Dolly Parton, remembered for Hurricane Helene relief efforts, had ‘brief battle with cancer’

Dolly Parton, the singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and philanthropist, died Tuesday at age 80 in Nashville. Her publicist confirmed she passed away peacefully.

According to ABC News, her publicist later said Parton died at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center after “bravely facing a brief battle with cancer.”

Parton dedicated much of her life to helping others during times of need. In 2024, she donated $1 million to assist with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, while her Dollywood Foundation contributed an additional $1 million to the relief effort.

VIDEO: Dolly Parton remembered for Hurricane Helene relief efforts

Dolly Parton remembered for Hurricane Helene relief efforts, lasting legacy

President Donald Trump ordered flags across the country to be flown at half-staff for the next week following the announcement. Flowers and tributes quickly grew at Parton’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after her family shared a message on her social media.

Beyond disaster relief, Parton focused heavily on supporting education throughout her life. She provided scholarships and financial aid to students in need and donated nearly 308 million books to children.

Parton was raised in Tennessee as one of 12 children in a one-room mountain cabin. She previously described growing up in a musical household.

“Well, I’m from a family of music,” Parton said. “All my mom’s people are very musical. They play different instruments and they all sing. We grew up singing in church, too. I could write songs and I’d get a lot of attention, you know, with doing that. I found that early, I wanted the attention. So that was a good way of doing it. So, it just grew from there.”

Known as the Queen of Country Music, Parton catapulted to stardom with hits including “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” which reached No. 1 on the charts in 1974. Whitney Houston later recorded the song in 1992, topping the charts for 14 weeks. In 2011, Parton’s song “Coat of Many Colors” was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry. Parton also starred in the 1980 comedy film “nine to five” alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

In addition to her music career, Parton expanded into business by opening the Dollywood theme park and establishing Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop, a gas station and travel center in Cornersville, Tenn. Her husband of nearly 58 years died last year and Parton had announced recent health challenges that forced her to postpone concerts in Las Vegas.

Throughout her career, Parton frequently commented on her work ethic and legacy. During a 2019 interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts, Parton reflected on her commitment to performing. “I have always said I am a work horse that looks like a show horse and I hope I die on stage hopefully singing a song that I have written,” Parton said. In a 2023 interview with ABC’s Linsey Davis, Parton spoke about how she wanted to be remembered.

“I’ve been blessed and I’ve be lucky and I don’t take any of that for granted, but I just wanted to be remembered well,” Parton said.

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‘Came to pay respect’

Fans from across the region gathered in Sevierville, Tennessee, Tuesday to pay tribute to Dolly Parton following her death.

Dollywood was closed Tuesday as visitors stopped by the entrance to leave flowers and honor the music, television and movie icon.

Just a few miles away in downtown Sevierville, fans gathered around the bronze statue of Parton that has stood there for nearly 40 years. Parton and her father were reportedly present when the statue was dedicated.

Fans remembered Parton for her generosity, kindness and lasting impact on the community and beyond.

“Came to pay respect and bring some flowers for her,” fan Emily Spear said. “The memory that lives on strong here and in Tennessee.”

Another fan, Austin Whitt, said Parton’s love for others was what stood out most.

“Her care for the people and how much love she had for the world,” Whitt said. “She was there for everybody, no matter who you was.”

Gov. Josh Stein has ordered all U.S. and North Carolina flags at state facilities to be flown at half-staff in honor of country music icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday.

The flags will remain at half-staff from sunrise Aug. 26 through sunset Sept. 1.

“America lost one of our best today,” Stein said in a statement, calling Parton “authentic and universally loved” and praising her impact through music, philanthropy and other efforts.

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