Dolly Parton, country music icon, dies aged 80
Dolly Parton, the US country music star, actor and philanthropist, has died aged 80. Tributes have poured in from around the world, with US President Donald Trump ordering flags to be lowered across America in her honour.
Dolly Parton, the US country music star, actor and philanthropist, has died aged 80. The singer, whose career spanned more than six decades, was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of country music, with a string of classic songs including Jolene and I Will Always Love You that continue to inspire new artists.
Tributes have begun pouring in from across the world, with US President Donald Trump leading the tributes and announcing that flags will be lowered throughout America in Parton's honour. The news of her death prompted an outpouring of grief from fans, fellow musicians and public figures, with many remembering her as a 'true country music icon'.
Parton was born in 1946 in rural Tennessee, the fourth of twelve children in a poor farming family. Her early life in the Smoky Mountains would go on to shape much of her songwriting, most famously in Coat of Many Colours, a song about rural poverty and homespun wisdom that became one of her most beloved works. She rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s, crossing over from country to mainstream pop success while maintaining her distinctive image of wigs, rhinestones and elaborate stage outfits.
Beneath that carefully cultivated image, however, was a songwriter of extraordinary depth and range. Her 1974 hit Jolene and the ballad I Will Always Love You, written as a farewell to her professional partner Porter Wagoner, both became enduring standards. The latter was later covered by Whitney Houston to enormous commercial success, introducing Parton's songwriting to a new generation of listeners. Her catalogue of songs has been widely credited with turning country music cliches inside out, bringing a sharp intelligence and emotional complexity to a genre often dismissed as simple.
Parton's career was not limited to music. She appeared in films including 9 to 5 and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and built a business empire around her brand, including the Dollywood theme park in her home state of Tennessee. She was also a noted philanthropist, funding literacy programmes and supporting medical research, including a significant donation towards the development of a Covid-19 vaccine during the pandemic.
Her family have said goodbye to their aunt, sister and grandmother, with video tributes shared publicly. The scale of her influence was reflected in the breadth of those paying tribute, from country music peers to figures far beyond the genre. Her death marks the end of an era for country music, but her songs and her legacy are expected to endure for decades to come.
