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Legendary American singer, songwriter and actress Dolly Parton died on Tuesday at the age of 80, bringing an extraordinary career spanning more than six decades to an end.

Legendary American singer, songwriter and actress Dolly Parton died on Tuesday at the age of 80, bringing an extraordinary career spanning more than six decades to an end.

Here are 10 things to know about the beloved country music icon:

1. She was born into poverty

Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in a one-room cabin in Tennessee. She was the fourth of 12 children raised by Robert and Avie Lee Parton.

2. She began performing as a child

Her musical talent emerged early. Parton was already performing on local television at 10 and recorded her first song when she was 13.

3. Porter Wagoner helped launch her career

Parton gained national attention in 1967 after joining The Porter Wagoner Show. The programme introduced her to a wider country music audience.

4. She wrote two classics on the same day

Parton famously revealed that she wrote “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” on the same day. Whitney Houston’s 1992 version of the latter became a global phenomenon.

5. She sold more than 100 million records

Parton sold over 100 million records worldwide and won 11 Grammy Awards, establishing herself as one of the bestselling musicians in history.

6. She became a successful Hollywood actress

Beyond music, Parton starred in popular films such as 9 to 5, Steel Magnolias and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

7. She had her own theme park

The singer became closely associated with Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park which opened under that name in 1986 and grew into a major tourist attraction.

8. She gave millions of books to children

Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995 to send free books to children from birth until age five. The programme later expanded beyond the United States. Imagination Library

9. She was inducted into two major halls of fame

Parton entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

10. She was married for nearly 60 years

Parton married Carl Dean in May 1966 after meeting him outside a Nashville laundromat. Their famously private marriage lasted until Dean’s death in March 2025.

Parton died three months after cancelling a Las Vegas performance amid health challenges. Her family did not disclose the immediate cause of her death.

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The 18th Headies, themed “Africa to the World,” is scheduled to hold in Toronto, Canada, on October 25, 2026.

Rising Nigerian singer Fola has emerged as the leading nominee for the 18th edition of The Headies, securing 10 nominations as the organisers unveiled the nominees for the 2026 awards on Tuesday.

Fola’s nominations span several major categories, including Album of the Year, Best Male Artiste, Digital Artiste of the Year, Best R&B Album, Best Recording of the Year and Next Rated, following the success of his debut album, Catharsis. His nominations place him ahead of some of Africa’s biggest music stars and underline the growing presence of a new generation of Nigerian artistes on the continent’s biggest award platforms.

Omah Lay follows with eight nominations, while Mavo and Wizkid each received seven. Davido and Asake are also among the leading nominees with six nominations apiece. Ayra Starr and Tiwa Savage lead the female nominees with five nominations each.

The 18th Headies, themed “Africa to the World,” is scheduled to be held in Toronto, Canada, on October 25, 2026. The international staging continues the awards’ effort to position African music on a wider global platform after previous editions were held outside Nigeria.

Leading New Generation

Fola’s strong showing is one of the biggest talking points from this year’s nominations, particularly as he competes alongside established names for some of the ceremony’s biggest prizes.

His Catharsis album earned recognition in both Album of the Year and Best R&B Album, while “You” was nominated for Song of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year, Best Recording of the Year and Viewers’ Choice.

Omah Lay’s eight nominations also reflect the impact of his recent releases, with his collaboration with Davido, “With You,” featuring prominently across the nominations. The song is in contention for Song of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year, Best Recording of the Year, Best Collaboration, Music Video of the Year and Viewers’ Choice.

Mavo, another emerging name, also secured seven nominations, reinforcing the growing influence of younger artistes alongside established stars such as Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy and Asake.

The Next Rated category further reflects this changing landscape, with Fido, Fola, Llona, Mavo and Shoday competing for the award given to an emerging artiste considered to have the potential for mainstream success. The official Headies description says the category recognises an artiste poised for mainstream superstardom.

Major Categories Feature Top African Stars
The Song of the Year category features six contenders: Kunmie’s “Arike,” Poco Lee, Shoday and Rahman Jago’s “Hey Jago,” Ayra Starr’s “Hot Body,” Fido’s “Joy Is Coming,” Asake and Wizkid’s “MMS,” and Davido and Omah Lay’s “With You.”

