World remembers Dolly Parton's life and legacy after family confirms cause of death

On Tuesday, Rhonda Vincent opened the Grand Ole Opry with a heartfelt tribute to Dolly Parton, telling the audience, “This is for Dolly,” before performing the country icon’s beloved hit “Coat of Many Colors.”

The Opry member later returned to the stage to honor Parton with renditions of “9 to 5” and “Jolene,” while Morgan Myles performed Parton’s 1973 classic, “I Will Always Love You.”

The Grand Ole Opry will continue celebrating Parton’s life and legacy during Saturday night’s show, which will be dedicated to the Country Music Hall of Fame member and longtime Opry star.

Carly Pearce, who began her career at Dollywood and was surprised by Parton with an invitation to join the Opry in 2021, is among the scheduled performers.

“Dolly Parton was perhaps the most loved and admired artist from her home state of Tennessee,” Colin Reed, executive chairman of Ryman Hospitality Properties, said in a press release obtained by Fox News Digital. “Her music and sense of humor will live on for generations to come.”

The show will air on WSM-AM, Opry.com and SiriusXM channel 58.

Dolly Parton spent decades sharing herself with the world. Carl Dean was the man who got to keep her to himself.

The country music icon met Dean outside Nashville’s Wishy Washy laundromat in 1964, on her first day in town after moving from Sevierville to chase her music dreams. Parton, then 18, later recalled that she was not looking for love, but Dean caught her attention because he seemed genuinely interested in who she was beneath the blonde hair and big ambitions.

Parton and Dean celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2016 by renewing their vows.

"My first thought was 'I'm gonna marry that girl,'" Dean told Entertainment Tonight of his first encounter with Parton. "My second thought was, 'Lord she’s good lookin.' And that was the day my life began. I wouldn't trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth."

For nearly six decades, their marriage endured while Parton became one of the most famous women in the world. Dean, who ran an asphalt-paving business, remained fiercely private and mostly stayed away from red carpets, cameras and the glare of Dolly’s superstardom.

Their differences became part of the relationship’s charm. Behind the scenes, they favored simple pleasures over Hollywood spectacle.

"Dolly and Carl spent many beautiful years together taking sightseeing trips around the country in their RV, staying in roadside motels, having date nights at the drive thru and often revisiting the church where they married for simple picnics around their anniversary," Parton's biography read. "Carl notably didn’t care for the spotlight of Dolly’s career, but his love, support and consistency built an unshakable foundation for her to come home to when she was off the road."

Dean died in 2025 at the age of 82 after a prolonged unspecified illness. Parton joined her husband on Aug. 25 after a brief battle with cancer.

Julia Roberts has never forgotten a piece of advice Dolly Parton gave her on the set of “Steel Magnolias.”

During a 1989 appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show", a clip of which has recently resurfaced, Roberts recalled the cast filming in Louisiana’s brutal summer heat and complaining about the conditions.

Parton, who was already an established star, offered a perspective that stayed with the then-rising actress.“When I was a little girl, I wanted to be famous and I wanted to be rich, and now I’m both those things,” Parton told Roberts. “I’m not going to complain about it.”

Roberts said the moment has stuck with her for decades, explaining that whenever she feels tempted to complain, she remembers Parton’s words — and the gratitude behind them.

Years before her death, Dolly Parton donated millions to support medical care and research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Parton gave $1 million to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, a gift rooted in a deeply personal connection to the facility. Her niece had been treated there for leukemia as a child in the 1990s, and Parton later used her platform and resources to support the hospital’s work caring for seriously ill children and their families.

In 2022, she gave another $1 million to fund pediatric infectious disease research.

She also played an important role in supporting coronavirus vaccine research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center that helped lead to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Parton gave $1 million in honor of her friend Dr. Naji Abumrad, whose son hosted the podcast "Dolly Parton's America."

Parton’s contribution helped fund critical early-stage research that paved the way for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Parton had been hospitalized at Vanderbilt four days before her death, People magazine reported. The "I Will Always Love You" singer's family confirmed Parton had been battling cancer.

Dolly Parton built far more than a music career. The country icon created a business empire that stretched from the Smoky Mountains to grocery-store shelves — and ensured her name became synonymous with far more than rhinestones and hit songs.

At the center of it all was Dollywood. Parton partnered with the Herschend family to open the Tennessee theme park in 1986, transforming it into a sprawling resort destination complete with a water park, hotels, cabins and dinner attractions. She also lent her name and vision to Dolly Parton’s Stampede and Pirates Voyage dinner shows, which drew families to locations across the country.

