Dolly Parton died aged 80 “after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer”, her family has announced.
The country icon’s loved ones raced to be by her side at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Centre in her final moments, after her health took an unexpected turn before her death at age 80. The type of cancer she had has not been disclosed.
Millions are in mourning over the loss of an icon, one whose songwriting legacy will live on long after she’s gone – and she made sure of that with a final farewell to her fans which won’t be unveiled for another 19 years.
Prior to her death on August 25, Parton penned a song called ‘My Place In History’ that she stored in a time capsule held at her Dollywood theme park in Tennessee.
It will be opened in 2045 for the world to hear on what would have been her 99th birthday.
“I won’t be around to hear it,” she said on The Tonight Show in 2022.
“I’ll be dead and gone… well I might not be, ’cause I’ll be 99. You know me, I might still be hoppin’ around.”
Parton was surrounded by her family when she passed.
In a statement, they said: “Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched.
“Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.
“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.
“After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Centre surrounded by loved ones.”
The country singer’s death was announced hours earlier in a social media video by her nephew, with new details revealing that her passing came after a sudden decline in her health.
According to several US outlet, her family rushed to Nashville to be with her before she died on Tuesday (US time), although some didn’t make it in time.
They reportedly raced to town to be with the Jolene singer after she was hospitalised. The sudden turn in her health was unexpected, and her death has come as a shock to her loved ones.
Parton was hospitalised at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville last Friday with kidney and autoimmune issues.
In a secondary statement, the family revealed that “at Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family”.
They requested anyone thinking of sending flowers, to instead donate to Parton’s Imagination Library, which gifts about 3 million books to kids worldwide each month.
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