Dolly Parton dies at 80

Dolly Parton died on Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 80. Her death was confirmed by her nephew Bryan Seaver in a video posted to social media, and later by her head of security. No cause of death has been disclosed. In the weeks before she died, Parton had spoken publicly about health problems she said she'd neglected while caring for her late husband, Carl Dean, including immune and digestive issues, dizziness and dehydration. She had cancelled a scheduled Dollywood appearance and said her doctor had advised her against travel. As recently as early August she was still insisting, "Even though I'm still healin', I'm still workin'!" Her representatives released a statement calling hers "a rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see," pointing to her music, songwriting, and "wit, warmth and kindness that made us all feel like family." Tributes followed from across the music world, including singer Amythyst Kiah, who praised her vocal range, and drag performer Trixie Mattel, who credited a Parton performance as effectively her first drag show. Born one of twelve children in rural poverty in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, Parton built a business empire spanning music publishing, the Dollywood theme park, and film and television, which reporting since her death has valued at somewhere between $450 million and $650 million, depending on the estimate. She wrote "I Will Always Love You" in 1973, a song that later became a global standard through Whitney Houston's 1992 cover, and remains one of the most played wedding songs on Zambian radio today, alongside "Jolene." Her career spanned dozens of top 10 country hits, film roles in "9 to 5," "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and "Steel Magnolias," and the founding of the Imagination Library, a charity that has mailed free books to millions of children since 1995.