But the singer’s business savvy began with her music. Parton wrote thousands of songs, including “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” creating a catalog that continued to generate enormous value long after the songs first climbed the charts.

She then brought her larger-than-life personality into American kitchens through a partnership with Duncan Hines and its parent company, Conagra Brands. The deal expanded from baking mixes and frostings to a broader line of comfort-food products inspired by Parton’s favorite recipes.

Even in the months before her death, Parton continued to dream bigger. She had plans for the SongTeller Hotel and Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville, along with a Broadway-bound musical based on her extraordinary life.

Parton’s family confirmed to Fox News Digital that she died after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80 — but the empire she built from her Tennessee roots will keep carrying her name, songs and spirit forward.

Dolly Parton’s legacy took over Google in a touching tribute to the country music legend.

A search for Parton’s name on Aug. 26 prompted a flurry of monarch butterflies to flutter across the screen as a message appeared: “We’ll always love you.” The tribute also featured sparkling stars and orange hearts alongside a throwback image of the singer.

The phrase appeared to nod to Parton’s beloved hit, “I Will Always Love You,” which she wrote and first released in 1973 before Whitney Houston took the song to new heights with her iconic cover nearly two decades later.

Parton’s family confirmed to Fox News Digital that she died after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80.

Dolly Parton’s music is climbing the charts as fans continue to celebrate her extraordinary legacy.

The country icon’s beloved 1973 hit “Jolene” reached No. 1 on Apple Music’s U.S. songs chart following her death at age 80.

Several of Parton’s other classics also saw a surge in listening, including “9 to 5,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Islands in the Stream” and “Coat of Many Colors.”

More than five decades after “Jolene” was released, the song’s return to the top spot is a powerful reminder of Parton’s lasting impact on generations of music fans.

Natalie Grant remembered Dolly Parton as an American icon whose warmth and faith were never an act.

The Christian singer recalled first meeting Parton while opening Dollywood’s season, when the country star asked if she could join Grant onstage to sing. “I’m at a park that’s named after you, of course you could come,” Grant said on "Fox & Friends," laughing.

The pair later recorded “Step by Step,” the song Whitney Houston famously recorded for “The Preacher’s Wife” soundtrack. Grant said Parton initially had to decline because of her own busy recording schedule — but changed her mind weeks later after the song stayed with her.

“I received a letter and I’ll never forget it, on letterhead that had pink Dolly just as it would across the top,” Grant said. “Natalie, I just, I don’t know if you’ve found someone to sing this song with you yet, but this song just keeps ringing and calling me back.”

Grant said the personal note was a testament to Parton’s “authentic kindness” and “genuine generosity,” qualities she said marked the singer’s life just as much as her music did.

“Dolly is one of the greatest icons America has ever produced,” Grant said. “But for me, what marked my life was what her life was marked by, and that was authentic kindness, genuine generosity and a woman who really loved Jesus.”

Parton’s family confirmed to Fox News Digital that she died after a brief battle with cancer. Grant said the singer’s ability to bring people together made the loss feel especially profound.

“The sky was darker because we lost our brightest star,” Grant said. “She knew how to unite people.”

Grant remembered seeing that generosity firsthand backstage at Dollywood, where she said Parton knew the names of roughly 25 employees and asked about their families.

“She genuinely loves people,” Grant said. “This isn’t a persona, this isn’t an act. She is a genuine lover of people, and we all could learn a little something from Dolly.”

Dolly Parton’s hometown became a place of remembrance as fans gathered beneath her larger-than-life likeness.

Mourners paid tribute to the country music legend at the statue of Parton outside the Sevier County Courthouse in Sevierville, Tenn., on Aug. 25. Fans stopped by the bronze monument with flowers, signs and personal messages honoring the singer’s towering legacy.

The statue, which sits on the courthouse lawn in the city where Parton was born and raised, offered a fitting backdrop for those remembering a woman whose voice, generosity and unmistakable spirit reached far beyond the Smoky Mountains.

Parton’s death sparked an outpouring of tributes across Tennessee and beyond, with fans sharing memories of the icon’s music, philanthropy and lifelong devotion to her home state.

Parton’s family confirmed to Fox News Digital that the beloved singer died Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer.

Dolly Parton may be gone, but some of the projects closest to her heart are poised to live on.

The country music legend had been preparing for a busy fall, with a Nashville hotel and museum set to welcome fans alongside her life story heading to Broadway.

The SongTeller Hotel, a 245-room property in downtown Nashville, will feature two live-music venues: Parton’s Live and Jolene’s. The property is also set to house the 20,000-square-foot Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum, billed as the largest exhibit celebrating Parton’s life anywhere in the world.

