Country music icon Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80. Parton's family shared the news of her passing in an official statement through her Instagram on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.Parton's nephew, Bryan Seaver, is the one who represented the Parton and Owens families in conveying the news to the public.Dolly Parton's family's message on her deathDolly Parton is more than just a musician to her fans. Technically, she was also a songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman. The I Will Always Love You singer has been singing since she was approximately 10 years of age and has given her fans hits like Jolene, 9 to 5, and Coat of Many Colors, among others. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostOn August 25, 2026, a video was posted on Parton's Instagram (@dollyparton) with the caption,A message from the family of Dolly Parton.In the video, Parton's nephew, Bryan Seaver, conveyed the message of her death. Seaver was Parton's head of security, and as he revealed, she had entrusted him with the task of conveying the message of her death years ago. He talked about how much she loved her family, how loved she was, and how she had opened doors for her family in ways none of them had ever expected.Seaver also mentioned something extremely important as he said,“Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent,”Dolly Parton has been an inspiration and an influential figure in the lives of Whitney Houston, Reba McEntire, Maren Morris, Kesha, and Parton's goddaughter, Miley Cyrus. Through her musical and entrepreneural career, Parton proved that women could control their own business empires, own their publishing rights, and defy rigid genre boundaries.The exact cause of Parton's death has so far been kept private by her family. News of her health's deterioration first came in September 2025. In November 2025, Parton was unable to accept the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Governors Awards in person due to health concerns and sent a pre-taped acceptance speech instead.In May 2026, on her doctors' advice, Parton officially canceled her scheduled Las Vegas residency. At the time, she stated that she was still recovering from health issues. In the summer of 2026, Parton took a break from more public appearances, including scheduled promotional events at Dollywood. They were called off as Parton experienced complications related to dehydration and severe dizziness.Dolly Parton is survived by her six remaining siblings and their families.For more articles like this, follow Soapcentral.