Parton had also spoken openly about experiencing health problems over the past year, while remaining characteristically optimistic about the future and continuing to work on several projects.
She had not, however, publicly disclosed the illness that would ultimately claim her life.
Her Nephew Announced Her Death In An Emotional Video
Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver announced the singer’s death in an emotional video shared on Instagram on Tuesday.
Seaver, the son of Parton’s sister Cassie, had also worked as the singer’s head of security for more than two decades.
He explained that Parton herself had asked him years earlier to be the person who would eventually announce her death.
Speaking on behalf of the Parton and Owens family, Seaver confirmed the death of his aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean.
He described the responsibility as an enormous honor mixed with profound sadness.
However, he said the family believed Parton was now at peace, explaining that ‘sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.’
The singer’s Christian faith had been an important part of her life and career, with Parton regularly speaking about her belief in God and crediting her faith with helping guide her through difficult moments.
Seaver also referenced Carl Dean in the announcement, saying the family believed Parton had now been reunited with her husband as well as her parents and other loved ones who had died before her.
Dean and Parton met outside a Nashville laundromat on the first day she arrived in the city in 1964.
They married two years later and remained together for almost six decades, although Dean famously chose to stay almost entirely away from the spotlight throughout his wife’s career.
His death in March 2025 had an enormous impact on Parton.
She later admitted that grief had affected her creativity and said there were certain things she had been unable to work on while processing the loss.
Dolly Parton Addressed Her Health Just Days Before Her Death
Parton spoke publicly about her health only four days before her death.
In a statement on August 21, the star acknowledged that she had been experiencing a difficult period physically and said some of the problems had gone neglected while she cared for her husband before his death.
Dean, who had been married to Parton for nearly 60 years, died in March 2025 at the age of 82.
Parton said she was dealing with health issues she had not properly paid attention to while focusing on him.
She also reflected on experiencing difficult periods with her health earlier in her life and appeared determined not to allow her latest problems to bring her career to an end.
Despite everything she was going through, Parton told fans that “even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’!”
She went on to say she still had “so many things I want to achieve.”
The comments have taken on an especially heartbreaking meaning following her death.
Parton was admitted to a Nashville-area hospital on August 21, the same day the statement was published.
She died four days later.
Dolly Parton Had Faced Health Problems Before Her Death
There had been increasing concern for the star since 2025 after she revealed she was dealing with a number of health challenges.
In September that year, Parton postponed a planned Las Vegas residency after doctors told her she needed to undergo medical procedures.
She reassured fans at the time that she was not retiring and continued to work from Nashville.
Parton had also previously suffered from a kidney stone that led to an infection and forced her to miss an appearance at Dollywood.
She continued to reassure fans throughout her health struggles and repeatedly insisted she still had more work she wanted to do.
Parton’s determination to keep working had long been one of the defining characteristics of her career.
Even as she scaled back some public appearances, she continued to record music, develop projects and remain involved in her charitable work.
A Career That Changed Country Music Forever
Parton’s death brings to an end one of the most extraordinary careers in the history of popular music.
Born Dolly Rebecca Parton in Tennessee in 1946, she grew up as one of 12 children in a family with very little money.
Her childhood in the Smoky Mountains would later inspire some of her most personal songs, including the autobiographical ‘Coat of Many Colors.’
After graduating from high school, Parton moved to Nashville and began building a career as a songwriter before becoming a performer in her own right.
Her breakthrough came after joining Porter Wagoner on his television show in the late 1960s.
Parton eventually left the professional partnership in 1974, writing ‘I Will Always Love You’ as a farewell to Wagoner.
The song became one of the defining compositions of her career.
Parton’s own recording was a major country hit, while Whitney Houston’s version for The Bodyguard became one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Parton also achieved international success with songs including ‘Jolene,’ ‘9 to 5,’ ‘Here You Come Again’ and ‘Islands in the Stream,’ her famous duet with Kenny Rogers.
Her success expanded far beyond country music.
Parton starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the 1980 comedy 9 to 5, with its title song becoming a number one hit.
She later appeared in movies including Steel Magnolias, The Best Little W****house in Texas and Rhinestone.
Across her career, she became one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world, known as much for her quick wit, enormous hair and rhinestone-covered outfits as for her songwriting.
Parton sold more than 100 million records worldwide and received some of the music industry’s biggest honors.
Her achievements included Grammy Awards and inductions into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Dolly Parton Leaves Behind An Extraordinary Charitable Legacy
For many fans, Parton’s generosity became just as important a part of her legacy as her music.
She founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in honor of her father, who had been unable to read or write.
The program sends free books to young children and has since distributed hundreds of millions of books around the world.
Parton also donated money to schools, hospitals, disaster relief efforts and medical research throughout her life.
In 2020, she famously donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to support coronavirus research.
Some of that funding supported work connected to the Moderna vaccine.
She also provided financial support to families whose homes were destroyed by wildfires in Tennessee and repeatedly used her wealth and public platform to support communities in her home state.
Despite becoming one of the most famous women in the world, Parton remained closely associated with the Smoky Mountains where she grew up.
Dollywood, the theme park she co-owns in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, helped turn the area into a major tourist destination while providing thousands of jobs.
Following confirmation of her death, tributes poured in from fans and some of the biggest names in music and entertainment.
Friends, former co-stars and fellow musicians remembered Parton for her talent, humor and generosity, as well as the extraordinary influence she had on generations of performers.
For a star whose career was built around telling stories, Parton leaves behind an almost unmatched collection of songs, performances and memories.
Dolly Parton’s Cause Of Death Has Now Been Confirmed
Parton’s representatives have now confirmed that she died following a “brief battle with cancer.”
Her team told PEOPLE that the singer died at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville while surrounded by loved ones.
The confirmation provides new information about the health struggles Parton had referred to during the final year of her life.
Until now, the singer had not publicly announced a cancer diagnosis.
While she had repeatedly spoken about her health and had been forced to cancel and postpone a number of commitments, she had largely kept the exact nature of her condition private.
Parton’s representatives have not disclosed what type of cancer she had or exactly when she was diagnosed.
There is also currently no indication that her previously disclosed kidney problems were connected to the cancer.
Her final public comments, made just days before her death, have now taken on an especially poignant meaning.
Even while privately battling cancer, Parton remained focused on working and looking toward the future, telling fans she still had many things she hoped to achieve.
Confirmation
Dolly Parton’s representatives confirmed to PEOPLE on August 25, 2026, that the singer died following a ‘brief battle with cancer’ at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville.
Parton was surrounded by loved ones when she died.
At the time of publication, her representatives have not disclosed what type of cancer Parton had or exactly when she received the diagnosis.