Dolly Parton, the “Queen of Country" singing icon with a personality as bold as her signature blond coif and rhinestone-encrusted outfits, has died. She was 80 years old.
Parton’s death was announced in a video message from her family on her social media pages and confirmed to USA TODAY.
Throughout her 60-year-career, Parton painted her twang-laced soprano voice on hits-turned-classics such as “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “9 to 5” and “Coat of Many Colors.” Her 49 studio albums earned 25 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, the most of any female country artist, and spanned every decade from “Joshua” in 1971 to “Tyrant” with Beyoncé in 2024.
Parton’s influence extended beyond her celebrity. A noted philanthropist, she donated millions of dollars for college scholarships through her Dollywood Foundation, established the Imagination Library and provided $1 million for the research that helped to create the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19 during the 2020 global pandemic. After Hurricane Helene caused devastating floods in her East Tennessee homeland in 2024, Parton donated $1 million to assist flood victims.
What a Talent.
Edit to add;
Reactions poured in as news spread about Parton’s death.
At the White House, President Trump called her death “a true loss for millions of people” and ordered the American flag lowered across the country starting Tuesday evening.
“There has never been anyone like her, and never will,” Mr. Trump said.
