Dolly Parton dies aged 80, family says

Washington, United States. Dolly Parton, the country singer, songwriter and actress whose career spanned nearly six decades, died on Tuesday aged 80, her family said in a statement.

She was an 11-time Grammy Award winner, including for Lifetime Achievement, and sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

Early songwriting and musical success

Parton wrote her first song, “Little Tiny Tasseltop,” at about six years old, inspired by a corncob doll with corn-silk hair. Her mother kept the song in a shoebox.

“I loved that little doll,” Parton wrote decades later. “I expressed myself and my feelings through writing – I’m sure what I was thinking was, ‘Well, Tasseltop has to have a song about her.’”

Her best-known songs included “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.” Her personality, distinctive blond hairstyles and flamboyant costumes helped bring country music to international audiences.

Work beyond music

In addition to songwriting and performing, Parton hosted a television variety show and appeared in films. She also created Dollywood, a theme park in her home state of Tennessee.

Born into what she described as a “dirt-poor” family, Parton became associated with working-class America and supported a range of charitable causes.

Philanthropy

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Parton donated $1 million to vaccine research at Vanderbilt University in 2020, becoming an early sponsor of Moderna’s vaccine development.

She also ran a literacy programme for preschool children in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland, and provided scholarships to high school students in the Tennessee county where she was born.