Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Jane Fonda were among those to pay tribute following the death of Dolly Parton, the beloved country music icon, philanthropist and actor, who died at 80.
Parton died after “bravely facing a brief battle with cancer,” her publicist, Marcel Pariseau, said in a statement Tuesday, adding the singer was surrounded at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville by loved ones.
Bryan Seaver, Parton’s nephew and head of security for more than two decades, had earlier announced the news of her death on Instagram on Tuesday.
“Dolly opened doors for singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life,” he said. “By her example, we believed anything was possible. Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever.”
President Trump announced that flags would be lowered across the United States for a week in her honor, saying in an interview on Wednesday morning he “thought it was a natural thing” to do.
Parton’s death sparked a wave of tributes from the worlds of entertainment, politics and beyond. Taylor Swift said in a statement that “a world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real, or right.” Eminem posted a touching letter from Parton on Instagram, in which she said she felt an “unexplained connection” to the rap superstar. (Read more tributes below, showing the extent to which Parton transcended the world of music)
Others to pay tribute included Sabrina Carpenter and Kacey Musgraves, along with music legends Dionne Warwick and Celine Dion.
The Grand Ole Opry venue in Nashville said on X, “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to a true country music icon, Opry member Dolly Parton.”
Her 9 to 5 co-star Jane Fonda wrote on Instagram, “She was many things … lyricist, songstress, player of many instruments, writer, prankster, visionary, loyal friend, who’d never go to bed before she and her friends had laughed so hard they’d have to cross their legs.”
Parton’s death comes after she announced in May that she was canceling her Las Vegas residency, which was set to begin in September after already being postponed nine months. She cited unspecified health issues but told the public in a video on Instagram that she was “responding really well to meds and treatments” and “improving every day.”
Follow below for updates, remembrances and more.
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Sylvester Stallone pays tribute to Dolly Parton, recalls funny horseback riding memory with his ‘Rhinestone’ costar
Actor Sylvester Stallone paid tribute to Dolly Parton, with whom he starred in the 1984 film Rhinestone.
“It’s hard to imagine a world without Dolly Parton,” Stallone wrote in the caption of an Instagram post. “An American icon and a brilliant woman, beloved by so many. I have many fond memories of our time on the set of Rhinestone.”
In an accompanying video, he praised Parton for her “brilliant mind” and also said he called her the “Pioneer woman” because she could do anything to survive. He also recalled a funny memory when he was filming with Parton in Tennessee. The two decided to go to a horse farm, and the guide instructed both of them to ride on a Tennessee walking horse, which Stallone describes as “gigantic.” Stallone recalled that the horse tripped over its big hoof and the two took a tumble. He said Parton was laughing when she got up and said, “Let’s do that again!”
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Dolly Parton’s remarkable life and career in photos
There was only one Dolly Parton. Over a six-decade career, the Tennessee native became a country music legend and pop culture icon.
Parton broke through in the 1960s before scoring a string of country hits, including “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.” She later starred in movies and became known for her philanthropy as well as her music.
From childhood portraits and early performances to movie sets, Dollywood and the Grammys, look back at the moments that defined Parton’s remarkable life and career — and the photos that captured an icon across the decades.
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Dollywood vows to keep Parton’s vision alive after her death
The president of Dollywood Parks & Resorts has spoken about the theme park’s future, assuring visitors that nothing will change following Parton’s death.
Dollywood Parks & Resorts president Eugene Naughton struggled to hold back tears as he spoke about keeping Parton’s dreams alive.
In a video message shared on Instagram, he said it was a “heavy day for all of us here at Dollywood Parks and Resorts.”
He said that to continue Parton’s legacy, people should “show kindness, don’t be afraid to love big, don’t be afraid to dream big, don’t be afraid to care more about others, because that’s exactly what we’re going to do, because that’s exactly what she’d want us to do.”
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Dolly Parton’s most memorable movie roles
Dolly Parton wasn’t just a country star. She appeared in numerous movies and provided music for many of them.
The 1980 film 9 to 5, which marked her acting debut, included her hit song of the same name and earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. She also starred in Rhinestone, Steel Magnolias and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Eager to revisit Parton’s filmography? Here’s a refresher on her onscreen performances.
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British Royal Family shares musical tribute
Dolly Parton’s music gained fans across the globe, including among the British royal family.
The King’s Guard, the British soldiers who guard royal residences, performed a special rendition of “9 to 5” outside London’s Buckingham Palace in her honor.