The Afrobeats Single of the Year category includes Rema’s “Fun,” Asake and Wizkid’s “Jogodo,” Shallipopi’s “Laho,” Davido and Omah Lay’s “With You,” Fola’s “You,” and Burna Boy’s “Bundle by Bundle.”

The Afrobeats Album of the Year race is equally competitive, with Davido’s 5ive, BNXN’s Captain, Omah Lay’s Clarity of Mind, Adekunle Gold’s Fuji, Wizkid’s Morayo and Burna Boy’s No Sign of Weakness nominated.

For Album of the Year, Catharsis by Fola, Tiwa Savage’s This One Is Personal, Wizkid’s Morayo, Burna Boy’s No Sign of Weakness, Omah Lay’s Clarity of Mind, Erigga’s G.O.A.T and Odumodublvck’s The Machine Is Coming are among the contenders.

The Best Male Artiste category features Adekunle Gold, Asake, Fola, Mavo, Rema, Wizkid and Burna Boy, while the Best Female Artiste category has Ayra Starr, Qing Madi, Sewa, Tems, Teni and Tiwa Savage.

Davido and Omah Lay’s “With You” is one of the most prominent songs in this year’s nominations, appearing in several major categories.

The track competes for Song of the Year, Afrobeats Single of the Year, Best Recording of the Year, Best Collaboration and Viewers’ Choice, while its music video is also nominated for Music Video of the Year.

Other notable categories include Best Performer (Live), where Adekunle Gold, Asake, Ayra Starr, Johnny Drille and Ruger are nominated.

The Best R&B Album category features Kunmie’s Before We Became Strangers, Fola’s Catharsis, Qing Madi’s I Am the Blueprint, Tems’ Love Is a Kingdom, Tay Iwar’s Reflection Station and Tiwa Savage’s This One Is Personal.

Longomba, Hammond To Receive Special Honours

The 18th Headies will also recognise two prominent figures for their contributions to African entertainment.

Congolese music legend Awilo Longomba will be inducted into the Headies Hall of Fame, an honour reserved for individuals of African descent who have demonstrated outstanding impact on the continent’s entertainment industry.

Nigerian entertainment executive Cecil Hammond will receive the Special Recognition Award for his contribution to African entertainment.

The honours add a continental dimension to an edition that is already emphasising the global reach of African music.

Global Footprint Expansion

The 18th edition comes after the 17th Headies returned to Nigeria following two consecutive editions in Atlanta, United States.

The 17th ceremony, themed “Back to Base,” was held at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos on April 27, 2025.

It saw Rema’s Heis win Album of the Year and Afrobeats Album of the Year, while Odumodublvck won the Next Rated award and Zerry DL emerged as Rookie of the Year. Tems won Best Recording of the Year for “Burning”, while Davido took home Digital Artiste of the Year.

The ceremony also honoured the late singer Mohbad, whose collaboration with Chike, “Egwu,” won both Best Music Video and Viewers’ Choice, while Mohbad received the Best Street-Hop Artiste award posthumously.

However, the 17th edition was affected by technical and scheduling problems, with several categories left without on-night announcements. Reports said the ceremony ended before awards including Best Collaboration, Best R&B Single, Best Rap Album and Best Performer (Live) could be presented.

With the 18th edition now moving to Toronto, the organisers are once again taking the Headies beyond Nigeria, this time under the broader theme “Africa to the World.”

According to the organisers, the eligibility period covers singles, videos, EPs and albums released and distributed on digital streaming platforms between August 1, 2024, and April 30, 2026. The awards include both voting and non-voting categories, with the latter determined by judges.

The 2026 nominations comprise 213 nominations across 35 categories, bringing together established African stars, emerging artistes and international acts. The International Artiste of the Year category includes Ciara, Dave, Gunna, Jazmine Sullivan, Shenseea and Tiakola.

