Sad news today, as Dolly Parton’s nephew announced that the country legend and American and Global icon Dolly Parton passed away at the age of 80.
Parton’s nephew, Brian Seaver, announced the news in a video posted on her Instagram. No details about her death were given.
Seaver added that Dolly “lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others.”
Parton recently shared an update on her health on Friday, Aug. 21, in a video on social media acknowledging her recent decline after the March 2025 death of her husband, Carl Dean.
Parton told People Magazine, “As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl. You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health, but I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago. I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’! You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”
If you are reading this here on the ZEW website thinking to yourself “Why is ZEW posting this news, the answer is simple. Whether it’s Country music or her movies, or theme parks, or humanitarian and charity crusades, Parton is the best-selling female country music artist of all time, having sold more than 160 million albums worldwide.