Parton previously described the hotel project as a longtime dream.

“I’ve always dreamed of being able to create something here in Music City and I know we’ve found the perfect addition to the city I call home,” Parton said in a statement on her website.

The museum was designed to give fans a first-hand look at her historic journey.

“This museum is a place where folks can see my journey through my own eyes—every color, every story, and every dream that brought me here,” she previously shared.

Meanwhile, “Dolly: A True Original Musical” is expected to begin Broadway previews in December. The production will feature iconic classics including “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” alongside original music written by Parton.

Dolly Parton fans are hoping Nashville’s biggest gateway will soon bear the country icon’s name.

A Change.org petition calling for Nashville International Airport to be renamed Dolly Parton International Airport has surged past 75,000 verified signatures in the wake of Parton's death. The petition, started back in January 2025, argues that Parton’s decades-long impact on music, philanthropy and Tennessee make her a fitting namesake for the airport.

“Dolly has made substantial impacts on thousands of lives,” the petition reads, citing her Imagination Library and its mission to provide books to children. It ends with a fitting plea: “We could all be Departin’ from Parton!!”

The petition is not an official move to rename the airport, but supporters are directing their call to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and state lawmakers.

Dolly Parton’s tattoos held a deeply personal meaning.

The country music icon, who died Aug. 25 at age 80, once shared that her discreet body art was less about making a bold statement and more about turning painful experiences into something beautiful.

"I do have some tattoos, that’s true,” she told People Magazine in 2020. “But they’re tasteful. I’m not a tattoo girl.”

Parton said many of her pastel-colored tattoos — including butterflies, ribbons and bows — were designed to camouflage scars. After a feeding tube left an indentation on her side during a health struggle, she covered it with a small beehive and bee tattoo.

“My tattoos are pretty, they’re artful and they usually started out to cover some scar, not to make a big statement,” Parton previously told People.

"Most of my tattoos came because I’m very fair and I have a tendency to scar when I get any kind of cut," she told W magazine in 2021. "I’ve had surgeries for different things, and if the scars didn’t heal properly, I just gotta put tattoos to take the sting out. I don’t have the real heavy, dark tattoos. Mine are all pastel. And I have more than one!”

Taylor Swift is remembering Dolly Parton as a musical icon, philanthropist and role model whose influence stretched far beyond country music.

“A world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real, or right,” Swift said in an emotional statement shared with Fox News Digital. “But because of the eternally generous way she spent her time on this earth and the countless lives she changed for the better, her legacy will be an everlasting one.”

Swift praised Parton as "true grace and true grit," thanking her for inspiring generations through her music, generosity and determination. “For the melodies and lyrics she wrote that thawed even the coldest hearts,” Swift continued in part. “For the millions of books she provided children all over the world so that they might fall in love with stories the way she did.”

She closed with a simple farewell: “Dolly, I’ll think of you each step of the way.”

The tribute brings new emotional weight to a $2 million donation Swift and Travis Kelce made to Parton’s Imagination Library ahead of their July wedding.

Parton personally thanked the couple in one of her final public messages, stating she was “blown away and overjoyed with that gratitude.”

“Thank you @taylorswift and @killatrav for the generous gift to @imaginationlibrary!” Parton wrote at the time in a social media video. “I wish you both the best, and know that I will always love you.”

Dolly Parton’s niece, Rebecca Seaver, is remembering the late country icon with an emotional tribute.

In an Instagram post shared Tuesday, Seaver called the grief felt by Parton’s loved ones “insurmountable” while celebrating the singer’s “beautiful life.”

“She has always been the light, not just for those directly in her orbit but for the entire world,” Seaver wrote alongside a collection of family photos. Seaver, the daughter of Parton’s sister Cassie, described the “Jolene” singer as her “most trusted confidant,” best friend and godmother.

She said she takes comfort in knowing Parton has been reunited with her late husband, Carl Dean, and her mother, Avie Lee.

“She never left a rhinestone or a dream unturned,” Seaver wrote. “I am so proud to carry those shining dreams forward.”

Parton died Tuesday at age 80.

Music duo For KING & COUNTRY joined “Fox & Friends First” on Wednesday morning to honor the late Dolly Parton.

Brothers Luke and Joel Smallbone shared personal stories about recording their award-winning collaboration, “God Only Knows,” and discussed how Parton's deep faith consistently shined through her music.

“She was such a woman of purpose and point,” Joel said, calling their work together “incredibly meaningful.”

Luke remembered playing the County Music Awards with Parton in 2019, telling a story of how she was having trouble hitting the right notes before their live performance.

