00:00Dolly Parton, the country music icon who rose from poverty to become one of the most celebrated
00:04entertainers in the world, has died at the age of 80. We've got more on her life and legacy in
00:09today's Page Six headlines. Parton's nephew and longtime head of security, Brian Seaver,
00:15confirmed her passing in an Instagram post on August 25th.
00:19Hey, everyone. My name is Brian Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I'm representing the
00:25Parton and Owen's family today announcing the passing of my Aunt Dolly, Rebecca Parton
00:30Dean, sister, sis, Aunt Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next. This video announcement
00:37is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. As her
00:42head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the
00:48heaviness of this moment but haven't truly felt it until now. It is an honor, an honor that is mixed
00:53with absolute pride and great sadness, but sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the
01:00light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have
01:06watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens. I first went on the road with Dolly
01:11as a
01:11kid, getting a taste of the road life in the early 1980s. Dolly opened doors not just for me, but
01:17for her
01:18entire family to reach the potential we didn't even know was possible. Dolly also opened doors for
01:23generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of
01:28life and across every continent. By her example, we believed that anything was
01:32possible. She never saw a door she couldn't open and the door she opened made
01:37and changed history. My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with
01:43Dolly, but so have you. She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD, and on
01:50your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family whether you liked it
01:53or not. Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work
01:57diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever. Dolly was a farmer, just
02:03like her daddy. He farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me
02:09and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life
02:13wearing heavy rhinestones she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest. Rest
02:19in peace, Aunt Dolly, Aunt Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton and may God bless
02:25you all. She will always love you.
02:29In what would become her final interview, the country music icon told People magazine on August
02:3421st that she was dealing with some health issues which had forced her to cancel an appearance
02:39at her Dollywood theme park the previous week. Parton acknowledged that she had been through
02:43difficult periods with her health before saying, it's not like I haven't been through hard
02:46times with my health. She specifically recalled being down for several months with quote female
02:51issues in the early 1980s. Parton also said her more recent health struggles came after she
02:56failed to pay attention to her own health while watching over her late husband Carl Thomas
03:01Dean. Dean died in March 2025 at 82 after nearly 59 years of marriage to Parton. In the days
03:08leading up to her death, Parton was reportedly hospitalized with kidney and autoimmune issues.
03:13According to TMZ, she was admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville the evening
03:17of August 20th, five days before her death. The outlet reported that she died at the hospital
03:22the morning of August 25th. Nine months before her death, Parton also spoke to People about the
03:27legacy she wanted to leave behind. I'm at that point in my life where I just want to be able
03:31to
03:31do good things that can be carried on, she said in November 2025. I'm proud of my legacy so far,
03:37and I hope to just continue to do things that might be of use to other people.
03:41At the time, Parton said she felt like she was just getting started, and joked,
03:45I ain't got time to get old. She added that she believed there was a lot to be said about
03:49age,
03:49but said she planned to keep going as long as her health allowed.
03:52In September 2025, she pulled out of an appearance at Dollywood due to an infection,
03:58and later postponed her Las Vegas residency to undergo what she described as a few procedures.
04:02Parton reassured fans at the time, joking that she wasn't dead yet, but she continued to face
04:08health challenges, skipping her 80th birthday celebration at the Grand Ole Opry in January 2026.
04:14In May, Parton officially canceled her Las Vegas residency and told fans she was responding really
04:19well to meds and treatments and improving every day. She added that doctors had assured her that
04:24everything she had was treatable. Born January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, Parton grew up,
04:32quote, dirt poor, with 11 siblings and no running water. But she developed a passion for music at a
04:37young age, writing her first song, Little Tiny Tassel Top, when she was just five years old.
04:43She began appearing on local radio shows at 10, and performed at the Grand Ole Opry for the first
04:48time at 13. It was there that she met Johnny Cash, who introduced her on stage and helped kickstart what
04:54would become a legendary career. Parton's early years in music were far from glamorous. She later recalled
05:00sleeping in the back seat of a car while traveling for performances, washing her hair in gas station
05:05bathrooms, and putting on makeup in the car's side mirror. Her breakthrough came in 1967, when she was
05:11around 21, with the country hits Dumb Blonde and Something Fishy. She also became a regular on Porter
05:17Wagoner's syndicated show, helping launch her career as a solo artist. Parton went on to release some of
05:23country music's most enduring songs, including Jolene, Coat of Many Colors, I Will Always Love
05:28You, and 9 to 5. Over the course of her career, she won 11 Grammys and received numerous other honors,
05:34including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a National Medal of Arts, a Kennedy Center Honor,
05:40and an honorary Academy Award. She also became a successful actress, starring in films including
05:459 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Steel Magnolias. Beyond her own career, Parton
05:51inspired generations of artists. She was the godmother of Miley Cyrus, with whom she performed
05:56Jolene, and her songs were famously covered by artists including Whitney Houston, Kelly Clarkson,
06:01and Beyonce. Parton was also known for her philanthropy. Her imagination library has donated more than 318
06:08million books to children around the world since its founding in 1995. Though she never had children
06:13with Dean, Parton leaves behind generations of fans and an enormous catalog of music, film,
06:18and charitable work. Dolly Parton will be remembered not only as a country music icon,
06:23but as a songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and cultural force whose influence stretched far
06:29beyond music. We'll always love you, Dolly!