The royal family wrote: “Remembering the late, great Dolly, who brought joy, comfort and inspiration to so many – including the millions of children given free books through her Imagination Library. We will always ❤️ you.”
Queen Camilla’s book club also thanked the singer-songwriter for her life-changing dedication to children’s literacy. “By putting so many books into the hands of so many children, she gave the most precious of gifts: the chance to millions of young minds of opening the door to imagination, possibility and a lifelong love of reading,” the Instagram post read.
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Dolly Parton’s life in numbers, from 3,000 songs to 332 million free books
Dolly Parton’s illustrious career spanned seven decades and included many achievements. From her humble beginnings to her remarkable creative, business and philanthropic legacy, here is her extraordinary life in numbers:
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Made her Grand Ole Opry debut at 13
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Married to Carl Dean for 59 years
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Opened Dollywood in 1986, attracting around 3 million visitors per season
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Appeared in 12 theatrically released films (including several cameos as herself) and made more than 400 television appearances
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Won 10 Grammys and received 55 nominations
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Imagination Library operates in five countries and has distributed more than 332 million free books
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Donated $1 million to help fund Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine
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Personal fortune of $450 million, but gave away millions during her lifetime
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Google unveils hidden Dolly Parton tribute with butterflies and touching message
A search for Dolly Parton now surfaces a tribute overlay (Google) Google has added a hidden tribute to Dolly Parton to its search results.
When searching Parton’s name, an animated overlay appears featuring orange butterflies — a nod to her signature symbol and hit song “Love Is Like a Butterfly.”
It also features the message “We’ll Always Love You” alongside her birth and death years, 1946-2026.
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Dolly Parton’s love story with Carl Dean
Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s devoted husband of nearly 60 years, died last March. He was 82.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy,” Parton wrote in a statement at the time.
His cause of death was not made public, but Parton told AP that Dean was “ill for quite a while, and part of me was at peace that he was at peace and not suffering anymore.”
She told People in 2020 that the secret to their successful marriage was simple.
“My husband and I, we’ve been together 56 years,” she said. “We’ve just been married 54 years this past May. But we still have our little times, like in the springtime when the first yellow daffodils came out.
“Even if there’s still some snow around it, my husband always brings me a bouquet. And he’ll usually write me a little poem. Which to me, that’s priceless. That’s like a date in itself.”
Parton and Dean kept strict privacy around their relationship for decades. She joked that she’d like to pose with him on the cover of a magazine “so that people could at least know that I’m not married to a wart or something.”
The couple met outside a laundromat the day Parton moved to Nashville at 18. They married two years later in a small ceremony in Ringgold, Ga.
Parton’s classic “Jolene” was written about a flirty bank teller who seemed to take an interest in Dean. “She got this terrible crush on my husband,” the singer told NPR in 2008.
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Brandi Carlile remembers Dolly Parton: ‘She took a risk and accepted me for being gay’
Brandi Carlile has reflected on her one-of-a-kind relationship with Dolly Parton, writing that the singer “prayed over me once” and “I’ve never been the same since.”
Writing on Instagram, Carlile said Parton accepted her as gay “in a time where she didn’t need to say anything.”
The singer-songwriter also recalled the “hysterics” of Parton’s “raptured audience” at Glastonbury, the British music festival, when she performed in the festival’s Sunday Legends slot in 2014.
“I’m married to an agnostic Londoner, and I can’t help but laugh out loud when I think of the raptured audience at Glastonbury in the palm of Dolly’s hands, as she ended her once in a lifetime set by shouting ‘can I get an amen?!’
“The sound of two hundred thousand immediate British ‘AMENS’ is something that causes me to burst into American hysterics at least once a week!” she added.
Parton was known for being a vocal supporter for the LGBT+ community. “If you’re gay, you’re gay. If you’re straight, you’re straight. And you should be allowed to be how you are and who you are,” she said on Larry King Now in 2017.
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Grand Ole Opry pays tribute to Dolly Parton with songs, memories and a signature white bow
The iconic venue where Dolly Parton performed at the tender age of 13 has planned a series of tributes in her honor.
A series of Parton songs were performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. on Tuesday, where the singer was a member for nearly 60 years.
Opry member Rhonda Vincent began the bittersweet show with the simple greeting, “This is for Dolly,” before launching into a bluegrass rendition of “Coat of Many Colors,” The Tennessean reported.
Throughout the show, a large video screen displayed a black-and-white memorial photo of Parton.
A signature white bow was also placed on her plaque.
The Grand Ole Opry will host a formal tribute to the singer on Saturday, Aug. 29.
