Country music legend Dolly Parton has died at 79

Legendary singer Dolly Parton has died in Nashville, Tennessee. Her death was announced by her nephew, Brian Seaver, who said she passed away peacefully. She was 79 years old.

Parton had been dealing with health problems over the past year, which led her to first postpone a December concert in Las Vegas to May of this year, and eventually cancel it altogether. “I hope I die on stage in the middle of a song, and maybe it’ll be one I wrote myself,” she said back in 2018, adding that only the illness of her husband, Carl Dean, or another close loved one would ever make her step away from her career.

From a poor Tennessee family to worldwide fame

Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Tennessee into a poor family as one of twelve children. She fell in love with music as a child and had already moved to Nashville before turning eighteen. Her career began in 1956, and by the 1960s she had become a star of the country genre.

She achieved worldwide fame with hits like Jolene, 9 to 5, I Will Always Love You, and Coat of Many Colors. Many of her songs were covered by other artists — most notably, I Will Always Love You became a massive hit in Whitney Houston’s rendition.

Over the course of her career, Parton released 49 albums. Her debut, Hello, I’m Dolly, came out in 1967, while her final album, Rockstar, was released in 2023. She worked on it alongside Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Sting, Miley Cyrus and Lizzo. In addition to music, she had a successful acting career, appearing in films such as “9 to 5,” “Steel Magnolias,” and “Straight Talk.”

Charity work and global recognition

Philanthropy was an important part of Parton’s life. In 1995, she founded the Imagination Library project, which supports children’s literacy by providing kids with free books. The initiative expanded far beyond the United States, distributing more than 150 million books. In 2020, the singer also donated one million dollars to Vanderbilt University to support COVID-19 vaccine research.

Throughout her career, Parton won 10 Grammy Awards and received 55 nominations. In 1999, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Time and again, Parton proved that country music could easily transcend its traditional boundaries — her songs have been covered by pop, rock, and soul artists alike. In 2024, pop star Beyoncé recorded a cover of Jolene for her album Cowboy Carter, following earlier versions by Miley Cyrus and the band The White Stripes.

Source: novinky.cz