Dolly Parton Dies at 80 After Brief Cancer Battle

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, August 25, 2026 | 8:02pm CT

Dolly Parton

Country music legend Dolly Parton, whose songs, unmistakable voice and larger-than-life personality made her one of the most beloved entertainers of her generation, died Tuesday, August 25, in Nashville following a brief battle with cancer. She was 80.

Parton's representatives confirmed that she died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones. The type of cancer was not disclosed.

Born January 19, 1946, in East Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of 12 children and grew up in poverty in a farming family in the Smoky Mountains. Music became her way out. After graduating from high school in 1964, she headed to Nashville and began building a career that would eventually span nearly six decades.

Her breakthrough came after joining "The Porter Wagoner Show" in 1967. Parton later established herself as a solo superstar and one of country music's most prolific songwriters, creating classics including "Jolene," "Coat of Many Colors," "I Will Always Love You" and "9 to 5."

Parton's original recording of "I Will Always Love You" topped the country chart, while Whitney Houston's 1992 version for "The Bodyguard" turned the composition into one of the most recognizable songs in pop music.

Her success extended well beyond country radio. Parton crossed over to the pop charts and starred in films including "9 to 5," "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and "Steel Magnolias." She also became a successful businesswoman, most notably through Dollywood, the East Tennessee theme park bearing her name.

Parton sold more than 100 million records worldwide during her career and was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Her honors included multiple Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts.

Her philanthropic work became nearly as recognizable as her music. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library, launched in 1995, grew from a program serving children in her home county to an international effort that has distributed hundreds of millions of free books to children. She also supported disaster relief, education and medical research, including a $1 million contribution to Vanderbilt University Medical Center that helped fund research leading to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Parton's husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died in March 2025 at age 82.

As the radio industry remembers an artist whose music was a fixture on the medium for generations, several companies are making special programming available to stations.

Benztown has produced an audio tribute to Parton's life and career. The special is voiced by MJ Bloch and was written and produced by Thomas Green.

SuiteRadio is also offering stations a free six-song tribute hosted by Rowdy Yates. The turnkey special runs 21 minutes and 33 seconds and celebrates Parton's life and music. It is available to radio immediately, with stations able to request the download from SuiteRadio.

Parton leaves behind a catalog that helped define generations of country music and a legacy extending through songwriting, film, business and philanthropy.

The Benztown tribute is available on SoundCloud.

Stations can request the SuiteRadio special at here.