The entertainment world is mourning the loss of Dolly Parton, one of the most influential and beloved figures in country music history. The legendary singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist has died at 80, according to reports. Throughout her extraordinary career, Parton became known not only for her unmistakable voice and songwriting but also for her generosity, business ventures and ability to connect with generations of fans.
via Yahoo! Entertainment:
Dolly Parton, the singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist who became one of America’s most beloved entertainers, died on Tuesday in Nashville, her family said. She was 80 years old.
Her publicist, Marcel Pariseau, said that the country music icon had been “bravely facing a brief battle with cancer,” and that she was “surrounded by loved ones” while receiving medical care at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
Parton wrote hundreds of songs over a 60-year career, including two of the most recognized songs of the 20th Century, “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.”
She was renowned for her self-deprecating wit, down-to-earth authenticity and extensive philanthropy, most notably the Imagination Library, the literacy project she set up in 1995 that has gifted more than 300 million books to young children around the world.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched,” Pariseau’s statement said, reported by People. “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.”
In a video statement shared to Instagram on Tuesday, Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver — the son of Cassie Parton and Parton’s head of security for more than two decades — shared the news that Parton had died. He said the video announcement was something that his aunt asked him to do “years ago.”
“It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light, and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens,” he said.
