Dolly Parton Died After Brief Battle With Cancer
Dolly Parton, the beloved country superstar, was surrounded by loved ones when she died in Nashville after a brief battle with cancer, a spokesman said on Tuesday.
Parton’s death was announced earlier Tuesday by her family, prompting widespread tributes for a singer who dominated her genre for decades and influenced generations of artists. She was 80.
Concerns about Parton’s health arose last year after she postponed a Las Vegas residency, saying she was dealing with unspecified health problems that required her to be closer to home in Tennessee for treatment. When she canceled the residency in May, she said she had been dealing with a large number of kidney stones, as well as challenges with her immune and digestive systems.
Parton had said that at times she had struggled to look after her own health when taking care of her husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025.
It is unclear when Parton received the cancer diagnosis. Several days before her death, Parton said in a statement to People magazine that even while she was focused on her health, she was still working. “I still have so many things I want to achieve,” she said, “so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”