through a successful partnership with country singer and television personality Porter Wagoner.
She later emerged as a solo star, writing enduring classics including “Jolene”, “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You”.
Parton originally wrote “I Will Always Love You” as a farewell to Wagoner when she decided to leave his television programme. Whitney Houston’s 1992 recording for The Bodyguard transformed it into one of the biggest-selling singles of all time.
Parton wrote an estimated 3,000 songs during a career spanning nearly six decades and sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
Twenty-five of her songs reached number one on the Billboard country chart. She received 11 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Her popularity extended beyond country music through pop hits such as “9 to 5” and “Islands in the Stream”, her celebrated duet with Kenny Rogers.
Parton also enjoyed a successful acting career, appearing alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the 1980 comedy 9 to 5. Her other films included The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias, Rhinestone and Straight Talk.
Away from entertainment, she built a business empire that included Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park that became a major tourist attraction and employer in the region.
Parton used her success to support education, disaster relief and healthcare initiatives.
Her Imagination Library programme distributes free books to young children in several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Ireland.
She donated US$1 million to research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2020, helping support the development of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine.
Parton married businessman Carl Dean in 1966 after meeting him on her first day in Nashville. He remained largely outside the public eye during their marriage of nearly 60 years and died aged 82 in March 2025.
Days before her death, Parton said she was still recovering from health problems but remained determined to continue working.
Seaver concluded the family’s announcement by saying: “She will always love you.”
Parton once said she hoped to be remembered above everything else for her songwriting.
“The songs are my legacy,” she said.
