Dolly Parton, the singer, songwriter and philanthropist known as the "Queen of Country," died Aug. 25 at 80.
"After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones," her representatives said in a statement. She died in Nashville.
Her nephew Bryan Seaver, who worked as her head of security, announced her death in a prerecorded video posted to her social media accounts.
"This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality," Seaver said.
Parton was born Jan. 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tenn., the fourth of 12 children. She began performing at 10 on a television variety show in Knoxville, Tenn., and made her Grand Ole Opry debut in 1959, at 13.
What followed was a career that made her one of the most recognizable figures in American music. She recorded "Jolene," "I Will Always Love You" and "9 to 5," and won 11 Grammy Awards, along with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 2011.
Moss Soukup, a senior studying music technology at IU Indianapolis, said hearing about Parton's death felt like losing someone who brought positivity and change into the world.
"I was so sad," Soukup said. "I was like, 'Oh my God, she's such a light in the world,' and it's just depressing."
Parton built influence through more than performing. She acted, produced, wrote books and gave away much of what she earned, and she became closely associated with Dollywood and other attractions in Tennessee.
Soukup recalled visiting Dollywood during an orchestra trip and learning more about Parton's career and influence.
"It was really cool to see her history and to see how much she had supported music, culture, women in music," Soukup said.
One of her largest philanthropic efforts was Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which she launched in 1995. Inspired by her father's inability to read and write, the program began by providing books to children in her home county in Tennessee. It eventually expanded internationally, mailing free books each month to children from birth to age 5.
Indiana began a statewide expansion of the program on Sept. 1, 2023, backed by $6 million in the state budget that covered half the cost, with local partners covering the rest. At the time, the Imagination Library operated in a little more than half of Indiana's 92 counties.
Lawmakers cut the funding from the 2025-27 state budget. The program continued on private donations raised by Indiana First Lady Maureen Braun, and on April 2, 2026 — less than five months ago — it became available in all 92 counties for the first time. As recently as August 2024, only two ZIP codes in Marion County had coverage.
Soukup said efforts like the Imagination Library are why Parton remained culturally relevant to people born decades after she became famous.
"I think her influence extends into a lot of humanitarian work as well," Soukup said. "Supporting women, supporting literacy and education in general. So definitely not just country music."
Parton was also known for being unapologetically herself. The blonde hair, the rhinestone-covered outfits and the outspoken personality made her image unmistakable.
Soukup compared her persona to Elton John's and Lady Gaga's, saying their authenticity and substantive work explain why all three continue to reach younger audiences.
Even after Parton's death, Soukup said, her influence will continue through the musicians she inspired.
"It's more like a tradition," Soukup said.
"My desire to pursue my dreams has always been greater than my fear of not accomplishing them," Parton wrote in her 2012 book, "Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You."
Devin Bates (they/he) is a journalism major at IU Indianapolis with an interest in writing and the arts. In their free time they can be found working on their project cars or writing, but he also enjoys crafts like cosplay and listening to music or gaming.
Zeid Alsalloum is a freshman at IU Indianapolis majoring in nursing and pursuing a certificate in journalism. He serves as the culture editor for The Campus Citizen where he hopes to highlight voices and stories that often go unheard. Outside of journalism, Zeid loves to make food, try new things and be with the people he loves.
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