BEST ALTERNATIVE SONG
Luwa Mp4, Jeleel! – Cyk Baddie
Sewa – Lagos Lovin
Wizard Chan – Oliver
Blnde – Omo to sexy
Wave$tar – Prada Baby
Obongjayar – Sweet Danger
Chief Priest, Boypee, Zoro – Summer Adina

BEST ORIGINAL SONG FOR VISUAL MEDIA
All My Love — Osas Okonyon & Abbey Wonder, from Evi
Behind the Scenes — Funke Akindele & Tolu Obanro, from Behind the Scenes
Save Me — Oscar Heman-Ackah & 2Baba, from To Kill a Monkey
Only in Lagos — WurlD & Liya, from Christmas in Lagos

AFRICAN DIASPORA CANADIAN ARTISTE
Debby Friday — Lipsync
Tôme — CC ft Alpha P
Bolu Ajibade — Diana with Friyie
Nonso Amadi — Dive In
Rooky Kamiz — Deeper
Tobi — Out the Mud

EAST AFRICAN ARTISTE
Abigail Chams (Tanzania)
Bien (Kenya)
Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
Harmonize (Tanzania)
Joshua Baraka (Uganda)

WEST AFRICAN ARTISTE
Black Sherif (Ghana)
Himra (Côte d’Ivoire)
KiDi (Ghana)
King Promise (Ghana)
Moliy (Ghana)
Wally B. Seck (Senegal)

NORTH AFRICAN ARTISTE
Balti (Tunisia)
Dystinct (Morocco)
Marwan Moussa (Egypt)
Soolking (Algeria)
Tul8te (Egypt)
Stonebwoy (Ghana)
CENTRAL AFRICAN ARTISTE
Fally Ipupa (DR Congo)
Ferré Gola (DR Congo)
Héritier Watanabe (DR Congo)
Hiro (DR Congo)
Innoss’B (DR Congo)
Locko (Cameroon)
BEST INSPIRATIONAL SINGLE
Amioluwa — Sunmisola Agbebi ft Yinka Okeleye
Favour — Lawrence Oyor
Idinma (You Are Good) — Sinach
Korin Iyin (I Will Praise You) — EmmaOMG
No Turning Back 2 — Gaise Baba ft Lawrence Oyor
We Move — Mercy Chinwo
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
10 Kilo (Davido) — Director Pink
Afroculture (Flavour, Baaba Maal) — TG Omori
Bundle by Bundle (Burna Boy) — DK
Kai (Olamide, Wizkid) — Jyde Ajala
Whos Dat Girl (Ayra Starr, Rema) — Meji Alabi
With You (Davido, Omah Lay) — Dammy Twitch
BEST RAP ALBUM
Tuff King – Black Sheepizen
AQ- GE3
Erigga – G.O.A.T
Jeriq – King
Blaqbonez – No excuses
Odumodublvck – The machine is coming
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
LAYEFA – 6:35
AMAEYA – How do you?
Sewa – Lagos Lovin
Qing Madi – Scumbag
Liya – Skin to Skin
Tiwa Savage – You4me
BEST COLLABORATION
CKay & Mavo — Body (Danz)
Mavo & Wave$tar — Escaladizzy
Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago — Hey Jago
Fola, Kizz Daniel – Lost
Odumodublvck & Victony — Pity This Boy
Davido & Omah Lay — With You
Mr Eazi & King Promise — See What We’ve Done
Chief Priest & Spyki — Finally
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE)
Adekunle Gold – Im not done
Flavour – Orente
Magixx – Winter & Summer
Odeal – Patience
Syemca – Love Egbugomo
Tay Iwar – Bad Belle
INTERNATIONAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Ciara
Dave
GUNNA
Jazmine Sullivan
SHENSEEA
TIAKOLA
BEST SOUTHERN AFRICAN ARTIST
CIZA
DJ MAPHORISA
JAZZWRLD
KABZA DE SMALL
TYLA
