The musician was best known for her genre-defining hits including 9 To 5, I Will Always Love You and Jolene.
Country music star Dolly Parton died after a “brief battle with cancer”, her publicist said.
In a statement to media outlets, her publicist Marcel Pariseau said: “After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”
The singer, 80, was best known for her genre-defining hits including 9 To 5, I Will Always Love You and Jolene.
The statement continued: “Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.
“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.”
The type of cancer was not disclosed.
Parton’s death was announced late on Tuesday via an Instagram video by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who also served as the singer’s head of security.
He said it was “an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness”, to share the news of her death, adding: “But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.
“Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.”
Parton’s husband Carl Dean died last year, aged 82.
Flags will be lowered throughout America in Parton’s honour, US President Donald Trump announced, posting on Truth Social “there has never been anyone like her”.
Tributes came from all over the entertainment industry following the news of her death, led by actress Jane Fonda.
Fonda, who starred in the film 9 To 5 with Parton and was a lifelong friend, wrote on Instagram: “I am devastated. I just learned that Dolly has moved on.
“I know that millions are mourning and I want to say this – more than anyone I have ever known, Dolly will always be with us because she was so present, so powerful, so generous and playful that she is woven into all our lives and hearts forever.
“We have our memories of her, her songs, Dollywood, ‘9to5’, the millions of books she got into the hands of children, all the iconic images that bring her to us.
“And they are all blessings. Let’s be grateful for all that she has left us to ease our sadness now.”
Singer Beyonce said Parton was the “north star” for the industry.
A statement on Beyonce’s website said: “Dolly, you were the barometer. The north star. Bold and brilliant. Talented and tenacious. You taught so many lessons on how to be uniquely oneself.
“I am grateful for your art, your heart, your generosity, your humor, your entrepreneurship.
“I’m honored that I had the privilege to work with you. I will treasure that forever. Thank you for your profound impact on the world. You are an angel who has made this world a happier place because of your joyful art. You are truly one of one. Rest peacefully.”
In May, the country star pulled out of a highly anticipated Las Vegas residency, which was due to begin in September.
She had already postponed her six-date run at The Colosseum Theatre at Caesars Palace from December 2025 to deal with “health challenges”.
At Parton’s request, a small, private funeral service will be held for immediate family, a statement from her family on social media said.
In lieu of flowers, her family asked for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at imaginationlibrary.com.
The musician wrote I Will Always Love You – one of the defining love songs of the 20th century – as a goodbye to her former creative partner Porter Wagoner, who hired her to be his sidekick on The Porter Wagoner Show and helped her land a record deal.
The song became a blockbuster hit when Whitney Houston recorded a cover for the 1992 film The Bodyguard.
Parton was born in a single-room cabin in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, in 1946, as the fourth of 12 children.
She began her musical journey at the age of six, singing in the local church where her grandfather was the pastor.
By the age of 13, she had reached the pinnacle of country music success – an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
Over the course of her career, which spanned more than 60 years, Parton sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and wrote more than 3,000 songs, including hits Coat Of Many Colours and Joshua.
She was a savvy businesswoman with an empire that included a theme park, aptly named Dollywood, and a pioneering philanthropist.
Her Imagination Library, a book-gifting programme devoted to inspiring a love of reading in children, has given more than 300 million books to children in need.
A statement from Imagination Library said: “Our team, our local program partners, and every operational partner who helps make this program possible each month are heartbroken at the loss of our founder, Dolly Parton.
“The world grieves with us today. And yet we find ourselves just as certain about what comes next. For decades,Dolly & the team at The Dollywood Foundation — home of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library — worked to build something that would last for generations. So it will.”
She was also a supporter of several charities for black and LGBTQ+ communities, as well as the Barbara Davis Centre for Childhood Diabetes, Save the Music Foundation and the Boot Campaign.
In 2020, she donated one million dollars (£733,000) to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University, which helped fund Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine.
