Country music icon Dolly Parton dies aged 80 as nephew shares tribute

| Senior TV Reporter Published August 25, 2026 7:00pm Updated August 25, 2026 7:17pm Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80 (Picture: AP) Dolly Parton has died aged 80, her nephew confirmed in a statement. A video was shared from the Instagram account of the legendary singer of hits including Jolene and 9 to 5, in which her sister’s son Bryan Seaver shared the news. Seaver said he was speaking on behalf of the Parton and Owens family to announce that Parton had died. ‘This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,’ he said. ‘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.’ He continued: ‘It is an honour. An honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.’ Parton’s nephew said he hoped she has been met by her husband Carl Dean, who died last year (Picture: AP) To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video ‘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,’ Seaver added, referring to Parton’s late husband Carl Dean, who died last year. Seaver went on to recall going on the road with Parton as a child, when he got a taste for the life of a touring musician in the 1980s. ‘Dolly opened doors, not just for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible,’ he said. ‘Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent.’ Arrow MORE: Star Trek and Rush Hour stuntman James Lew dies aged 73 Arrow MORE: Coach actress and Elvis Presley co-star Shelley Fabares dies aged 82 Arrow MORE: Hayden Panettiere’s mother says account of her death is ‘full of holes’