There’s no shortage of reasons to love Dolly Parton. (TODAY Illustration / Getty Images)
Which type cancer did Dolly have – Search
Dolly Parton died after a brief battle with cancer, though the specific type of cancer has not been publicly disclosed.
Dolly Parton, the legendary country music icon, passed away at the age of 80 on August 25, 2026, at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, surrounded by loved ones, following a brief battle with cancer, according to her representatives and estate statements 
While her team confirmed that cancer was the cause of her death, they did not reveal the exact type of cancer she had
In the months leading up to her death, Parton had experienced various health challenges, including kidney and autoimmune-related issues, kidney stones, and episodes of dizziness and dehydration
She had also postponed her planned Las Vegas residency in 2025 due to these health concerns, though she continued to work on music, business, and philanthropic projects during this period
Despite these challenges, she remained active and engaged with her fans until shortly before her hospitalization on August 21, 2026
Her family and representatives emphasized that her battle with cancer was brief and that she had been dealing with health problems that had not been publicly disclosed until her passing
The lack of disclosure regarding the specific type of cancer means that, while it is confirmed she succumbed to the disease, the medical details remain private
Dolly Parton’s death highlights her resilience and dedication, as she continued contributing to her music, philanthropy, and public life even while managing serious health issues. Her legacy endures through her music, charitable work, and the lives she touched worldwide
Dolly Parton’s death has illuminated a life that was so much more than being a country music icon.
The 10-time Grammy winner behind hits like “Jolene” and “9 to 5” died at 80 on Aug. 25. She left a legacy that has inspired artists across all musical genres and ages, as well as a reputation for philanthropy and kindness.
The way she lived her life made her beloved by millions and someone who will be studied by future generations.
Dolly Parton’s Life of Music, Humor, and Generosity
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Dolly Parton’s legacy is defined as much by her music and humor as by her generosity and compassion. Born in 1946 in a one-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, she rose from humble beginnings to become the “Queen of Country” with a career spanning over seven decades 
Her songs—like Jolene, Coat of Many Colors, and 9 to 5—told stories of love, resilience, and the dignity of ordinary people, resonating with audiences worldwide 
Music and Humor
Dolly’s music was both artistry and storytelling. She wrote what she knew, drawing from her own experiences of poverty, hard work, and faith
Her humor was a signature part of her persona—sharp, witty, and often delivered with a wink. She was known for her “Dollyisms,” one-liners that blended wisdom with levity, such as “If you see someone without a smile, give ’em one of yours” 
Her stage presence combined charisma with a lightness that made her relatable and memorable.
Generosity and Philanthropy
Beyond the stage, Dolly’s generosity was unmatched. She founded the Imagination Library, which has mailed free books to children worldwide, reaching over 300 million recipients 
She established the My People Fund to help families devastated by wildfires in East Tennessee, and opened Dollywood, creating thousands of jobs in her home state
She also donated millions to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, supporting COVID-19 vaccine research and pediatric disease studies
Humility and Empathy
Dolly lived with humility, often downplaying her own achievements. She once entered a “Dolly impersonator” contest and didn’t even place, but she took it in stride
Living Like Dolly
Her life teaches that music, humor, and generosity can go hand in hand. She found joy in the little things, celebrated beauty in everyday moments, and used her platform to uplift others
In short, Dolly Parton lived a life where her music brought laughter and hope, her humor softened even the toughest moments, and her generosity left a lasting mark on communities—proving that a life well-lived is one that lifts others as much as it inspires.
Here are just 10 reasons why we consider her a true national treasure.
1. She Was Unafraid to Speak Her Mind
Parton, who was born in Tennessee in 1946, has had so many great quotes we can hardly list them all here. (Although we’ve certainly tried.) But one of our favorite “Dolly-isms” goes like this:
“I never think of myself as a star because, as somebody once said, ‘A star is nothing but a big ball of gas’ — and I don’t want to be that,” she told Billboard in 2014.
She also showed off her trademark wit in her first interview on TODAY in 1978, when she was asked about her signature look of big hair, high heels, makeup and rhinestones.
“I’m a very real person inside, and that’s where it really counts. And the rest is just something I enjoy doing,” she said. “My mama always said that any old barn looked better with a little red paint on it, and so I guess I’ve just painted the barn with a few extra coats!”
2. She Helped Fund a COVID-19 Vaccine
Parton is a longtime philanthropist, too.
In 2020, she donated $1 million to battle COVID-19. Her donation to Vanderbilt Health in Nashville, Tennessee, helped pay for research that played a key role in developing and testing one of the first COVID-19 vaccines, according to Vanderbilt Health.
“I’m just happy that anything I do can help somebody else, and when I donated the money to the COVID fund, I just wanted it to do good,” she told TODAY in November 2020. “Evidently, it is.”
“It’s not an exaggeration to say that Dolly has helped save countless lives through her philanthropy,” Vanderbilt Health President Jeff Balser said in a news release following Parton’s death.
Parton made another $1 million donation to Vanderbilt Health in 2022 to support pediatric infectious disease research.
