Dolly Parton’s music is surging up UK charts just days after her death.
The country legend, 80, died on August 25 following what her family described in a statement as a “brief battle with cancer,” though they did not specify which type. Her representatives added in their own statement: “Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.”
Parton was laid to rest at a private funeral on Friday, August 28, as global mourning for the Tennessee icon intensified.
That grief has translated into unprecedented commercial success for the star. Her 1980 hit “9 to 5,” written for the film of the same name, has climbed to number 12 on the Official Singles Chart after fans worldwide began streaming it in massive numbers. The track had only reached number 47 upon its original 1981 release.
Two other Parton classics have already broken into the top 10. “Jolene” sits at number two, while her Kenny Rogers duet “Islands in the Stream” has reached number six.
Her 2007 compilation “The Very Best of Dolly Parton” has also returned to the Official Album Downloads chart at number one — a first for the artist in her decades-long career.
Parton’s final public appearance now carries added weight for fans. She had been scheduled to appear at her Dollywood theme park in Tennessee on August 14 for the grand opening of the NightFlight Expedition ride, but withdrew on medical advice.
In a recorded announcement shared on social media, Parton told supporters: “I’m still in Nashville, and I’m sorry about that. I’m supposed to be there in person like we planned.”
She continued: “I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I’ve had a few little health issues and sometimes I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated. And I’m dehydrated.”
The “Coat of Many Colors” singer added: “So my Nashville doctor has kind of clipped my wings, saying, ‘You ain’t traveling this week’, So I guess if your doctor tells you, ‘You ain’t traveling this week’, you ain’t traveling this week.”
The cancellation marked a rare break from Parton’s famously relentless schedule and public presence.
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