“After facing a brief battle with cancer,” Dolly Parton died yesterday, at 80 years old, surrounded by her loved ones in Nashville, according to her representatives in a statement on Tuesday (early morning in Spain). The statement does not specify the type of cancer the Jolene singer had, but confirms that she passed away at the specialized medical center in the capital of the state of Tennessee. The beloved country music superstar, “dedicated her life and career to bringing joy, laughter, hope, and integrity to everything she touched,” the text reads. “Her unparalleled generosity touched the lives of countless people she never met but was always willing to help,” the statement sent to the American magazine People said.
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Parton was admitted to the Nashville hospital last Friday and died four days later. The singer was hospitalized for kidney and autoimmune problems, according to the magazine TMZ. on Tuesday.
The performer had said that sometimes she struggled to take care of her own health while caring for her husband, Carl Dean, who passed away in March 2025. In a series of videos, she shared several updates about her health with her fans, all with the characteristic optimism and humor of her era. “I don’t think God is done with me, and I’m not done working yet,” she said in a video last fall.
The artist had already shown signs of her delicate condition last year. In September 2025, concerns about her health arose after she postponed a series of concerts in Las Vegas, citing unspecified health issues that required her to be closer to her home in Tennessee for treatment. When she canceled the shows in May, she said she had been dealing with a lot of “kidney stones, as well as problems with her immune and digestive systems.” This situation coincided with her absence at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Governors Awards ceremony, where she was honored with an honorary Oscar, which she accepted via a recorded video message.
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It is unclear when Parton received the cancer diagnosis. Just over a week ago, she missed a scheduled performance at Dollywood, the amusement park she built near her hometown in eastern Tennessee. In a video shown to park attendees, Parton said she had been dealing with dizziness and dehydration, and that her doctors had advised her not to travel. Several days before her death, Parton told People magazine that although she was focused on her health, she was still working. “I still have many things I want to accomplish,” she said, “so I’m going to keep working as long as I can to see them come true.”
Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, was the first to confirm her death through a video posted on the singer’s Instagram profile. Seaver, son of Cassie Parton and the singer’s head of security, spoke on behalf of the family fulfilling the singer’s own request to make the announcement that way. “Dolly lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, where Carl, her parents, and many others who cared for her and longed to meet her in heaven will surely welcome her,” Seaver said.
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Dolly Parton is considered one of the most relevant country singers in history. She has 11 Grammy Awards and, in addition to her ventures in film, was also a philanthropist and businesswoman.
