Legendary music icon, Dolly Parton dies. Here are some things to remember about her

Dolly Parton, the legendary country music icon, singer-songwriter, actress, and philanthropist, passed away at the age of 80 on August 25, 2026.

1. Dolly Parton is best known for her decades-spanning music career, but her work as an actor – including in her breakout role in 1980 comedy 9 to 5 – also made a lasting impression on audiences.

2. She also became widely recognised for her literacy advocacy work, posed for Playboy magazine and opened her own theme park, Dollywood, in Tennessee in 1986.

3. Dolly Parton was an award-winning country artiste, businesswoman, philanthropist, and actor.

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4. She had a wig collection and never went on any of the rides at her theme park, Dollywood.

5. Her hit songs “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene” were inspired by real people.

6. The Queen of Country broke musical records, released hit songs, acted in movies and on TV shows, and helmed a range of projects from theme parks and travel stops to libraries and dinner shows.

7. Although you may be familiar with her iconic looks and be able to sing the words to her hit “9 to 5,” there are a few things you may not know about the musical legend and her work.

8. Dollywood, which opened in 1961, is a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, fashioned after Parton’s childhood fantasies. It boasts an array of roller-coasters and water rides, but Parton has never experienced them herself.

9. “I Will Always Love You,” later popularized by Whitney Houston, is an iconic song in music history. But contrary to popular belief, the lyrics center on the end of a professional relationship, rather than a romantic one.

10. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Parton appeared with her mentor Porter Wagoner on his eponymous TV show.

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