Dolly Parton Died After a ‘Brief Battle with Cancer,’ Her Team Confirms

Tributes Pour In For Country Music Icon Dolly Parton After Her Death At Age 80

The world is a little less bright today after the passing of country music singer and bubbly philanthropist Dolly Parton at the age of 80.Some of her most famous songs were "Jolene," "9 to 5," and "I Will Always Love You." She was also well-known for her generous heart, donating medical supplies during the pandemic and after Hurricane Helene, and providing children's books to lower-income schools and communities.According to her family, Parton p…

IN MEMORIAM: Dolly Parton Dead at 80 — How She Built a Legacy of Love and Earned Her Place in Black Culture

Before some of us knew Dolly Parton as the Queen of Country Music, we knew her as the woman behind Whitney Houston’s song. We knew the blonde hair, the rhinestones, and that unmistakable Tennessee voice. But somewhere along the way, Black America came to understand something deeper about Dolly; when she said she loved people, she had the receipts to prove it. The community is now left to mourn the icon who passed away at the age of 80, on Aug. 2…

Dolly Parton’s Legacy Is Written Across the Smoky Mountains

For a girl raised at the tail end of Appalachia—determined to see the world and leave the South in the dust—as an adult, I’ve found myself in Tennessee for much of my career. Especially East Tennessee, home of the Great Smoky Mountains and Dollywood, Dolly Parton’s namesake theme park. While the music industry mourns a country legend today, Dollywood just lost its “Dreamer-in-Chief.” Dolly Parton’s legacy—that star power and infinite fountain of…

Dolly Parton, Country Music Icon Whose Songs Crossed Generations, Dies at 80

Dolly Parton, the legendary singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist whose music stretched far beyond the boundaries of country, has died at the age of 80. Parton died Tuesday in Nashville, according to reports confirmed by her family. Her death closes a remarkable chapter in American music history, leaving behind a catalog of songs and a cultural influence that reached audiences across racial, regional and generational lines. Born Jan. 19…

Slog AM: Dolly Parton Died, Tim Curry Died, I’m Too Sad to Do the Real News

Yesterday, Dolly Parton died. I can’t think of another person who was so widely beloved. It felt like a global day of mourning as thousands of tributes poured in from every direction. I loved her, too. So yes, we’ll do the news this morning, but let’s also remember just a few of the ways in which Dolly Parton was an anomaly, an angel, a once-in-a-lifetime talent, and a once-in-a-lifetime human being. She maneuvered sexism in the music and film i…

Our Favorite Dolly Parton Performances

Following Tuesday’s news of Dolly Parton’s death, the Defector staff convened to remember some of our favorite performances by her. “High Sierra” On Tuesday, in the moments after I heard that Dolly Parton had died, I returned immediately to “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” It’s a song I’ve always loved, even when I was…