Country music icon Dolly Parton kept her cancer diagnosis from many of her fans and even some family members because she "did not want people sad," according to her sister, Stella Parton. Stella shared in an interview with "CBS Mornings" that Dolly did not want her fans or a wider circle of her family to worry about her health.
"She didn’t want a lot of the family worried about it," Stella Parton explained. "Some of us knew, the ones that were closer, but not every relative."
Dolly Parton died at age 80 on Tuesday, Aug. 25, following a "brief battle with cancer." News of her passing was announced by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, on her Instagram account, which highlighted her extensive musical catalog and philanthropic work, particularly her Imagination Library program.
Her death prompted numerous tributes from fans, musicians, and actors globally. Stella Parton suggested that the "9 to 5" star would have found comfort in the outpouring of love.
"She’d be really happy and delighted that people have shown her so much love because she knew that that would make us feel better as her family," Stella said. "Bottom line, end of the day, her family and Carl’s family and probably Judy’s family are the people that she would want to say, ‘See, everything I did, they cared. They really loved me.'"
Parton's career began to take off in 1967 when she started appearing on "The Porter Wagoner Show." The duo released many duets and received multiple Grammy nominations during her seven years on the program. She departed the show in 1974 to pursue a solo career.
To explain her decision to leave to Wagoner, with whom she had developed a close friendship, Parton wrote one of her most famous songs, "I Will Always Love You." She recounted to Howard Stern in 2023 that she performed the song alone in his office, and Wagoner agreed to produce it if she allowed him to.
Throughout her career, Parton amassed 10 Grammy Awards, received a Kennedy Center Honor, earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, among other accolades.
Beyond her music, Parton was also recognized for her philanthropy. She established the Imagination Library, a program that provides books monthly to children nationwide, irrespective of their families' financial situations. She stated on the organization's website that she believed the seeds of dreams are often found in books, and the ones planted in communities can grow worldwide.
