{"id":19450,"date":"2026-08-28T18:45:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T18:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/?p=19450"},"modified":"2026-08-28T18:45:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T18:45:42","slug":"country-legend-dolly-parton-dies-aged-80","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/?p=19450","title":{"rendered":"Country legend Dolly Parton dies aged 80"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Country legend Dolly Parton passed away aged 80.<\/p>\n

\u201cDolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus,\u201d her nephew Bryan Seaver announced on behalf of the family.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe never saw a door she couldn\u2019t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history,\u201d\u00a0Seaver said in a video statement.<\/p>\n

Not many artists have shaped the music world quite like Dolly Parton. Between her sharp wit, unmistakable voice, and genuine kindness, she grew way beyond a traditional country star to become a true icon of resilience and raw talent.<\/p>\n

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Beneath the glittering image of the blond bombshell was a woman whose honesty, humor, and generosity inspired millions for decades. From humble beginnings in rural Tennessee, Dolly\u2019s journey to stardom began early. She was already performing by age 10, and by 13 she had made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry, earning just $20 a week but capturing hearts instantly.<\/p>\n

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@dollyparton\/<\/em>Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Dolly was raised in a family where music flowed through generations and was deeply influenced by her mother\u2019s musical relatives, and her passion only grew stronger when her uncle Lewis gifted her his beloved Martin guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic was such a large part of our whole family,\u201d Parton once recalled. \u201cAll of my mama\u2019s people were musical. They all played some musical instrument. Of course, I took my music real serious, and I was always plucking along on somebody\u2019s instrument \u2014 whatever they would leave lying around or whenever my family would come. But I always loved the guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had two uncles who played \u2014 Uncle Bill, who helped me get into the business, and Uncle Lewis, who was also a great guitar player,\u201d she said. \u201cHe had this little Martin guitar that I loved, so when he saw how serious I was about my music, he gave me his little Martin guitar. It was my treasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

After finishing high school, Dolly set out for Nashville with big dreams and unstoppable determination. The rest is history; a career spanning more than half a century, over 3,000 songs written, more than 100 million albums sold, 25 number-one hits, and eight Grammy Awards.<\/p>\n

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@dollyparton\/<\/em>Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Tributes from fans and friends across the globe are pouring in for the legendary icon behind timeless hits like \u201c9 to 5\u201d and \u201cJolene.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fellow country singer Reba McEntire wrote in part on X, \u201cDolly, 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. There will never ever be another you.\u201d<\/p>\n

President Trump ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff to honor Parton, sharing a tribute on Truth Social: \u201cThis is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will.\u201d<\/p>\n

TV host Kathie Lee Gifford wrote on X, \u201cI am completely devastated by the loss of my precious friend, Dolly.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe encouraged me and loved me every day I needed it. That is what I remember most\u2026.I wish more people in this world would live like Dolly did. To just be kind and loving and steadfast . I will miss her for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Shutterstock\/Tinseltown<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Seaver shared with\u00a0TMZ\u00a0<\/em>that the legendary singer will be laid to rest in the mausoleum at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville, Tennessee, right alongside her husband, Carl Dean, who passed away in March 2025.<\/p>\n

Reports also noted that she will be buried true to her iconic style; her signature high heels and a comfortable cotton dress.<\/p>\n

While an official cause of her death hasn\u2019t been announced yet, Dolly had been open with the public about her declining health in the months leading up to her passing. As reported by\u00a0TMZ<\/em>, she had been hospitalized at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville shortly before passing away.<\/p>\n

Rest in peace, Dolly Parton.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Country legend Dolly Parton passed away aged 80. \u201cDolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus,\u201d her nephew Bryan Seaver announced on behalf of the … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19450"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19450\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19452,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19450\/revisions\/19452"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}