Dolly Parton, queen of country music, dies at 80
Dolly Parton, the irrepressible country music singer whose charisma, heartfelt lyrics and support of causes she believed in captured the public’s imagination for nearly six decades, died on Tuesday aged 80.
No cause of death was disclosed, but her publicist said she died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, her home state.
Dolly Parton was around six when she wrote her first song: “Little Tiny Tasseltop,” an ode to her corncob doll with corn-silk hair. Her mother stored it preciously in a shoebox.
“I loved that little doll,” Parton wrote decades later. “I expressed myself and my feelings through writing — I’m sure what I was thinking was, ‘Well, Tasseltop has to have a song about her.'”
Parton never stopped making music after that. The irrepressible country music singer, songwriter and actress whose charisma, heartfelt lyrics and business acumen captured the public’s imagination for nearly six decades, died on Tuesday aged 80, her family said in a statement.
With classic songs including “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” Parton became one of the best-selling female artists of all time, with over 100 million records sold. She won 11 Grammy awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Parton‘s wholesome personality, combined with her towering blond hairdos, flamboyant costumes and giddy delight at holding center stage, endeared her to Americans of all backgrounds and helped introduce country music to international audiences.
Over the years Parton hosted a TV variety show, starred in movies, and even created a theme park, Dollywood, a popular tourist spot in her home state of Tennessee — all in addition to her lauded work as a songwriter.
But the quality that gave her enduring star power was her ability to connect with people. Coming from a self-described “dirt-poor” family, Parton often stood in as a symbol of the working-class American and regularly threw her name and money behind causes she believed in.
‘MAMA HAD THIS HAUNTING VOICE’
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, and grew up in a one-room cabin in nearby Locust Ridge. One of 12 children of tobacco farmer Robert Lee Parton, her difficult childhood gave credibility to her often personal songs trilled in a distinctive soprano.
Her mother, Avie Lee, would sing constantly — songs from England, Ireland and Wales that told a story. “Mama had this haunting voice, and Lord you would feel it,” Parton wrote in her 2020 book “Dolly Parton, Songteller” co-authored with Robert K. Oermann.
Parton got her first real guitar when she was eight. Her mother would say, whenever she had guests: “I want you to hear this song this little thing has made up. It’s really good.” Parton loved the attention.
She was singing on a local radio station by age 11, and at age 13 was appearing on the Grand Ole Opry, a weekly country music concert in Nashville, Tennessee.
After graduating from high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue a music career and began a famous partnership with country music singer Porter Wagoner, which would include a years-long stint on his TV show and 14 top-ten duets. She penned her hit song “I Will Always Love You” as a farewell to Wagoner when she decided to pursue a solo career.
On the first day Parton arrived in country music’s capital, she met Carl Dean, an asphalt paver. They would marry two years later, in 1966. Throughout their long marriage, Dean shunned the spotlight and did not tour with her, though he would be a muse for many of her greatest hits, including “Jolene,” which was inspired by a red-haired bank teller’s crush on Dean.
‘THE DOLLY IMAGE’
Her own appearance was the object of intense interest. Initially embarrassed, she eventually found the humor in frequent questions about her extravagant dress sense and generous figure.
She dismissed rumors that her breasts were insured and laughed off periodic rumors that she was bedridden due to their weight, telling People magazine: “Well, they are heavy, but they haven’t crippled me yet.”
Parton patterned her signature look on a woman she would see walking around her Tennessee hometown in tight skirts and high heels, with red nails, red lipstick and peroxided hair. “I thought she was beautiful. But everybody said, ‘She’s trash!'” Parton wrote in her 2023 book “Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones.” “I laughed and said, ‘Well, if that’s trash, that’s what I want to be when I grow up!'”
But as much as she embraced her signature look, she also viewed it as distinct from herself. “I look one way and am another,” she told Ladies’ Home Journal in 1982. “It makes for a good combination. I always think of ‘her,’ the Dolly image, like a ventriloquist does his dummy. I have fun with it. I think, what will I do with her this year to surprise people? What’ll she wear? What’ll she say?”
She also expressed the wish that her appearance would serve to sell, rather than overshadow, her talent.
Here is some of the reaction to the news of the country singer’s death:
DONALD TRUMP, US PRESIDENT
“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away. This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will. In her honor, I am lowering the American flag throughout the United States for a one week period beginning tonight at 6:00PM. Rest in Peace, Dolly! The World loves you.”
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE
“Dolly Parton did all the good she could, for all the people she could, for as long as she ever could… Dolly, we’ll miss your great heart.”
VINCE GILL, AMERICAN COUNTRY SINGER
“We are all crushed here at our house. One of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard was when Dolly and I sang that last note of ‘I Will Always Love You’ the year we performed it on the CMA Awards.”
EUGENE NAUGHTON, DOLLYWOOD PARKS & RESORTS PRESIDENT
“Dolly’s heart was as vast as the mountains she cherished, and her compassion knew no bounds. She inspired generations to dream boldly and love deeply. While we grieve her loss, we are honored and committed to carry her light forward. Her legacy will continue to shine in every melody sung, every smile shared and every dream kindled within these gates.”
Dollywood will be open Wednesday, as the singer wanted, a spokesperson from Dollywood Parks & Resorts said, adding: “The show must go on.”
MICK JAGGER, ROLLING STONES SINGER
“What a wonderful songwriter and singer Dolly was. She brought so many people together, we will all miss her so much.”
LINDA RONSTADT, SINGER
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of my friend, Dolly Parton. One of the most extraordinary musical experiences of my life was recording with her. The world is a poorer place without her.”
MODERNA SPOKESPERSON
“Moderna is saddened by the passing of Dolly Parton, whose extraordinary generosity touched millions of lives. During the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dolly supported critical research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center that, alongside the historic public-private partnership that accelerated the COVID-19 vaccine effort, contributed to the development of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
“She was an American treasure, and her generosity, optimism and belief in science made a difference at a moment when the world needed it most. We will always be grateful to have shared a small part of her remarkable story.”
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