It’s a sad day for country music fans as Dolly Parton has passed away at 80.
Dolly’s nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, confirmed the news on Dolly’s official Instagram account — per her request.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” he said in the video shared on Aug. 25.
“As her head of security, for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now. It is an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly,” he continued.
“Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus. Surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.”
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The country music legend had also been open about her recent health struggles, which she said she neglected while caring for her husband before his passing.
Dolly’s husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025 at the age of 82.
Earlier this month, Dolly spoke to PEOPLE about her health and the heightened attention surrounding it.
“It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” she said.
“But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago…Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’.”
Over the course of her legendary career, Dolly earned countless awards and honors, including a Kennedy Center Honor, 11 Grammy Awards and 54 nominations, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 10 Country Music Association Awards — including Entertainer of the Year — and five Academy of Country Music Awards.
In lieu of flowers, Dolly’s family is asking for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, Dolly launched the Imagination Library in 1995 for children in her home county.
Today, the program spans five countries and gifts millions of free books to children around the world each month.
Dolly’s legacy will live on through her music, philanthropy, activism, and the countless lives she touched throughout her career.
