Overview
- Representatives said Dolly Parton died after a brief battle with cancer on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, and that she was surrounded by loved ones during her final days.
- The family asked mourners to donate to the Imagination Library instead of sending flowers and Stella Parton revealed Dolly had been willing to try experimental cancer treatments to help future patients.
- Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 and by 2026 the program had mailed more than 330 million free books to children in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.
- Her six-decade career included roughly 100 million records sold, about 3,000 songs and 11 Grammy Awards, with signature works such as "Jolene," "I Will Always Love You," and "9 to 5."
- Beyond literacy, Parton used her wealth and fame for public health and disaster relief, including a $1 million 2020 gift to Vanderbilt University Medical Center that supported COVID-19 research tied to studies used by Moderna, and fans have left flowers at her Brentwood home as public memorials continue.