Dolly Parton, singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist, died Aug. 25 at age 80. Newspaper The Tennessean reported that she spent her final days being treated at Nashville’s Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and that she passed peacefully surrounded by family.
The word “icon” is so often tossed around blithely, but Dolly Parton truly lived up to the definition, with her music, image, personality and love of humanity transcending cultures, generations and personal beliefs. She had few peers in the world of country music, but songs such as “9 To 5,” “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” also left an indelible mark in the pop and rock genres. Add to that her tireless support of the LGBTQ+ community and early childhood education programs, Parton leaves behind a legacy that ranks alongside those of the most prominent Americans of the past century.
Her life journey was laid out early, growing up as the fourth of 12 children in a two-room cabin in rural Tennessee. It was an existence that inspired many of her later songs, such as “Coat Of Many Colors” that told the story of her mother being forced to sew together rags for her childrens’ clothes. Parton began singing in church at age six, and two years later, was playing a guitar gifted to her by an uncle. Soon after, she was appearing on local radio and television programs, and cut her first record, “Puppy Love,” at age 13. It landed her an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry where she was introduced by Johnny Cash, and after completing high school, Parton moved to Nashville where she found initial success as a songwriter, and also met Carl Dean, whom she would be married to for 59 years until his death in 2025.
Parton signed her first record deal with Monument in 1965 and was initially marketed as a pop singer with little success. It prompted the label to allow her to record country music, and she notched her first hit in early 1967, “Dumb Blonde,” written by Curly Putman. Parton caught her big break later that year when Porter Wagoner offered her a regular spot on his syndicated television program, leading to a new contract with RCA Records and the pair scoring many duet hits. However, Wagoner was adamant about making Parton a solo star, and she began gaining traction in 1970 with a cover of Jimmie Rodgers’ “Mule Skinner Blues.” It set the table for her first number one hit in 1971, “Joshua,” followed by a wave of chart-toppers that peaked in 1974 with “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” both purportedly written by Parton on the same day.
Splitting professionally from Wagoner in 1975, Parton began exploring new avenues, with her bubbly personality forging many new friendships across the entertainment spectrum. She made countless television appearances during the late 1970s, working alongside the likes of Cher and Carol Burnett. All the while she shrugged off jokes about her appearance, famously stating, “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.” Parton’s career continued to flourish in the 1980s, as she made her feature film debut alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 9 To 5, followed by The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, co-starring Burt Reynolds, and Rhinestone, co-starring Sylvester Stallone. She also topped the pop charts with “Islands In The Stream,” a duet with Kenny Rogers.
In 1986, Parton opened Dollywood, a theme park near her childhood home, while shifting her focus back to making traditional country music. Her 1987 collaboration with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, Trio, received widespread critical acclaim, but her profile would be raised substantially through her role in Steel Magnolias, alongside Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine and Sally Field, as well as through Whitney Houston’s 1992 recording of “I Will Always Love You,” which became a worldwide phenomenon. From there, Parton continued to make music in a variety of styles, appear in a wide range of film and television projects, and devote her resources to a myriad of causes. One most close to her was the Imagination Library, which supplies free books to pre-school children around the world, a venture that partly stemmed from her inability to have children of her own due to health issues early in her life.
Parton received virtually every country music accolade, including induction into the Hall of Fame in 1999. She was also given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984 and was awarded the National Medal for the Arts in 2005. Despite her flamboyant public persona, Dolly Parton never seemed to have lost touch with the young girl who grew up in poverty. In the wake of her passing, it was announced that her wishes were to have a small, private funeral, and to be laid to rest next to her husband in Nashville’s Woodlawn Memorial Park.