Country Music Icon Dolly Parton Dies Days After Announcing Plans for Museum Opening in Nashville
The iconic star, who was preparing to open the SongTeller Hotel and The Life of Many Colors Museum, has died at age 80
Country superstar Dolly Parton has died at age 80, her family announced on Tuesday. In a moving video posted to Instagram, Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, said that his aunt had approached him years ago and asked him to make the video on her behalf. “She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history,” he continued.
The tragic news of her passing comes just days after she announced plans for the opening of the SongTeller Hotel in downtown Nashville, which will also house The Life of Many Colors Museum, celebrating the life, legacy, and story behind the singer-songwriter’s incredible life. The hotel is set to begin taking reservations on September 14, with the museum to open its doors in October.
“I am so proud of this,” Parton had previously told People, of the museum. “We found this location early one morning. I knew I wanted to do something special in Nashville, and until I saw this building, nothing ever hit me as the right thing to do. I saw a copy of my book Songteller in the lobby of what once was this office building. After touring it and seeing the location, I knew this was it. I wanted to join all my Nashville friends downtown, but I just didn’t want it to be another bar. So we found a way to bring in my museum on third floor and make it really special.”
While Parton had alluded to recent health troubles, the news of her death came as a shock to many. The Dollywood creator and philanthropist has influenced far more than the music world. In her book Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, she reflected on her unlikely friendship with Andy Warhol, whom she met in New York at Studio 54. She later commissioned Warhol to create a portrait of her in 1985 as a gift for her manager. The Polaroids are now iconic.
In 2019, Parton released an art collection of her own with the Grand Ole Opry and Kirkland called “Dolly Parton: From the HeART.” The wall collection was inspired by eight of her songs, interpreted by artist David Diskin. A portion of the sales went to the Opry Trust Fund.
Parton was married to her late husband Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82, since 1966. While he notably stayed out of the spotlight, Parton was seemingly everywhere. “It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” she told People. “But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago. I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Serious, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’.”
She last appeared on her Instagram on August 12, where she shared more details about her upcoming museum opening. “It’s the biggest exhibit of yours truly, that the world has ever seen,” she said.
Parton and her husband did not have children, but she is survived by numerous family members, nieces, and nephews, as well as her goddaughter, pop star Miley Cyrus.