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Dolly Parton, country music icon, dies at 80

NBC News · back to the audit

Dolly Parton, who rose from a loving if impoverished upbringing in the mountains of East Tennessee to become the "Queen of Country" music, a Hollywood star and a beloved American icon, has died, her family announced Tuesday. She was 80. Her team confirmed the death and said the star had faced a brief battle with cancer and died Tuesday surrounded by her loved ones. Parton's nephew, Brian Seaver, announced the news in a video posted on her Instagram. President Donald Trump ordered U.S. flags lowered to half-staff nationwide for one week while a constellation of the entertainment world's biggest stars weighed in with condolences. During her more than 60-year career, Parton sold over 100 million records and won 11 Grammy Awards, making her one of the bestselling musical performers of all time. Never shy at expressing her Christian faith, Parton was also a public supporter of the LGBTQ community who advocated for marriage equality and spoke up in defense of transgender people. While she generally dodged commenting on partisan politics, Parton was hailed in 2020 for helping to fund research at Vanderbilt University that led to the development of Moderna's Covid vaccine.