UNCLE WAFFLES
AFROBEATS ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Davido – 5ive
Bnxn – Captain
Omah Lay – Clarity of Mind
Adekunle Gold – Fuji
Wizkid – Morayo
Burna Boy – No Sign of Weakness
BEST RAP SINGLE
2:02PM in London — ODUMODUBLVCK
ACL — Blaqbonez
Man2Man — Dremo
PDSTRN — Moshood
Nkemakonam — Tuff King
Wuse Tu — Zaylevelten, Mavo
John Wick — Zhus Jdo
BEST FEMALE ARTISTE
Ayra Starr
QING MADI
SEWA
Tems
Teni
Tiwa Savage
BEST MALE ARTISTE
Adekunle Gold
Asake
FOLA
MAVO
Rema
Wizkid
Burna Boy
SONG WRITER OF THE YEAR
Adekunle Gold
Victony
WIZARD CHAN
FOLA
KUNMIE
AMAEYA
BEST STREET HOP ARTISTE
FAMOUS PLUTO
KASHCOMING
POCO LEE
SEYI VIBEZ
SHALLIPOPI
TUFF KING
RYBEENA
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
AMMA
DANPAPA GTA
FIRSTKLAZ
KIDD CARDER
NO11
PRIESST
OG ABBAH
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Fola – Catharsis
Omah Lay – Clarity of Mind
Erigga – G.O.A.T
Wizkid – Morayo
Odumodublvck – The Machine is coming
Tiwa Savage – This one is personal
Burna Boy – No Sign of Weakness
NEXT RATED
FIDO
FOLA
LLONA
MAVO
SHODAY
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
MAGICSTICKS
P. PRIIME
RAGEE
SARZ
TEMPOE
BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Kunmie — Arike
Amaeya — How Do You?
Rema — Baby (Is It A Crime)
OMAH LAY ft. ELMAH — Coping Mechanism
Davido ft. OMAH LAY — With You
FOLA — you
BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
Showdemcamp – Afrika Magik
Sewa – Detox
Boj – Duplicity
Wizard Chan – Healers Chapel
Scottyolorin – Olorin Pack
Zaylevelten – Then 1t Got Crazy
HEADIES VIEWERS CHOICE
Ayra Starr — Hot Body
Mavo — Escaladizzy ft. WAVE$TAR
Davido — With You ft. OMAH LAY
Rema — Baby (Is It A Crime)
FOLA — you
Wizkid — Jogodo with Asake
Kunmie — Arike
BEST R&B ALBUM
Kunmie – Before We Became Strangers
Fola – Catharsis
Qing Madi – I am the Blueprint
Tems – Love is a kingdom
Tay Iwar – Reflection Station
Tiwa Savage – This one is personal
LYRICIST ON THE ROLL
Blaqbonez – ACL
Dremo – Man2Man
Modenine – If you like Gym w/ Odumodublvck
Pdstrn – Moshood
Ycee – Man2man Remix w/ Dremo
SONG OF THE YEAR
Kunmie – Arike
Poco lee, Shoday, Rahman Jago – Hey Jago
Ayra Starr – Hot Body
Fido – Joy is Coming
Asake, Wizkid – MMS
Davido, Omah Lay – With You
BEST PERFORMER (LIVE)
Adekunle Gold – Live at National Theatre, Lagos
Asake – Red Bull Symphonic
Ayra Starr – Global Citizen Festival 2025
Johnny Drille – Johnny’s Room Live 6
Ruger – Live at Indigo at The O2, 2025
DIGITAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Asake
Ayra Starr
BNXN
Chella
FOLA
MAVO
Seyi Vibez
Wizkid
AFROBEATS SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Rema – Fun
Wizkid, Asake – Jogodo
Fido – Joy is Coming
Davido, Omah Lay – With You
Fola – You
Burna Boy – Bundle by Bundle

