Country music icon, Dolly Parton, has died at the age of 80, according to multiple reports, including CNN, The Guardian and Punch.

Parton’s death was reportedly announced by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

“I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.

“It is an honour, an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness,” Seaver said.

Parton, who rose from humble beginnings in Tennessee to become one of the world’s most celebrated country music singer-songwriters, had a career spanning more than six decades.

She sold more than 100 million records worldwide and earned the title, “Queen of Country”, with hit songs including “Jolene”, “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You”.

The singer-songwriter wrote more than 3,000 songs and won 11 Grammy Awards. She also established herself as an actress, featuring in films such as 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Joyful Noise.

Born on January 19, 1946, in a two-room log cabin along the Little Pigeon River in Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of 12 children.

Her father, an illiterate sharecropper, later worked his way up to owning a small tobacco farm, while her mother introduced her to traditional folk ballads and music.

Parton began performing as a child and, at 13, had already appeared on local radio and television in East Tennessee, performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and recorded her first single, “Puppy Love”.

After graduating from high school in 1964, she moved to Nashville to pursue a career as a songwriter.

She released her debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, in 1967 and joined The Porter Wagoner Show, where country star Porter Wagoner mentored her. The pair later recorded several successful albums together.

In 1973, Parton began concentrating on her solo career and wrote “I Will Always Love You” following her professional separation from Wagoner. The song became a hit before Whitney Houston recorded a hugely successful version for the 1992 film The Bodyguard.

Parton also wrote “Jolene” around the same period, with both songs appearing on her 1974 album Jolene. The album helped expand her audience beyond country music.

Her 1977 album, Here You Come Again, became her first to sell one million copies and earned her first Grammy Award after almost a decade of nominations.

In 1980, Parton made her film debut alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 9 to 5.

She also wrote and performed the film’s theme song, which topped the charts and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.

The success of the film paved the way for further acting roles in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Steel Magnolias (1989) and Joyful Noise (2012).

Beyond entertainment, Parton built a business empire that included television specials, food products and Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park she acquired an interest in and renamed in 1986.

She was also recognised for her philanthropy, particularly through the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library, which promotes childhood literacy.

Parton supported medical research, disaster relief and other charitable causes, including a $1 million donation towards COVID-19 vaccine research.

In 2022, she was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.

“I just give from my heart. I never know what I’m going to do or why I’m gonna do it. I just see a need and if I can fill it, then I will,” she said at the time.

Parton’s health concerns became public in September 2025 when she postponed her Las Vegas residency. In recent weeks, she had also withdrawn from public appearances amid ongoing health issues.

Her death comes months after that of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 at the age of 82.

The couple married in 1966.