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Dolly Parton’s representatives have revealed that the country music icon had been battling cancer before her death at age 80. The type of cancer was not disclosed.
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Parton died on August 25 at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Centre in Nashville, Tennessee, surrounded by loved ones, according to her representatives.
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The revelation comes days after Parton said she was still recovering but remained determined to continue working on her projects.
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Parton leaves behind a career spanning nearly six decades, with landmark songs including “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” as well as a major legacy in film, business and philanthropy.
August 26, (THEWILL) — Dolly Parton died after a “brief battle with cancer”, her representatives have confirmed, revealing new details about the final days of the country music icon.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Parton’s representatives said the singer died on August 25 at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, surrounded by loved ones. They did not disclose the type of cancer she had been battling.
“After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Centre surrounded by loved ones”, her representatives said.
The statement also highlighted Parton’s decades of generosity and charitable work, including her Imagination Library, which provides books to children, and her support for medical research.
The revelation comes just days after Parton spoke publicly about her health. She acknowledged that she had been dealing with health issues and said she had previously neglected some of them while caring for her late husband, Carl Dean.
Despite those challenges, Parton remained determined to continue working and pursuing her projects.
Her nephew and longtime head of security, Bryan Seaver, announced her death in a video shared on Instagram.
Parton was hospitalised days before her passing with kidney and autoimmune issues. Her health problems also forced her to postpone and later cancel her planned Las Vegas residency.
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Despite those challenges, she continued to work on several projects. Her career spanned nearly six decades and included some of country music’s most enduring songs, including “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” “Coat of Many Colours” and “I Will Always Love You.”
Beyond music, Parton built a major legacy in film, business and philanthropy. She founded Dollywood and the Imagination Library and supported medical research, including a $1 million donation that helped fund research connected to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Her family is planning a small, private funeral and has encouraged fans who want to honor Parton to support the Imagination Library, her literacy initiative for children.
Parton will be buried beside her husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025, at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville.
Her death has prompted tributes from fellow musicians, actors, public figures and fans around the world, many of whom have remembered her for both her music and her generosity.
Evi-Ben Ezaga is an entertainment and society writer with a passion for stories that explore culture, people, and the stories shaping society today.