“I love all children,” she said in a news release about the donation. “No child should ever have to suffer, and I’m willing to do my part to try and keep as many of them as I can as healthy and safe as possible.”
3. She Donated More Than 330 Million Books to Kids
Parton launched Imagination Library in 1995, intending to give children in Tennessee free books each month. The program was inspired by her father, a farmer from Tennessee whom she said was unable to read and write.
The program took off, and now Imagination Library is one of the largest literary programs in the world. It has distributed more than 330 million books to children to date, according to its website, and became the subject of a documentary in 2020 called “The Library that Dolly Built.”
In 2018, the Library of Congress honored her for the library.
“Of all the things I’ve done in my life, this is one of the most precious,” Parton said in a clip from the film.
Dolly Parton in 2007 as she launched Imagination Library in the United Kingdom. (Gareth Davies / Getty Images)© Gareth Davies
4. She Never Forgot Her Roots
Even after she reached international fame, Parton always stayed close to her roots in rural Tennessee.
She spoke lovingly about her home in her first interview with TODAY back in 1978.
“Somehow I just sensed that there was something greater in the world for me, even though I’m grateful for the Smoky Mountains and my home life because they’re great people, and it’s a great place to live,” she said.
In addition to her generous donations to Vanderbilt Health in Nashville, Parton’s Dollywood Foundation donated $1,000 per month to families impacted by wildfires in Tennessee in 2016.
In addition, she donated $1 million to an Appalachian relief nonprofit after devastating flooding in Tennessee and other southern states caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024.
On top of that, her Dollywood theme park and resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, celebrates her rural roots while bringing economic benefit to the surrounding areas.
5. She Spent Royalties From Whitney Houston’s Hit Version of ‘I Will Always Love You’ to Support the Black Community
Whitney Houston’s 1992 cover version of Parton’s 1974 song “I Will Always Love You” became one of her biggest hits as part of the soundtrack to the movie “The Bodyguard.”
Since Parton was the songwriter on the original track, she earned royalties on a song that spent 14 consecutive weeks as the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.
Parton was asked what she bought with all that royalty money in a 2021 episode of “Watch What Happens Live.”
“I bought my big office complex down in Nashville, and so I thought, ‘This is a wonderful place to be,’” Parton told host Andy Cohen. “I bought different property in what was the Black area of town, and it was mostly just Black families and people that lived around there. It was just off the beaten path from 16th Avenue and I thought, ‘I’m going to buy this place.’
“It was a whole strip mall,” she continued. “I thought this is the perfect place for me to be, considering it was Whitney. So I just felt this was great, I’m just going to be down here with her people, who are my people at well. I just love the fact that I spent that money on a complex, and I think this is the house that Whitney built.”
6. She Was Able to Be High-Functioning at 3 a.m.
“I’m usually up by 3 o’clock,” she told TODAY in 2018. “I go to bed early, but I’m just an early bird.”
Parton got a lot done while other folks were fast asleep and still found time to cook a savory southern breakfast for her husband of 59 years, Carl Thomas Dean, who died at 82 in 2025.
“I’m a very, very, very early riser,” she told Marie Claire magazinein 2021. “I go to bed pretty early, but I’m up and down. If I wake up and I’m pretty well awake, I think, I’ve got so much to do, I’ll get up and I’ll work a little while, write a little while, and I’ll lay back down.”
Dolly Parton in 2009. (Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images)© Brendan Hoffman
7. She Turned Up in Surprising Places
Who knew Dolly Parton was an uncredited executive producer on the 1997-2003 series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”?
And yet, it’s true: Sandollar Productions is a company Parton co-founded in 1986, and that company is a listed producer of “Buffy” (and also worked on the original 1992 film the series was based on). The film didn’t do well, but she kept the TV series rights.
8. She Saved a Child’s Life
While filming the 2020 Netflix holiday special “Christmas on the Square,” Parton pulled a 9-year-old actor named Talia Hill out of the path of an oncoming vehicle.
“We were on set, and I was at the hot chocolate station, and they said go back to your beginning positions,” Hill told Inside Edition. “So there was a vehicle moving, and I was walking, and then somebody grabbed me and pulled me back, and I looked up and it was Dolly Parton.”
“‘Well, I am an angel, you know,’” Hill said Parton told her.
Parton played an angel in the Christmas movie.
9. Parton Was Unabashedly Herself
Throughout her career, Parton dazzled us with her bling, her fringe, her big wigs and pure showbiz style, and we loved her for it.
But we also loved seeing her not as jazzed up. In her 1994 memoir, “Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business,” Parton shared a throwback photo of herself from 1965 with her natural hair in the recording studio, and she looked just lovely and very at home.
“In case you’re wondering, yes, that’s my real hair,” she wrote in the book.
She later shared the photo on Instagram, too.
10. And, Of Course …. The Music
For all of her amazing feats and accomplishments outside the industry, Parton was first and foremost a musician of exceptional caliber.
She’s composed more than 5,000 songs (including one you can’t hear until 2045), received nearly 200 industry awards and sold more than 100 million records around the world. How Dolly Lived a Life of Music Humor and Generosity – Search Videos
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
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