Country music legend Dolly Parton died on Tuesday at the age of 80, following a brief battle with cancer, her representatives announced. She passed away at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, surrounded by loved ones.
"After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones," Parton's team said in a statement. The specific type of cancer was not disclosed.
Parton's family shared the news in a video posted to social media. The announcement came days after she was reportedly hospitalized in the Nashville area for autoimmune and kidney issues, according to TMZ.
In her final interview, published the Friday before her death, Parton told PEOPLE that she had been "dealing with some health issues" that she had overlooked while caring for her husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025. The couple had been married for nearly 60 years.
Over the past year, the Grammy-winning artist had canceled several performances and appearances due to her declining health. An event at her Dollywood amusement park on August 14 was postponed due to dehydration.
Parton's team highlighted her extensive philanthropic work, including her Imagination Library, which has donated hundreds of millions of books to children, and her funding of research that contributed to a globally used vaccine. Her unconditional love for people was described as the driving force behind her lasting impact.
Fans gathered to pay tribute at Parton's Hollywood Walk of Fame star on Tuesday, leaving flowers in her memory.