The news comes only days after Parton had spoken publicly about her health. Photo credit: Carl Beust/Shutterstock
How many of us have sung along to Jolene wishing she would actually come and take our man? How many have put 9 to 5 on when work got too much, or fallen for the heartbreak of I Will Always Love You? For generations of fans, Dolly Parton’s songs have been woven into everyday life and emotional memories, now, the woman behind them has died aged 80.
Parton’s family confirmed her death this afternoon August. 25. She died in Nashville, Tennessee, and no cause of death has been announced. The news comes only days after Parton had spoken publicly about her health, making her death particularly difficult for fans who had continued to see her planning new projects. She had recently cancelled a planned Las Vegas residency because of health problems but was still discussing ways to continue performing.
The woman behind the songs
Parton’s appeal was never limited to country music. Her voice and songwriting reached people who may never have considered themselves country fans, while songs such as Jolene and Coat of Many Colors became familiar across generations. She wrote approximately 3,000 songs and sold more than 100 million records worldwide. I Will Always Love You, written and originally recorded by Parton, reached an entirely new audience when Whitney Houston recorded it for The Bodyguard.
But Parton’s songs were often rooted in experiences that were far removed from the glamour surrounding her later career. She grew up in poverty in rural Tennessee, one of 12 children, and those early years became a source of inspiration throughout her songwriting. Coat of Many Colors, in particular, drew on her childhood and the pride her mother instilled in her despite the family’s lack of money.
From country singer to household name
Parton moved to Nashville as a teenager and began building a career that would eventually stretch across music, film, television and business. Her partnership with Porter Wagoner helped establish her as a major country performer before she became a hugely successful solo artist.
She later starred in films including 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias, while Dollywood became one of Tennessee’s best-known attractions. Her achievements included 11 Grammy Awards and inductions into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, yet the Dolly Parton many people knew went far beyond the stage.
Millions of children benefited from her work
Parton’s Imagination Library began with a simple idea: give children books so they could develop a love of reading. The programme grew from her home community into an international literacy initiative, distributing millions of books to children. She also donated $1 million towards COVID-19 vaccine research, supporting work at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her philanthropy became such a significant part of her public life that she was recognised as much for what she gave away as for what she earned.
Parton’s husband, Carl Dean, died in March last year after almost 60 years of marriage. She continued working following his death, despite the personal loss and the health problems she later discussed publicly. Only days before her death, Parton was still talking about the future. Now there will be no new Jolene, no new 9 to 5, and no new Dolly Parton performance to look forward to. But for the people who have spent decades singing her songs, her voice is already part of their own stories, and that is not going anywhere.
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