Dolly Parton - ©Theda Bara

Dolly Parton, one of my favorite actresses and singers, passed away yesterday, August 25, at the age of 80. She became a legend of American country music, universally acclaimed and an extremely beloved figure in the United States due to her generosity, charisma, and significant philanthropic work.

Dolly Parton acted in several films, but the one that cemented her fame was a project for which she wrote both the screenplay and the music: “9 to 5” (1980). The film was nominated for an Oscar in 1981 but did not win the statuette. In the plot, Dolly plays “Doralee” alongside Jane Seymour Fonda (1937–) as “Judy” and Lily Tomlin, born Mary Jean Tomlin (1939–) as “Violet”; three employees of a sexist and prejudiced boss played by Dabney Wharton Coleman (1932–) as “Frank Hart”. In the story, the three women end up kidnapping the boss and holding him prisoner in his own home. While holding him captive, the trio takes charge of the office.

Dolly Parton did not win an Oscar for acting, whether as a lead or supporting actress, or for Best Original Song, but she did receive an honorary Oscar, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, in November 2025.

Among her best-known songs are: “I Will Always Love You” (1973), originally written and recorded by Dolly as a farewell to her musical partner Porter Wagoner (1927–2007), a track that became a global phenomenon years later when performed by Whitney Elizabeth Houston (1963–2012); “Jolene” (1973), one of the most famous melodies in country music history, telling the story of a woman pleading with a stunning redhead not to steal her partner; “9 to 5” (1980), an upbeat pop-country anthem about the exhausting routine of office work, featured in the film of the same name in which she starred; and “Coat of Many Colors” (1971), a moving, autobiographical song about a coat made of scraps, sewn by her mother when she was a child. There is also “Islands in the Stream” (1983), an unforgettable duet recorded with Kenneth Donald “Kenny” Rogers (1938–2020), which achieved enormous success on pop and country music charts, among others.

Dolly Parton received 54 Grammy nominations, winning eleven times (including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011). She also won seven Golden Globe Awards between 1981 and 2019.

Dolly Parton has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, awarded in 1984. Located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, the star honors her significant contribution to the recording industry.

Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, United States, and passed away (as previously mentioned) on August 25, 2026, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.

Dolly Parton married only once, to Carl Thomas Dean (1942–2025), the owner of an asphalt paving company in Nashville. The couple lived together for 59 years, from 1966 to 2025. They had no biological or adopted children. The singer repeatedly stated that the absence of heirs gave her the freedom needed to work and build her musical career.