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Legendary singer-songwriter and country music icon Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80 on Aug. 25.

Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, revealed the news in an Instagram video the same day.

“My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” he says in the video. “This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. 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.”

Seaver added: “It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. 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 to meet her in the heavens.”

“I first went on the road with Dolly as a kid, getting a taste of the road life in the early 1980s. Dolly opened doors not just for me but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible. Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent,” Seaver added in the video message. “By her example, we believed that anything is possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history.

Dolly Parton ca. 1976; Dolly Parton in 2021.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; Art Streiber

His statement continued: “My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you. She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family whether you liked it or not. Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever. Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy; he farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.”

Seaver ended his statement, saying, “Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly — Aunt, Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you.”

Parton shared an update on her health on Friday, Aug. 21, acknowledging her recent decline after the March 2025 death of her husband, Carl Dean.

“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl. You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” Parton told PEOPLE.

She added: “But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago. I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’! You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”

With a distinguished career that lasted decades, Parton is the best-selling female country music artist of all time, having sold more than 160 million albums worldwide. Her debut album was 1967’s Hello, I’m Dolly, and she went on to release a slew of hits, including “I Will Always Love You,” “9 to 5” and “Jolene.”

Parton was born in Pittman Center, Tenn., in 1946. She had 11 siblings, and the family was poor. “We never actually starved, but sometimes we never had quite enough to eat,” she told PEOPLE in 1977. At age 6, she began playing her first guitar and singing in her grandfather’s church. She started writing songs a year later.

Though she was known for her glamor as an adult, she told PEOPLE in 2003 that growing up, “I had freckles and a gap in my teeth. Everything was homemade or hand-me-downs. . . . I always wanted to be prettier. I got to fixin’ myself up. I wanted my clothes tight, my makeup bright, my nails long, my lips red. I got into it.” Over her career, she received considerable attention for her dramatic appearance, but she was always the first one to make a joke of it.

After her high school graduation, she moved to Nashville in 1964. She played in clubs and wrote songs for other artists. She told PEOPLE in 2012, “My songs got me out of the mountains and took me everywhere I’ve wanted to go.” Her big break came when country star Porter Wagoner hired her to be his sidekick on The Porter Wagoner Show. He helped her land a record deal, but her early successes were all duets with her costar.

“I’ll always be a country musician because I’m a country girl,” she told PEOPLE in 1975. “My style is my soul and my feelings. I’ll tell the world in my songs what I wouldn’t have told my mother.”

In 1971, she had her first country No. 1 with “Joshua.” “Coat of Many Colors,” released the same year, reached No. 4. Then in 1973, she released “Jolene,” which was a country No. 1 and also charted on Billboard‘s Hot 100.

Parton stopped appearing on the TV show in 1974, and she wrote “I Will Always Love You” as a goodbye to her creative partner, Wagoner. “When I got ready to go, it was not a good scene. So I went home and that song just came to me. The next morning I said, ‘This is how I feel.’ Tears were rolling down his face,” she told PEOPLE in 2012.

The song topped the country chart twice, but it became a megahit when Whitney Houston recorded it for the 1992 film The Bodyguard. She told PEOPLE in 2015 about the first time she heard Houston’s version of the song on the radio. “It was a worldwide thing. It was in a movie; it was No. 1. I thought, ‘Wow. I wrote that little song,’ “ she said. “That’s when I felt my worth as a songwriter. I thought, ‘This is my gift, and I’m going to do the best I can with it.’ ”

Parton continued to enjoy success with hits like “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” “Here You Come Again,” “Two Doors Down,” “It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right” and “You’re the Only One.”

By the end of the ’70s, Parton’s ambitions reached beyond Nashville; some worried she was leaving country music behind. She said in 1977, “I want people to know there is a lot more to me — good or bad — than they’ve seen so far. All I’m askin’ is a chance to prove it. . . . . I’m not leavin’ Nashville. Roots are important to me, and my roots are here.”

Parton’s movie career began in 1980 when she starred in 9 to 5 with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. Her theme song for the movie became her first No. 1 single on the Hot 100. The costars became lifelong friends, and Parton later made a guest appearance on their Netflix TV series Grace and Frankie.

In 1982, she played a madam in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas alongside Burt Reynolds. “I make a better whore than a secretary,” she told PEOPLE in 1982. Parton also starred in 1984’s Rhinestone with Sylvester Stallone, 1989’s Steel Magnolias and 2012’s Joyful Noise.

In 1987, Parton released the critically acclaimed album Trio with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. She told PEOPLE in 2003 that they “were like sisters,” explaining, “We didn’t always agree, but we had a great sound. Our first Trio album was one of the greatest pieces of music I’ve ever been involved in.”

During her career, Parton won an Emmy, 11 Grammy awards, 10 Country Music Association awards, seven Academy of Country Music awards, three American Music awards and earned two Academy Award nominations, as well as an honorary Oscar. She was one of only seven female artists to win the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award.

The music icon was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. During the memorable ceremony, she performed her hit song “Coat of Many Colors.” Parton’s close friend and “Islands in the Stream” duet partner Kenny Rogers presided over her induction.

Parton’s vibrant life was adapted into a musical titled Dolly: A True Original Musical that premiered in Nashville in July 2025 with plans of transferring to Broadway in 2026.

