Dolly Parton Through the Years: Revisit the Country Legend’s Life in Photos After Her Death

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Dolly Parton Through the Years: Revisit the Country Legend's Life in Photos After Her Death

Dolly Parton started out as an aspiring singer from East Tennessee, and after decades of hard work, she became a beloved country icon. During her nearly six-decade career, Parton put a smile on her fans’ faces and was regarded as one of the best in the country music business. She wowed with hits like “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” while giving back to the communities that raised her through various charities. Parton also made a splash on the big screen, with 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias among her most memorable movies. One year after the death of her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, in March 2025, Parton’s rep confirmed in August 2026 that the musician had died at the age of 80. Her legacy, however, will live on in the hearts of those who loved her. Scroll down to relive Parton’s greatest moments throughout her career:

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1956-1964

While growing up in Tennessee, Parton sang on a local radio station and TV programs before appearing on The Cas Walker Show at the age of 10, which aired on WIVK Radio and WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee.

When she was 13, Parton recorded her first single, “Puppy Love,” on the Louisiana label Goldband Records. She also appeared at the Grand Ole Opry, where she met Johnny Cash.

Credit: Courtesy of Dolly Parton/Instagram

May 1966

After moving to Nashville in 1964 following her high school graduation, Parton met Dean, her eventual husband. The pair tied the knot in May 1966 and were married for nearly 59 years before his death in 2025.

Credit: Monument Records

September 1967

Parton’s first solo album, Hello, I'm Dolly, was released in September 1967. That same year, she was offered a regular spot on Porter Wagoner’s The Porter Wagoner Show. (Parton was part of the show for seven years.)

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October 1973

The singer’s hit song “Jolene” was released a few months before her record by the same name came out in February 1974. The song was nominated for Best Female Country Vocal Performance twice at the Grammys: in 1975 for the original version and in 1976 for the live recording.

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March 1974

Parton released “I Will Always Love You” after her professional split from Wagoner, and the song quickly went to No. 1 on the country chart. Whitney Houston released her now-iconic cover of the song in November 1992, which made the track even more famous.

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September 1977

The country star dropped her hit song “Here You Come Again” in September 1977, one month before her album by the same name was released. The following year, Parton won a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for the record.

A highly publicized and candid 1977 interview with Barbara Walters, timed to coincide with Here You Come Again's release, was followed by appearances on Cher's ABC television special in 1978.

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February 1979

Amid her continued popularity in the late 1970s, Parton teamed up with Carol Burnett to host a CBS special titled Dolly & Carol in Nashville, which aired on Valentine’s Day. The duo filmed the TV special at the Grand Ole Opry House.

Credit: 20th Century Fox Film Corp./Courtesy Everett Collection

December 1980

Parton made her big screen debut in 9 to 5 alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. She wrote the theme song by the same name and released an album inspired by the film, 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs, that same year. “9 to 5” was nominated for an Academy Award — Parton’s first — in 1981.

Years later, Parton wrote the score for 9 to 5: The Musical, a stage adaptation of the movie, which opened in Los Angeles in 2008.

Credit: Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

July 1982

Parton continued to make a splash in Hollywood while starring alongside Burt Reynolds in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

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August 1983

Kenny Rogers began his lifelong friendship with Parton after they recorded their 1983 duet, “Islands in the Stream.” The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

Parton and Rogers later reunited for the 1985 hit “Real Love.” The pair were often shipped by fans but revealed in 2013 that they “didn’t have time” to spark a romance.

“When they asked if we weren’t tempted to get together on a more intimate level. I said we may have been tempted but we didn’t want to ruin a good friendship,” Rogers told People at the time, recalling his past remarks about why he never dated Parton. ”I think it would have.”

Parton noted that a relationship “usually does” ruin a friendship, adding, “We never did go there. There was always so much other stuff going for us. So much love and friendship, we were so compatible.”

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June 1984

Parton acted alongside Sylvester Stallone in Rhinestone, a story about a country star who tries to turn a New York cab driver into a singer in order to win a bet.

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May 1986

The singer’s Dollywood theme park opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains. It was owned jointly by the attractions company Herschend and Parton’s own entertainment company, Dolly Parton Productions.

Credit: TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

November 1989

Parton played hairstylist Truvy Jones in Steel Magnolias, which became one of her most iconic film roles. The Oscar-nominated movie also starred Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Sally Field, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts.

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1995

Under her Dollywood Foundation umbrella, Parton launched the Imagination Library as a way to distribute books to children in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she grew up. The nonprofit has since grown, and by 2003, the organization had mailed one million books to children around the world.

Credit: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

September 1999

Parton was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. That same year, the singer released her 36th studio album, titled Precious Memories, and her 37th record, The Grass Is Blue.

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April 2006

The Grammy winner published her first cookbook, Dolly's Dixie Fixin's: Love, Laughter and Lots of Good Food. (She released her second cookbook, Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals — A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food, in 2024.)

Also in 2006, Parton made her first cameo on Hannah Montana, playing Miley Cyrus’ character’s Aunt Dolly.

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January 2012

Parton starred alongside Queen Latifah in Joyful Noise.

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December 2015

Inspired by her life story, Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors premiered on NBC.

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November 2016

Parton was honored with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the CMA Awards.

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September 2017

The artist teamed up with goddaughter Cyrus on her album Younger Now. Parton was featured on the track “Rainbowland.”

Credit: Curtis Hilbun/Hallmark Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection

December 2019

Christmas at Dollywood premiered on Hallmark Channel as part of its “Countdown to Christmas” programming. The movie was filmed at Dollywood and Parton made an appearance. That same year, her movie Dolly Parton's Heartstrings began streaming on Netflix.

Credit: Vijat Mohindra/NBC

November 2022

Parton was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The following month, she cohosted Miley's New Year's Eve Party on NBC.

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November 2023

Her first rock album, Rockstar, was released, marking her 49th and final studio album. It debuted at the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200, becoming Parton’s highest-charting studio album, and also topped the Country and Rock Albums charts.

Later that month, Parton made headlines when she performed during the halftime show for the Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys game wearing the iconic Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders uniform.

Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

March 2025

The musician announced that her husband died at the age of 82.

“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” she wrote in an Instagram statement. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”

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October 2025

Parton announced that she would be opening her new SongTeller Hotel in downtown Nashville in partnership with Herschend. Two months later, Parton postponed her Las Vegas residency amid health issues.

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May 2026

The music icon announced that Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop would open in June 2026. Parton later confirmed that her Las Vegas residency had been canceled as she continued to battle health problems.

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August 2026

News broke that Parton died at the age of 80. Multiple outlets reported that the musician was admitted to the hospital with kidney and autoimmune issues before her death. (Us reached out for comment.)

“Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place,” her rep said in a statement announcing Parton’s death. “Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.”