Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean (1946-2026) was an American musician, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman. After achieving success as a songwriter for other artists, her debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, was released in 1967, beginning a career spanning 60 years and 50 studio albums.

Known as the “Queen of Country”, she was one of the most-honored female country performers and received various accolades, including 11 Grammy Awards, three Emmy Awards and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, along with nominations for two Academy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.

Parton sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists ever. Her music includes Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)-certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards. She had 25 singles reach No. 1 on the Billboard country music charts, tied with Reba McEntire for the most by a female artist. She had 44 career Top 10 country albums, a record for any artist, and 110 career-charted singles over 40 years. Her 49th and final solo studio album, Rockstar (2023), became her highest-charting Billboard 200 album, peaking at number three.

Parton composed more than 3,000 songs, including “I Will Always Love You” (a two-time U.S. country chart-topper and an international hit for Whitney Houston that sold 40 million copies worldwide), “Jolene”, “Coat of Many Colors” and “9 to 5”. As an actress, she starred in 9 to 5 (1980) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), earning Golden Globe nominations for both, as well as Rhinestone (1984), Steel Magnolias (1989), Straight Talk (1992), and Joyful Noise (2012).

Parton died in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 25, 2026, at age 80