Tributes are pouring in for Dolly Parton, whose music, philanthropy and commitment to bringing people together earned her a special place with many Black Americans.
The singer and actress died peacefully in Nashville on Tuesday, Aug. 25, after a string of recent health problems, her family shared. She was 80.
Parton’s nephew announced her passing in a video posted to her social media accounts. No cause of death was released.
“My name is Brian Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean,” he said.
Seaver revealed Parton asked him years ago to make the announcement when the time came. He served as her head of security for more than two decades.
“It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness,” Seaver continued. “But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.”
He added that Parton was now “in the arms of Jesus” and had been reunited with her husband, Carl Dean, who died in 2025, along with her parents and other family members.
As news of her death spread, Black entertainers and political leaders remembered Parton as a rare talent whose generosity crossed racial and political lines.
“This girl from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee dreamed a life and then lived a life bigger than she could have ever imagined,” Oprah Winfrey wrote on Instagram. “No one like her. She brought the light, and we are all better because she was here. God bless you, Dolly—you earned your wings.”
Octavia Spencer praised Parton’s generosity in a tribute on Instagram.
“Dolly you were a gift to the world,” the Oscar-winning actress shared. “Your voice, your philanthropic heart, and warmth made us all feel seen.”
Flavor Flav remembered Parton and called her one of the greatest “American icons.”
“RIP to Dolly Parton,” he posted on X. “She championed children, education, kindness and the overall goodness of the human race. Condolences to her family, friends, team and fans.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris highlighted Parton’s career, along with the millions of books she distributed to children through her Imagination Library.
“All at once she was kind, modest, and funny. With her music, her philanthropy, and her style, Dolly was one of one,” Harris wrote on X. “Doug and I send our prayers to her family, friends, and all those who have been touched by her magic. We will always love you, Dolly.”
Parton’s connection to the Black community made headlines after Whitney Houston recorded a cover of the country star’s single “I Will Always Love You.”
Parton wrote and originally performed the ballad, but Houston turned it into a global hit for the 1992 film The Bodyguard.
Years later, the country star revealed she used some of the royalties from Houston’s cover to invest in an office complex in a predominantly Black section of Nashville, NPR reported in 2021.
Her ties to Black artists extended beyond Houston. She co-starred with Queen Latifah and Keke Palmer in the 2012 movie musical Joyful Noise and wrote several songs for the film.
During an appearance with Latifah on BET’s 106 & Park, Parton said she was thrilled to work with the rapper and actress.
“When this film came to us … I said, ‘I’m in for certain now,'” Parton shared on the BET show.
On Tuesday, Queen Latifah shared several pictures of Parton on her Instagram stories, while Palmer wrote on the platform: “I’m devastated. Truly.”
More recently, the singer collaborated with Beyoncé on the 2024 album Cowboy Carter. Parton appeared on the interlude “Dolly P,” which introduced Beyoncé’s reimagining of “Jolene.”
Parton spoke out after the 2020 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer and voiced support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen,” she said in a Billboard cover story. “And of course Black lives matter.”
Born Dolly Rebecca Parton on Jan. 19, 1946, in East Tennessee, she was the fourth of 12 children. Her father was a sharecropper who worked multiple jobs to support his family and could not read or write.
Parton often credited her mother’s storytelling and her father’s work ethic with shaping her life. Over her career, the singer sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Her hits included “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” and “I Will Always Love You.”
She also found success in Hollywood, starring in the films 9 to 5, Steel Magnolias and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Parton received 11 Grammy Awards, an Emmy, an Honorary Oscar, and was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Yet her ability to connect with people from different backgrounds was one of her greatest achievements.
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