Dolly Parton’s Family Shares Statement After Her Death: ‘The Doors She Opened Made And Changed History’
The icon died on Aug. 25 at age 80.
Dolly Parton
Country music legend Dolly Parton was known for her timeless songs such as “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene,” her unmistakable singing voice, her charismatic and charming personality, her glitzy style and her always-giving heart. Just as undeniable was her strong relationship and dedication to her family.
It was a member of Parton’s family, her nephew and longtime head of security Bryan Seaver, who made the announcement that Parton had died on Aug. 25, 2026, at age 80. Seaver, representing the Owens and Parton families, announced the passing of country music icon Dolly Parton in a social media video.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” Seaver said in the video. “As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment, but haven’t truly felt it until now. It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.”
Seaver recalled, “I first went on the road with Dolly as a kid, getting a taste of the road life in the early 1980s. Dolly opened doors, not just for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible. Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent. By her example, we believed that anything was possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open and the doors she opened made and changed history. My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you. She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD, and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family whether you liked it or not.
“Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever. Dolly was a farmer, just like her Daddy. He farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest. Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly. Aunt Granny. Gigi. May God Bless Dolly Parton and may God Bless you all. She will always love you.”
Parton’s passing comes 17 months after the death of her husband Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82. In 2024, Parton released the album Smoky Mountain DNA: Faith, Family and Fables, which featured Parton performing with members of her extended family, spanning five generations of musicians. The project rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart.
Parton is preceded in death by her husband Carl Dean, as well as Parton’s mother Avie Lee Caroline Owens (1923-2003), her father Robert Lee Parton, Sr. (1921-2000) and her brother Coy “Denver” Parton (1943-2026).
In a release regarding the country superstar’s passing, it was noted that Parton’s life will be celebrated in a small, private service for immediate family. The family also asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which has long served to provide children up to age five with free books.
