Country music legend Dolly Parton died Tuesday at the age of 80.
Now, one day after her passing was announced, her representatives have confirmed the cause of death.
Parton died after a brief battle with cancer.
Her team did not disclose what type of cancer she had.
The news adds a painful final detail to the loss of an American original whose music, humor, faith and generosity reached far beyond Nashville.
According to CBS News, Parton’s team said she died Tuesday at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville while surrounded by loved ones, confirming both the location and the illness after the family had initially announced only that she had died peacefully.
The statement described her illness as a brief battle with cancer, but offered no further information about the diagnosis, the kind of cancer involved, the treatment she received or when she learned she had the disease.
That distinction matters. Parton had discussed other health problems in the months before her death, but her representatives did not connect those earlier issues to the cancer.
Her nephew Bryan Seaver, who also served as her head of security, announced her death in a prerecorded video Tuesday.
Seaver said the sadness belongs to those left behind, while Dolly had “lived in the light” and was now “in the arms of Jesus.”
Questions about Parton’s health had circulated since last fall, when her sister Freida asked fans to pray for her.
Parton responded at the time by reassuring people that she was not dying. She later said she had dealt with kidney stones and that her immune and digestive systems had gotten out of balance.
In May, she told fans she was responding well to treatment but was not yet ready to return to full stage-performance strength. Several Las Vegas appearances had been canceled as she focused on her health.
None of those public comments identified cancer. The family’s new statement is the first confirmed explanation for her death.
CBS News shared part of the family’s announcement:
Dolly Parton's nephew Bryan Seaver, who was his aunt's head of security, announced her death in a prerecorded video posted to social media on Tuesday.
"It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness, but sadness lies with us, not with Dolly," he… pic.twitter.com/xp0W3UJI9P
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 25, 2026
The Associated Press reported that Parton died peacefully in Nashville after a career that made her one of the most widely recognized entertainers in the world.
She wrote hundreds of songs and sold more than 100 million records. Her catalog included “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” a song that became a defining hit for both Parton and Whitney Houston.
Parton won 10 Grammy Awards and received 55 nominations. She also built a film career, turned Dollywood into one of Tennessee’s signature attractions and created a charitable legacy that may ultimately reach even more families than her music did.
Her Imagination Library has distributed hundreds of millions of free books to children. She also gave $1 million to research at Vanderbilt University that helped support development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
President Trump called Parton’s death a true loss for millions of people and ordered American flags lowered for one week in her honor.
"Rest in Peace, Dolly! The World loves you." – President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/ZPf8IzybNe
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 25, 2026
That tribute captured something rare about Parton.
She belonged to country music, but she never belonged only to country music. Her appeal crossed generations, regions and political lines without requiring her to sand down the personality that made her unmistakable.
The Grand Ole Opry, where Parton had been a member since 1969, said her influence would be felt for generations.
It is with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to a true country music icon, Opry member Dolly Parton.
There is no doubt Dolly’s mark on the world, and on us here at the Grand Ole Opry, will be deeply felt for generations to come. She taught us to always lead with… pic.twitter.com/t9yBCdMIsb
— Grand Ole Opry (@opry) August 25, 2026
Parton was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Dean, who died in 2025 after nearly 60 years of marriage.
Her official website said a small, private service would be held for immediate family.
In lieu of flowers, the family asked fans to donate to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the childhood-literacy program she created in honor of her father.
Parton launched the program in 1995 in Sevier County, Tennessee, after seeing how deeply her father’s inability to read and write had affected his life. It mails free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five, regardless of a family’s income.
What began in her home county expanded across the United States and into several other countries. The program has now delivered hundreds of millions of books, placing Parton’s name inside homes where her records may never have played.
The family is asking people who want to honor her to keep that work moving. It turns grief into a book in a child’s hands, exactly the kind of practical generosity Parton practiced throughout her life.
That request feels fitting.
Dolly Parton spent six decades giving the world songs it will never forget.
Her family’s final request is that the world help her keep giving children books.
Featured image: Peabody Awards via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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