Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80 following a brief battle with cancer, her representatives confirmed in a statement issued to PEOPLE magazine on Tuesday, August 25. The country music legend passed away at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, surrounded by loved ones.
Statement from her team
In the statement, Parton's team said: "Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched." They added that her "unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand."
The statement highlighted her philanthropic work, including the hundreds of millions of books donated through her Imagination Library and funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world. "Dolly's unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact," it read.
Final days and announcement
The statement concluded: "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 specific type of cancer has not been disclosed.
Parton died on Tuesday, with her nephew Bryan Seaver breaking the news via a heartfelt social media post the same day. According to PEOPLE, Parton was admitted to a Nashville-area hospital on Friday, August 21, where she passed away four days later.
Parton, who was 80 years old, leaves behind a legacy spanning music, film and philanthropy, including the Imagination Library, which has donated hundreds of millions of books to children worldwide. Her contribution to vaccine research funding remains one of her most notable charitable efforts.
