Dolly Parton's Cause of Death Confirmed: Cancer, Team Says
Country music icon Dolly Parton died on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at age 80. Her family confirmed the news that day, and her team, "Team Dolly," later released a statement giving the cause of death: after a brief battle with cancer, she passed away at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, surrounded by family and friends. The statement was obtained by Billboard and reported by NME.
What the statement said
Team Dolly's statement said Parton spent her life and career bringing laughter, hope, and integrity to everything she touched. It specifically cited her philanthropy: hundreds of millions of children's books donated through her Imagination Library, and funding that supported research contributing to a vaccine used worldwide.
Her family's statement summed up her legacy as one of "love, compassion, and resilience," saying her seven-decade career inspired generations of artists and fans.
Her health in the months before her death
Parton had spoken publicly about her health several times in recent months. In her most recent update last week, she said she was dealing with some health issues she had "put on the back burner" while caring for her husband of 58 years, Carl Dean, who died last year. She added at the time that she was still recovering, but hadn't stopped working.
In March, she gave a keynote address at Dollywood — her first public appearance in months. She described feeling "worn down" from grieving Carl and other pressures, saying she needed time to rebuild herself spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
Tributes from the music world, and a 2014 Glastonbury memory
Following the news, tributes poured in from Elton John, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Mick Jagger, Debbie Harry, Eminem, and Parton's goddaughter Miley Cyrus, among others.
Glastonbury organizer Emily Eavis looked back on Parton's legendary 2014 Legends Slot performance, recalling a packed, sun-drenched crowd as Parton took the Pyramid Stage and "reigned supreme" — a moment Eavis called pure magic. During that set, Parton introduced her 1971 country classic "Coat Of Many Colors," a song about a coat her mother sewed for her by hand.