The country music icon had spoken publicly about her health just four days before her death, insisting she was still working and had “so many things” she wanted to achieve.
Dolly Parton spent much of her final year reassuring fans that she was still working, even as a series of health problems forced her to cancel appearances and postpone major projects.
Now, the country music legend’s representatives have confirmed that she was privately battling cancer before her death at age 80.
Parton died on Tuesday, August 25, at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, surrounded by loved ones. Her representatives described the illness only as a “brief battle with cancer” and did not disclose what type of cancer she had. (People.com)
The revelation came just four days after Parton gave an interview in which she acknowledged that she had been dealing with health problems but vowed to continue working.
“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,” she told PEOPLE on August 21, referring to her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025.
Yet Parton remained determined to look ahead.
“I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’!” she 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.”
That would be her final public interview.
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Dolly Parton’s private cancer battle has been revealed following the heartbreaking news of her death at the age of 80 on Tuesday; Pictured in 2016
A private battle kept from the public
In a statement announcing her death, Parton’s representatives emphasized the enormous impact she had made throughout her life.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched,” they said.
They also highlighted her philanthropy, including the hundreds of millions of books distributed through her Imagination Library and her support for research that helped contribute to a lifesaving vaccine.
“After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” the statement continued. (People.com)
The news followed months of uncertainty surrounding Parton’s health.
She had canceled or postponed several appearances, including her planned Las Vegas residency, and missed events connected to her Dollywood theme park.
In September 2025, she postponed the Las Vegas shows after saying that she needed several medical procedures. At the time, she reassured fans that she was not giving up her career and suggested that she simply needed to slow down.
In May 2026, she ultimately canceled the residency, saying she was responding well to medication and treatments and was improving.
She also spoke about problems involving her immune and digestive systems, as well as a longstanding history of kidney stones.
Despite those difficulties, Parton repeatedly presented herself as someone determined to keep moving forward.
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Parton’s representatives confirmed the country superstar’s death in a statement to People, sharing that the Jolene singer died following a ‘brief battle with cancer’; Pictured in 2025
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‘After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today surrounded by loved ones,’ the statement read; Parton is seen in Nashville in March 2025
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Concerns about Parton’s health had loomed for months, with the pop culture icon frequently dispelling her fans’ fears; Parton pictured 2023
Following news of Parton’s secret cancer battle, fans took to social media to mourn the star
Her final days in Nashville
Parton’s condition became increasingly concerning in the weeks before her death.
On August 14, she was supposed to appear at the opening of the NightFlight Expedition ride at Dollywood. Instead, a prerecorded video message was played for visitors.
In the video, Parton explained that her Nashville doctor had told her not to travel because she had been experiencing dizziness and dehydration.
“I’m still in Nashville, and I’m sorry about that,” she said.
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The singer’s death was first confirmed in an Instagram video posted by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who also served as her head of security
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Parton looked energized and happy in her last public appearance before her passing, as she discussed her ongoing ‘health issues’ with fans 11 days ago
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Aside from video appearances, Parton was last seen out and about on June 24 when she attended the grand opening of her truck stop, Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop
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Parton is pictured in her final Instagram post, which was uploaded August 12
She reassured fans that she was continuing to work on several projects, including her planned Life of Many Colors museum in Nashville, a new hotel and the Broadway musical based on her life.
Just days later, Parton was hospitalized in Nashville.
Her death was announced by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who had served as her head of security for more than two decades. The announcement had actually been planned years earlier at Parton’s request. (Good Morning America)
Seaver described the announcement as a moment filled with both pride and profound sadness.
He said Parton had “lived in the light” and was now in the arms of Jesus, reunited with her late husband Carl Dean, her parents and others who had gone before her.
He also recalled accompanying his aunt on the road as a child in the early 1980s and credited her with opening doors for both her family and generations of artists.
Dolly Parton wanted a quiet farewell
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The Empire State Building was illuminated in a ‘pink sparkle’ at 9.25pm on Tuesday in honor of Parton, with the time chosen as a nod to her iconic hit song, 9 to 5
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‘At Nine-Two-Five tonight, we celebrate Dolly and her legacy,’ the building’s official Instagram account shared
Despite her enormous fame, Parton had already made clear that she did not want a huge public funeral.
Her family said a small, private service for immediate family would be held at her request. No public funeral or memorial service has been announced. (Page Six)
Seaver also revealed one particularly personal request Parton had made regarding her final resting place.
He said she wanted to rest in a “beautiful bed of plush cotton,” explaining that after a lifetime of wearing heavy rhinestones, she deserved to be comfortable and have some rest.
The family has asked fans not to send flowers. Instead, they are encouraging donations to Parton’s Imagination Library, the literacy charity that became one of the defining parts of her philanthropic legacy. Fans and friends around the world have also been encouraged to share tributes online. (https://www.wvlt.tv)
A seven-decade career unlike any other
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Parton, often referred to as the Queen of Country, enjoyed an illustrious music career that spanned an incredible six decades; Pictured in 1987
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Parton, seen performing in London in 1983, won eleven Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards in her lifetime
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Parton’s famous hits include Jolene, 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You
Parton leaves behind one of the most extraordinary careers in modern entertainment.
