Dolly Parton Remembered as ‘Advocate for Inclusion, Women’s Rights, Children’s Literacy, and More’
“She was not only a talented musician and songwriter, but a lifelong philanthropist and advocate for literacy, education, LGBTQ+ rights, healthcare, and disaster relief. Her music and humanity touched millions.”
Dolly Parton died August 25, 2026 at the age of 80.
(Photo by Dolly Parton/Facebook)
Jessica Corbett
Aug 25, 2026
COMMON DREAMS
Dolly Parton died Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 80, and was fondly remembered by people around the world for not only her decades in the entertainment industry but also her philanthropy and promotion of the belief that “everybody should be treated with respect.”
Parton’s nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, confirmed the country music icon’s passing in a video message shared on her social media accounts. As Rolling Stone reported, she “was born January 19, 1946, the fourth of Robert Lee and Avie Lee Owens Parton’s 12 children, in a one-room cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River,” and “grew up in rural poverty,” lacking plumbing and electricity.
The obituary shared on Parton’s platforms notes that she was preceded in death by her parents, as well as “her beloved husband of 59 years, Carl Thomas Dean,” who died last year, and that “the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library,” which was inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, and has gifted more than 300 million books to children over the past three decades.
“Dolly Parton could have retired long ago having achieved greatness,” Congressman Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said of the singer and actress who won multiple Grammy and Emmy awards, among numerous others, and whose songs include “Coat of Many Colors,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “Jolene.”
Rather than retiring from the spotlight, Khanna noted, “she chose to continue her life pursuing the arts, and pushing boundaries to advocate for inclusion, women’s rights, children’s literacy, and more. Dolly touched countless hearts and will forever be remembered.”
US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote on social media that “Dolly Parton was one of the great entertainers of our era. She was not only a talented musician and songwriter, but a lifelong philanthropist and advocate for literacy, education, LGBTQ+ rights, healthcare, and disaster relief. Her music and humanity touched millions. She will be sorely missed.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said that “Dolly Parton gifted the world with her talent and heart. From supporting children, donating to science, investing in Tennessee, and giving us songs to sing our hearts out to (looking at you, ‘9 to 5’), she made the world a better place. Thank you, Dolly, for leading with love.”
Democratic North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said that “Dolly Parton was so special, so universally loved. The first word that came to my mind just now was ‘authentic,’ which is funny since she is well known for her big wigs and extravagant gowns. But she was always herself. Her music was powerful and moving... But her impact on the world was much greater—from providing kids free books to funding vaccine research and promoting tolerance. America lost one of our best today.”
Similarly saying that “Dolly Parton represented the very best in America,” former Labor Secretary Robert Reich wrote at his blog that “I think what I admired most was her empathy (the sentiment disparaged by Elon Musk. In fact, to my mind she was the human that embodied the exact opposite of Musk.) She felt the pain of those in poverty. She felt for women subordinated to patriarchy... She felt for working women.”
Other key Democrats who posted remembrances included Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY), and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), who called Parton “a singular American icon whose extraordinary voice, joyful spirit, and generous heart brought light to millions and made America kinder and more hopeful.”
Parton took stances on topics that have become divisive in US politics—such as supporting LGBTQ+ rights and vaccine research—but she openly avoided wading into political races, and was also honored on Tuesday by various right-wing politicians and other figures, from Cabinet members, federal lawmakers, and governors to Republican President Donald Trump, who announced on Truth Social that “I am lowering the American flag throughout the United States for a one week period.”
Meanwhile, as elected Republicans ban books and cut programs for the working class while giving more tax breaks to the ultrarich, Melanie D’Arrigo, executive director of the Campaign for New York Health, said that “Dolly Parton spent her life helping kids, marginalized communities, and people in need, while entertaining millions. She never had to, she chose to. In a world full of wannabe Donald Trumps, choose to be a Dolly Parton.”
'I am a person of faith': How Christianity shaped Dolly Parton's music and spirit
(RNS) — Dolly Parton, the country music icon who sang and spoke frequently of her Christian faith, died at age 80 on Tuesday (Aug. 25), her family announced.
“Sadness lies with us, not with Dolly,” said Bryan Seaver, Parton’s nephew and head of security, in a video released by the family.
“Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl (her husband), her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.”
The winner of 11 Grammy Awards, Parton was one of those unusual performers with broad, enduring appeal, crossing religions, races and political parties, over seven decades, and she spoke of how faith grounded her and her family.