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Donate to Imagination Library, requests Parton’s family
Dolly Parton’s family has requested that fans donate to the singer’s book-gifting program, the Imagination Library, in lieu of flowers. The Imagination Library mails a free, age-appropriate book each month to enrolled children from birth to age 5.
Parton founded the program in 1995. It began by providing books to children in Sevier County, Tenn., where Parton grew up and later expanded. It now operates in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia and the Republic of Ireland and sends more than 3 million books to children each month.
The cause was deeply personal to Parton. “This actually started because my father could not read and write, and I saw how crippling that could be,” she said in 2022. “My dad was a very smart man. And I often wondered what he could have done had he been able to read and write. So that is the inspiration.”
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Dolly Parton left behind a secret song — which won’t be released for 20 years
Dolly Parton left behind a secret song that she planned to release on her 100th birthday in 2046. A CD featuring the track is stored in a time capsule at her Dollywood theme park in Tennessee.
According to Billboard, the song is titled “My Place in History” and was written in 2015.
“I had to write this song that nobody was going to hear ’til then, and I tell you you have no idea how that has bothered me,” she said on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2022. “I want to go dig that up so bad.”
Parton joked, “I don’t know whose damn idea that was.” She added, “Hopefully it’ll be special. I have to honestly say, it was an odd feeling to be asked to write a song that was not going to be heard ’til [2046]. But it’s a good song.”
She wrote in her 2020 book, Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, “There’s no telling what music is going to be by then. Hopefully, it will play and the whole thing ain’t rotted.”
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U.S. flags at White House lowered to half-staff for Parton
The U.S. flag that flies over the White House has been lowered to half-staff in honor of Dolly Parton.
Announcing the tribute, President Trump said he would be lowering all U.S. flags for one week “in her honor.”
Under U.S. flag protocol, all state, civic and commercial flags flying alongside the U.S. flag will also be lowered to half-staff for the singer.
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Dolly Parton’s most memorable moments through the years
Dolly Parton had a remarkable life. By the age of 13, she had performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn., and was already on a path to stardom.
Parton wrote hundreds of songs, won 10 Grammys and later became a film and TV star, establishing herself as one of entertainment’s most versatile performers.
Swipe for some of the beloved singer’s most memorable moments through the years.
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Jane Fonda, Bette Midler and Reese Witherspoon among the Hollywood stars who have paid tribute to Parton
Hollywood stars have paid their respects to Dolly Parton.
Jane Fonda, Parton’s costar in the 1980 comedy9 to 5, said she was “devastated” to learn that the Queen of Country had “moved on.” She wrote, “I know that millions are mourning and I want to say this — more than anyone I have ever known, Dolly will always be with us because she was so present, so powerful, so generous and playful that she is woven into all our lives and hearts forever.”
Julia Roberts, who starred alongside Parton in 1989’s Steel Magnolias, told Page Six, “Dolly was a magical and joyous human. I hold knowing her as a treasure in my life. The sun has dimmed today.”
Bette Midler said, “Our beloved Dolly Parton has died. I am devastated, and I’m sure the nation will mourn her as I do, and for many years to come. She had a voice of pure gold and a heart to match. What a terrible, terrible loss.”
Oprah Winfrey wrote, “This girl from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee dreamed a life and then lived a life bigger than she could have ever imagined, giving so generously to others in ways we saw and ways we didn’t. No one like her. She brought the light, and we are all better because she was here.”
Reese Witherspoon, who won an Oscar for her role as country singer June Carter Cash in 2005’s Walk the Line, said Parton “made me see how lucky I was to be a storyteller.” She added, “Throughout my entire career, she sent me little notes of encouragement and support, telling me to be the light in people’s lives and listen to my angels. Always signed: ‘I will always love you.’ Dolly, I miss you already. Your talent, your wisdom and your beautiful spirit lit up our lives. Go soar with your angels.”
Anne Hathaway wrote, “She more than deserves her rest, and now it’s up to us to do our best [to] follow in her brilliant, adorable, one-of-a-kind, bedazzled footsteps so that we still feel that magic in our world.”
Drew Barrymore said Parton “will always be loved & remembered,” while Jamie Foxx said, “One of one. Rest in power, Dolly Parton.”
Colman Domingo wrote, “Dolly taught us that you can be anything and do anything and to do it with kindness. What a light. We are all grateful that we lived in a time of Dolly Parton. We will always love her.”
Sarah Jessica Parker said the musician would “be terribly missed.” She added, “One of the greatest this country ever produced. Legend. For real. Forever. And always advocating for those she knew and understood needed a champion. What a loss. But aren’t we so lucky, so fortunate for the endless gifts she shared.”