Her professional life stretched across roughly seven decades and included music, songwriting, film, television, business and philanthropy. She became one of the best-selling artists in history, with more than 100 million records sold worldwide.
Her catalog includes some of country music’s most recognizable songs, among them “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.”
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News of Parton’s death has also left her goddaughter, popstar Miley Cyrus, devastated; The two pictured in 2019
She earned 11 Grammy Awards from 45 nominations, three Emmy Awards and numerous other honors. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Her influence also extended far beyond music.
Parton starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the 1980 comedy 9 to 5, later appearing in films including The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone, Steel Magnolias and Joyful Noise.
She founded Dollywood in Tennessee and established the Imagination Library, which provides books to children from birth through kindergarten.
Her philanthropic work became as closely associated with her name as her music.
The songs that defined her legacy
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Parton gushed about her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, in her last interview, admitting that she had not paid attention to some of her health problems while caring for him
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Dean died in March 2025 at the age of 82. They were married just two months short of 59 years
Parton’s songwriting legacy was perhaps most clearly demonstrated by “I Will Always Love You.”
She originally wrote the song as she prepared to leave her professional partnership with Porter Wagoner. It became a country chart-topper before Whitney Houston’s 1992 recording for The Bodyguard transformed it into a worldwide phenomenon.
Parton had previously refused to surrender half the song’s publishing rights when Elvis Presley wanted to record it, a decision that ultimately allowed her to retain the rights when Houston’s version became an enormous international hit.
“9 to 5,” meanwhile, became another signature song after Parton wrote and recorded it for the 1980 film of the same name, in which she starred with Fonda and Tomlin.
And then there was “Jolene,” the song that became one of the most enduring recordings of her career.
Parton once explained that the song was partly inspired by a red-haired bank teller who had flirted with her husband, Dean.
A love story that lasted nearly 60 years
Parton’s personal life was defined by another constant: Carl Thomas Dean.
The pair met in Nashville in 1964, when Parton was 18, and married in 1966.
Dean largely avoided the spotlight and rarely appeared alongside his famous wife, but Parton repeatedly described him as supportive of her career.
Their marriage lasted nearly six decades until Dean died in March 2025 at age 82.
Parton was deeply affected by his death and later acknowledged that she had neglected some of her own health problems while caring for him.
In her August 21 interview, she explained that she had been dealing with health issues she had previously put aside while looking after Dean.
The loss also became part of her creative life. She wrote and released “If You Hadn’t Been There” as a tribute to him and continued speaking about their relationship with affection.
Her bond with Miley Cyrus
Among those who shared an especially close relationship with Parton was her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus.
Parton became Cyrus’ godmother in 1992 after Billy Ray Cyrus, a friend she had met while touring, asked her to take on the role.
Although they never held a formal ceremony, Parton said she was proud of Miley and loved her “like one of my own.”
Their relationship grew into both a personal and professional partnership.
Parton appeared as “Aunt Dolly” on Hannah Montana, performed “Jolene” with Cyrus on several occasions and collaborated with her on music.
The two also appeared together at the 2019 Grammy Awards and co-hosted Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party in 2023.
Cyrus has repeatedly described Parton as a mother figure and once called her the “world’s best godmother.”
In 2022, she joked about Parton’s famously old-fashioned approach to technology, explaining that communication with her godmother could involve faxes, cassette recordings and several generations of phones.
But beneath the humor was a relationship that Cyrus clearly treasured.
In 2024, she described Parton as having been “like a mother” to her.
The legacy Dolly Parton leaves behind
Parton’s death has prompted tributes from fellow musicians, actors, politicians and fans around the world.
The Empire State Building was also illuminated in pink in her honor at 9:25 p.m. on August 25, a tribute built around her iconic song “9 to 5.”
The building’s official account described Parton as a global cultural icon whose career reached generations of fans and highlighted her philanthropic legacy through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library.
President Donald Trump also ordered American flags lowered nationwide for one week in her honor. (https://www.wvlt.tv)
But perhaps the clearest measure of Parton’s influence is the extraordinary number of lives touched by her music, generosity and unmistakable personality.
She came from a poor family in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, one of 12 children, and grew up without many of the comforts that most people now take for granted.
Music became her way out.
She began performing as a child, moved to Nashville after graduating high school and eventually transformed herself from a young songwriter into an international superstar.
She never abandoned the identity that shaped her.
“I know who I am, and I don’t try to be nobody else,” Parton said in 2025. “And if that ain’t good enough for you, too bad.”
Even near the end of her life, she remained focused on what was still ahead rather than what she had already accomplished.
“I just hope I live long enough to do more things,” she once said. “That’s the only thing that worries me, that I may run out of time before I see so many of my dreams come true.”
On August 25, that time finally ran out.
But the songs, characters, businesses, books and countless acts of generosity she left behind ensure that Dolly Parton’s work will continue long after her final performance. (Good Morning America)