Dolly Parton, the singer, composer, actress, philanthropist, advocate, and amusement park impresario, has died, her nephew Bryan Seaver confirmed on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. She was 80 years old.
Source: Vanity Fair
Editor: Dolly always felt genuine. She never seemed embarrassed by where she came from—or overly impressed by where she ended up. She could joke about the wigs, rhinestones, and cosmetic surgery while remaining fiercely proud of her Appalachian roots.
She was generous in ways that actually mattered. Her Imagination Library put free books into children’s hands, she supported hospitals and conservation efforts, and her $1 million Vanderbilt donation helped fund COVID-19 vaccine research. Her philanthropy wasn’t a side hustle for publicity—it became part of her legacy.
Dolly was nobody’s fool. Dolly could be warm, funny, and gracious while also being a killer businesswoman. When Elvis Presley’s camp reportedly wanted half the publishing rights to “I Will Always Love You,” she said no—and kept ownership of a song that later became a worldwide phenomenon through Whitney Houston. The hair was big. The business instincts were bigger. The heart? Enormous.
We will miss Dolly Parton.