Dolly Parton died on August 25, 2026, in Nashville. She was 80 years old.
Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced the news with a video on the artist’s Instagram account. The family did not disclose the cause of death. They only asked for privacy, a small service for their loved ones, and that instead of flowers, people donate to her children’s literacy foundation.
In 1973, Dolly wrote a song to say goodbye to someone without ceasing to love him. His name was Porter Wagoner, her musical partner for years, and the song was “I Will Always Love You”. It was not a bitter goodbye. Quite the opposite: it was a way of saying that you can leave and the love remains.
That song changed hands many times without ever ceasing to be hers. Whitney Houston made it an anthem for millions who had never listened to country music.
Miley Cyrus, her goddaughter, grew up listening to it in both their voices. Others came to know Dolly through her movies, her easy laugh, the millions she donated quietly, and a children’s library that continues sending books to children who never saw her in person.
Every generation found its way to Dolly through a different door. And they all ended up in the same place. She spent the last months caring for her husband, Carl Dean, until he died in March 2025, after 58 years together. She herself said, days before her death, that she had neglected her own health to care for him.
She wrote that song to tell someone that love does not need to stay in order to remain true. She never imagined that, decades later, that same phrase would help the whole world say goodbye to her. This time, we are the ones who must tell you, Dolly: we will always love you.