Dolly Parton's Manager Shares Insight Into Her Final Days

Originally appeared on E! Online

Dolly Partonwas workin’ 9 to 5 until the very end.

After the “Jolene” singerdied following a brief battle with cancer on Aug. 25 at age 80, her manager Danny Nozell shared a glimpse into her final days.

“Dolly worked up until the day she died,” he shared in an Aug. 26 press release. “She loved seeing her dreams come to life, and loved knowing her work brought people joy.”

Parton had been working on several projects over the last two years, including her SongTeller Hotel opening its doors Sept. 14; the Life of Many Colors Museum at her hotel Sept. 29; and new Broadway show DOLLY: A True Original Musical, which begins previews Dec. 7.

“Ever the planner, Dolly worked with the team that she handpicked, for the past several years to build a project roadmap that will guide us for decades to come,” Nozell explained. “As the leader of the team responsible for overseeing her legacy, we will ensure the many dreams she had yet to fulfill are brought to life.”

Although the country music legend—who also had several upcoming products set to drop, including dog treats, bedding and decor, as well as a collab with Kendra Scott—won’t be cutting the ribbon on her new hotel or taking a seat on the Great White Way for the musical, her work will move forward.

“Many projects were in various stages of development, and we want to be transparent with her fans about this fact,” the statement continued. “If you see unreleased music, products, books, experiences, and campaigns launched through official Dolly Parton channels, you can have confidence in knowing that she placed her personal stamp on it.”

While Parton—whose husband of nearly 60 years Carl Dean died last March—was revered for her music and various projects, she previously revealed the highlight of her legacy: The Imagination Library.

“I have loved doing this for the kids,” she told Today in June 2019. “There’s nothing more important than our little kids, to make an impression on them when they’re young and to teach them the right things early on.”

The Grammy winner—earning the nickname “The Book Lady” after founding her charitable program in 1995, providing free books to kids from birth to age 5—was inspired by her dad Robert Lee Parton.

“My dad couldn’t read or write and that was kind of crippling to him,” she shared in her 2020 documentary The Library That Dolly Built. “Of all the things I’ve done in my life—and it’s been a lot because I’ve been around a long time—this is one of the most precious things and the proudest I’ve been of any program I’ve ever been involved in, working with these kids.”

As fans prove they’ll always love Parton for making the world a better place to live, keep reading for a look back at her rhinestone-encrusted life in photos.