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Fans pay their respects at Parton’s Walk of Fame stars
Dolly Parton’s Walk of Fame stars have been adorned with messages echoing the title of her signature song, “I Will Always Love You.”
Fans have left tributes at Parton’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, which honors her work in film, and at her star on the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville.
Kitten Kay Sera, known as “the pink lady of Hollywood,” was pictured wiping away tears during an interview about the loss.
Actor Gregg Donovan, known as the Official Beverly Hills Ambassador, was seen at the Los Angeles site dressed in a traditional red royal footman’s coat.
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Music legends pay tribute to ‘an exemplary human being’
Music legends have paid tribute to Dolly Parton after the country star’s death.
Paul McCartney said the singer “was so bubbly and full of life,” adding, “Her songwriting, her singing and her philanthropy were unrivaled in the world of country music, and it is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly.”
Carole King hailed Parton as “an exemplary human being,” and Celine Dion wrote, “We will now be missing one of the most joyful voices this world has ever known. Thank you for the music, the laughter, and the love you gave us all. We will always love you.”
Dionne Warwick called Parton “the funniest woman I have ever met” in an interview on CNN. “The Heavenly Father has made the decision to bring another of his children to him. Dolly, a true child of God, is in the best hands now,” she said in a statement.
Nile Rodgers called her “one of the kindest and most talented artists I’ve ever worked with,” adding, “you are one of one.”
Elton John said he was “shocked and devastated” by the news, calling her “a giant of an artist — unique and irreplaceable, with the kindest heart.”
The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger called her a “wonderful songwriter and singer” who “brought so many people together,” while Cyndi Lauper said she was “a role model for all of us.”
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Country music stars, including Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire and Billy Ray Cyrus, pay tribute
Country music stars have shared their memories and admiration for Parton, who was known as the “Queen of Country.”
Longtime friend Billy Ray Cyrus, who chose Parton as the godmother of his daughter Miley Cyrus, said he loved her “with his whole heart.” Recalling one of his formative memories of the singer, he wrote on Instagram, “In 1992, I’ll never forget walking into her dressing room to apologize for all the tabloid stories which claimed I was having an affair with her. In true Dolly fashion, she just looked at me, winked and said, ‘Honey, this trash sells records!'”
Shania Twain shared a clip of their unforgettable duet, Coat of Many Colors,writing that “my mentor is gone.”She added, “There is a hole in my heart but the joy of just the thought of her smile will continue to fill me with inspiration for as long as I live.”
Kacey Musgraves wrote on X that “this really really hurts.” Reflecting on Parton’s late husband, who died in 2025, she said she’s “so glad she’s with her Carl Dean.” She added, “No one talk to me today.” On Instagram, Musgroves shared a selfie with Parton and a heart emoji.
Tim McGraw wrote on social media that “it’s been hard not to be in tears all day.” He added, “There will never be another Dolly Parton.”
Reba McEntire shared photos of herself and Parton together over the years. She opened her post by writing that she had just received the news that her “buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side.”
“Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart,” she added. “There will never ever be another you.”
Blake Shelton said he was honored to spend some time with Parton when she joined Team Blake on The Voice in 2012. Posting a picture of her appearance on Instagram, he said, “I want everyone to know that she was the EXACT person that you think she is. It was like being with the funnest, most loving, most caring and closest member of your family.”
Keith Urban wrote on Instagram Stories that he was “heartbroken” over the news. “Honestly,” he began, “I have no words right now.”
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Parton addressed health issues days before her death
Dolly Parton gave a virtual video message days before her death at Dollywood, telling fans she wouldn’t be traveling to open a new ride because she’d “had a few little health issues.”
Sporting butterfly wings in the video — a symbol that became closely associated with her — she delivered a message for the opening of Dollywood’s NightFlight Expedition ride after she was unable to attend the celebration in person.
Wearing a pink dress with a jeweled neckline, she told the audience she was “still here, sorta.”
Explaining the reasons for her virtual appearance, she told theme park guests: “I’m here because my little butterfly wings are getting kind of tired… I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I’ve had a few little health issues, and sometimes I get a little dizzy, and I get dehydrated, and so my Nashville doctor has kind of clipped my wings, saying, ‘You ain’t traveling this week.’ I guess if your doctor tells you you ain’t traveling this week, you ain’t traveling this week, but I like to keep all of you in the loop, like I said I would, on everything.”
She added: “So all is going well on the medical end of things, and I continue working away on all of our other projects.”