“She goes, ‘Well, you come back to my dressing room and we’ll keep going over it.’ I kid you not, we go back to her dressing room, we probably go over it 10 to 15 more times,” Luke said. “She never once gets it right.”

“But she was co-hosting as well so she’s running out of time and she was like, ‘Well, I’ll keep practicing but here’s the deal. If I screw it up I’ll say whoopsie daisy and they’ll love me for it.’”

“Needless to say, I kid you not, live in front of probably the most amount of people we’ll ever perform for, with television and the audience, she nails it! And the only time she nailed it was live on television!”

“FOX & Friends” looked back at some of Dolly Parton’s most memorable appearances and reflects on the country music icon’s humor, kindness and enduring legacy following her death Tuesday.

Co-host Steve Doocy joined the show Wednesday remembering Parton as a “GOAT, the greatest of all time,” after “FOX & Friends” aired clips of Parton’s past interviews and appearances on the show.

“She was so kind in person and so gentle and such a professional. But at the same time she had a wicked sense of humor,” Doocy said.

Doocy recalled how Parton entered a Dolly Parton lookalike contest and ended up losing.

“She wound up with a fantastic story, but she was just such a professional and such an entertainer,” he said.

Co-hosts Brian Kilmeade, Ainsley Earhardt and Lawrence Jones also remembered Parton’s previous appearances on the show, recalling how the singer seemed to always have “felt very at home here [on ‘FOX & Friends’].”

“When she came in she just fit right in,” Kilmeade said.

Audience members gasped as news of Dolly Parton’s death was announced from the stage before a performance of “9 to 5: The Musical” in England.

Karla Tracey, who plays Parton’s character Doralee, was seen on video posted to social media breaking the news on opening night at the Pavilion Theatre in Worthing, West Sussex before dedicating the performance to the country music icon.

“Tonight, we will perform the piece as she intended with great respect and affection for the woman whose vision brought it to life,” Tracey told the audience.

“As we begin, we dedicate tonight’s performance to Dolly Parton, with our deepest thanks for the music, laughter and joy she gave us,” she continued.

Paul Jepson, chief executive of Landmark Theatres and the musical’s director, also paid tribute to Parton, telling the Telegraph that her “extraordinary talent, creativity and spirit are woven into every part” of the show.

“Our thoughts are with Dolly’s family, friends and all those around the world who loved and admired her,” Jepson told the outlet.

The New York Post paid tribute to Dolly Parton with a front page honoring the country music legend following her death at 80.

“We will always love you,” Wednesday’s print cover reads alongside a photo of Parton performing with her acoustic guitar — a nod to her signature song, “I Will Always Love You.”

The cover adds: “American icon dead at 80.”

Parton’s representatives told Fox News Digital in a statement on Tuesday that the singer died "after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer.”

The United Kingdom’s Band of the Coldstream Guards played Dolly Parton’s iconic “9 to 5” outside Buckingham Palace in a royal tribute to the county music star following her death Tuesday.

The British Royal Family on Wednesday shared a video on social media of the band playing the famous tune.

The band, one of the military musical units of the British Army's Household Division, is responsible for state ceremonies and public duties like the Changing of the Guard and the King's Birthday Parade. Members are also known for wearing bright red tunics and tall bearskin caps.

Parton recorded the song for the 1980 comedy film “9 to 5,” in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The song was also released on Parton’s record, “9 to 5 and Odd Jobs,” also released in 1980. The song later appeared in a television series of the same name during the 1980s.

Dolly Parton died Tuesday following a "brief battle with cancer," according to her representatives. She was 80. 

“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched," her team said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. 

"Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand. Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. 

"After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” the statement concluded. 

Parton died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday, according to a press release obtained by Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton each issued posts honoring Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday following a brief battle with cancer. 

They first saw the legendary country music star in 1974, the former president noted. That was before the couple wed in 1975. 

"Dolly Parton was one of a kind—a great songwriter and performer who told the stories of everyday Americans with honesty, humility, and heart. She rose high from her East Tennessee roots and never forgot where she came from. And she always believed in giving back, especially in her efforts to promote literacy. Hillary and I were big fans and first saw her in 1974, and will always be grateful for the music and the memories. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, her legion of fans, and everyone who loved her," he said in post on X. 

Hillary Clinton posted a message on social media that read, "Dolly Parton did all the good she could, for all the people she could, for as long as ever she could. From her legendary songwriting to the Imagination Library—which sent 1 million books a month to children across the country—she was the best of America. Dolly, we'll miss your great heart."