Dolly Parton dies at 80 in Nashville after brief cancer illness

Dolly Parton, an 11-time Grammy winner known as the Queen of Country, died on August 25, 2026, in Nashville at age 80. Her nephew announced she died peacefully following a brief illness with cancer, per CNN. Parton wrote "I Will Always Love You" and amassed a catalogue of more than 3,000 songs across six decades. She was 80.