“I wanted to see it done while I’m still around, to be able to oversee it and make sure that it’s done properly in a way that I would want to see it, rather than to wait till I’m gone and let somebody else decide how they think it should be done,” she said in a press conference announcing the show’s premiere.

She also wrote the score for the Broadway adaptation of 9 to 5, for which she received a Tony nomination. In 2005 she received the National Medal of Arts, and in 2006 she received Kennedy Center Honors. In November 2022, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Parton frequently collaborated with younger artists, including Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter. She was also the godmother of Miley Cyrus. For the singer who once said, “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life,” maintaining her personal life was very important.

“I’ve told her some things that I think are valuable and that she uses, but I’d rather live [as] an example,” Parton told PEOPLE of her relationship with Cyrus. “[I’d rather] be an example rather than just try to tell somebody to do this, do that because I don’t think that’s right. Everybody’s different.”

She owned the Dollywood amusement park located in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. She was also heavily involved in philanthropy, most notably her Imagination Library, which mails one book a month to children from birth until kindergarten. She was inspired in part by her father, who never learned to read or write.

Parton married Carl Thomas Dean in May 1966. Dean opted to stay out of the spotlight but encouraged his wife. “He’s always supporting me as long as I don’t try to drag him in on it,” Parton told PEOPLE. “He’s always been my biggest fan behind the scenes, but he’s at home. I don’t think they’re probably showing much of this on TV, and if they do, he might see it.”

“I always joke and laugh when people ask me what’s the key to my long marriage and lasting love,” Parton told PEOPLE in 2018. “I always say ‘Stay gone!’ and there’s a lot of truth to that. I travel a lot, but we really enjoy each other when we’re together and the little things we do.”

Dean died on March 3, 2025. Parton announced his death on Instagram writing, “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years.”

Days after his death, Parton paid tribute to her late husband with a song titled “If You Hadn’t Been There.”

“Carl and I fell in love when I was 18 and he was 23, and like all great love stories, they never end,” she wrote on Instagram announcing the song alongside a rare throwback photo of the couple.

Parton reflected on their love story and her grief in a November 2025 PEOPLE cover story.

“Ours is a great old love story. Most people don’t stay that close that long,” Parton said of Dean at the time. “That’s a loss. Nobody can ever know that unless you’ve experienced it yourself. He will always be in my heart and in my memories.”

Parton was set to return to Las Vegas in December 2025 for a residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace — her first extended run in the city in more than 30 years — but in September of that year, she announced that the dates had been postponed due to “health challenges.”

“As many of you know, I’ve been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000 check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!,” she said in a statement shared to Instagram. “In all seriousness, given this, I am not going to be able to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see, and the show that you deserve to see. You pay good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you.”

Despite the setback, Parton reassured her fans at the time writing, “And don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet. But, I believe He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you.”

She later canceled the residency in May 2026, saying in an Instagram video that she was “responding really well to meds and treatments” and “improving every day.”

Years prior, Parton told PEOPLE that even after decades in the industry there were still dreams she had left to fulfill.

“I just hope I live long enough to do more things,” she said. “That’s the only thing that worries me, that I may run out of time before I see so many of my dreams come true. I wake up with new dreams all the time. But I put them in a place where they can continue, even after I’m gone.”

In a November 2025 cover story, Parton opened up to PEOPLE about her then-upcoming 80th birthday.

“People say, ‘Well, you’re going to be 80 years old.’ Well, so what? Look at all I’ve done in 80 years. I feel like I’m just getting started,” she says. “I know that sounds stupid, but unless my health gives way, which right now I seem to be doing fine . . . I think there’s a lot to be said about age. If you allow yourself to get old, you will. I say, ‘I ain’t got time to get old!’ I ain’t got time to dwell on that. That’s not what I’m thinking about.”

She also reflected on her impact and intentions in the industry. “I’m at that point in my life where I just want to be able to do good things that can be carried on. I’m proud of my legacy so far, and I hope to just continue to do things that might be of use to other people,” Parton told PEOPLE at the time.

“You know, I have just been going so fast my whole life,” Parton added in the same interview. “And I just start thinking, ‘How in the world did I even have a life? How did I even get it done?’ I really realized when I was putting this book together just how much I had sacrificed in my life. I never had children, so at least I didn’t have a guilty feeling. I’m thankful that I got to see my dreams come true.”

Credit: People