Dolly Parton has died at age 80, her nephew announced in an Instagram video on Monday.
The country music legend’s passing was confirmed by her nephew in a video posted to Instagram on August 25. Parton, 80, had recently cancelled a planned Las Vegas residency due to ongoing health challenges.
The six shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace were originally scheduled for December 2025 before being postponed to September. In May, Parton cancelled the residency entirely, sharing the news in an Instagram video at the time.
“The good news is I’m responding really well to meds and treatments and I’m improving every day,” she said in that Instagram video. “Now the bad news is, it’s going to take me a little while before I’m up to stage-performance level because some of the meds and treatments make me a lit bit swimmy-headed, as my grandma used to say.”
Parton continued in the same video, “And of course, I can’t be dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars, and such on five-inch heels – and you know that I’m going to be wearing them.”
“Not to mention, all those heavy rhinestone outfits, the big hair, my big… Uh, personality. Lord, those – that would make anybody swimmy-headed!” she went on to joke.
Parton rarely disclosed specific details about her health conditions, though she did reveal she had suffered a kidney stone infection in 2025 that forced her to miss a scheduled appearance at her Dollywood theme park in Tennessee. She also shared that her immune system and digestive system had been “all out of whack” over the last couple of years.
Following her May announcement, Parton received an outpouring of support from fellow celebrities including Reese Witherspoon, The Bold Type star Katie Stevens, and Debi Mazar.
The singer’s death comes months after the passing of her husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82. The couple had been married for nearly 60 years.
Parton was born in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, and rose from poverty to become one of the most celebrated and prolific artists in country music history, with hits including “Jolene” and “9 to 5” that crossed over into mainstream pop culture. She built a business empire spanning music, film, television, and her Dollywood theme park, while maintaining a public persona marked by self-deprecating humor and extensive philanthropy.
In the viral moment that defined her final years in the public eye, Parton had addressed her health directly with fans through social media, using her characteristic wit to soften difficult news about her declining ability to perform. Her playful references to her “big… Uh, personality” and her refusal to abandon her signature five-inch heels and rhinestone costumes even in illness encapsulated the flamboyant authenticity that made her a beloved figure across generations and genres.