Legendary Singer Dolly Parton Dies At 80

Iconic singer Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, her family announced on Tuesday.

Parton's decades-long career and string of hits, as well as her philanthropic activity, turned her into a staple of American culture. Overall, she released almost 50 studio albums and sold more than 100 million records. She also won 10 Grammys and earned 55 nominations and was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Parton was born in Tennessee in 1946. She was the fourth of 12 children and has described her upbringing as "dirt poor."

"Well, what they call 'white trash,' I don't like anybody else calling me that, but to be called a hillbilly, I always take pride in that," she also told CBS News in 2016.

Parton began her ascent at the age of 20 after being given a spot on country singer Porter Wagon's variety show. Her first hit came four years later with the song "Joshua." However, the song "Jolene" would launch her to stardom three years later.

"I remember this little redheaded girl with green eyes, prettiest little thing, and I said, 'Well, what's your name?' And she said, 'Jolene.' I said, 'I love that name.' All the way back to the bus I was [singing], 'Jolene, Jolene, Jolene,' so I wouldn't forget the name," Parton said in a 2019 interview.

Parton also became an actress, hosted a TV variety show and created the Dollywood theme part in Tennessee.

As for her philanthropy, she donated $1 million to vaccine research during the Covid-19 pandemic. She also conducted a literacy program for preschool children in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland, and provided scholarships for Tennessee high school students.