“We all believe in God, and we’re very close,” she told KCRA, a Sacramento station. “We have a good communication with God, and I think that’s a positive attitude. That’s one of the reasons that we stay sane, and a lot of people in the business seem to be crazy.”
RELATED: Chicago church preaches ‘The Gospel according to Dolly Parton’
Born in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, she was one of 12 children. Her grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher, and Parton sang from a young age with her family. She wrote her first song at age 5 and by 13 had made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry, introduced by another country icon, Johnny Cash.
Dolly Parton performs in concert in Tokyo, July 30, 1979. (AP Photo/Tsugufumi Matsumoto, File)
She became a recording artist in the 1960s. Her song “I Will Always Love You” — written as she ended her singing partnership with Porter Wagoner — reached No. 1 on the country charts in 1974 and 1982 before becoming a global hit when Whitney Houston’s version of the ballad was released in 1992 on “The Bodyguard” soundtrack.
After global tours in the 1970s, Parton became a movie star, acting in “9 to 5” with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin — a film whose theme song became an anthem for working women. In the 1980s, she recorded “Islands in the Stream” with Kenny Rogers and opened Dollywood, a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Even amid her mainstream hits, Parton kept gospel music in rotation, with her 1971 gospel album “The Golden Streets of Glory” and the 2019 song “God Only Knows” with Christian musical duo For King & Country, and a hand-clapping medley on her 2022 NBC special, “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas.”
Parton was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, the Gospel Music Association’s Gospel Hall of Fame in 2009, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
She also was a famous philanthropist. In the 1990s, Parton created a program to give free books to children as a tribute to her father, who was unable to read or write. Her Imagination Library has donated more than 300 million books across the globe. In a 2018 interview, she also cited the Bible as inspiration for this program. “In the Bible, where it talks about honor your father and mother, … I think means to bring honor to their name.” In more recent years, she gave a $1 million donation for COVID-19 research that was partly used to fund the Moderna vaccine and announced a similar donation to help victims of Hurricane Helene, which affected Tennessee, her home state, and six others in 2024, People magazine reported.
Dolly Parton reads her book “Coat of Many Colors,” at the Library of Congress in Washington on Feb. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
Her fans included clergy. The Church of the Three Crosses in Chicago made Parton the subject of a five-part sermon series in 2022, Religion News Service reported. “We’ve been using Dolly as a way to talk about story and our larger story of faith and that all of our stories matter and that God’s story is continuing on in us,” the Rev. Britt Cox told the congregation at the time as she concluded the series titled, “The Gospel According to Dolly.”
The sermon series featured Parton’s songs, including “Jolene,” “My Tennessee Mountain Home” and “I Will Always Love You.”
Parton, who performed in sold-out concerts even in the last years of her life, drew a firm line between admiration and worship. “I don’t want to be worshiped, because there’s a scripture in my Bible that talks about idol worship,” she told People in 2021. “And I see that happening all the time with movie stars and these celebrities. People literally worship them more than they worship God. And I just — I cringe at it sometimes.”
After the death of her husband of more than 60 years, Carl Dean, last year, Parton spoke to The Associated Press about how her faith was a comfort.
“I am a person of faith, and I truly believe that I’m going to see him again someday,” she said in the May 2025 interview. “And I see him every day in my memories and in my heart, and in all the things that we used to do and all the things that we’ve built together.”
After the announcement of her death, a wide array of politicians and religious leaders lauded Parton for her accomplishments. President Trump announced that he would order the lowering of the American flag in Parton’s honor for a week. “Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away,” he added. “This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will.”
In a post on X, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent, called Parton “one of the great entertainers of our era. She was not only a talented musician & songwriter, but a lifelong philanthropist and advocate for literacy, education, LGBTQ+ rights, healthcare and disaster relief. Her music and humanity touched millions. She will be sorely missed.”
On Bluesky, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised Parton as an “irreplaceable champion of the working class.”
“Dolly invited us all — poets and historians and tired moms alike — to a ‘glammed up’ life of song,” wrote theologian Diana Butler Bass in her newsletter.
“Thank you, Dolly Parton. For the high heels and the music. For dressing up our days. And for your smarts and courage and honesty and generosity of spirit. We will always love you.”
The Rev. Bernice King, CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, posted on X: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Dolly Parton. Her extraordinary voice entertained and brought joy to generations, and she used her influence beyond music to affirm human dignity, inclusion, and the importance of treating people with love and respect.”
Aleja Hertzler-McCain contributed to this report.
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