Parton was one of the most influential songwriters to hit Nashville — or the world.
Dolly Parton dead at 80 after ‘bravely facing a brief battle with cancer’. Musicians, actors and politicians are paying tribute to the icon, as flags across the nation are lowered to half-staff in her honor.
Dolly Parton, the extraordinarily versatile singer and songwriter who built up her artistic credibility and commercial fortunes in both country and pop music over more than half a century, died in Nashville on Tuesday (Aug. 25) at the age of 80. (Billboard Repors).
“At Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family,” read a press release announcing the awful news. “Dolly’s fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com. In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com.” Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, shared a message on Instagram after her passing.
She was famous for her wall of self-conscious artifice — she modeled her done-to-the-nines appearance on a prostitute in her hometown, and she always had a self-teasing quip at the ready. But she was also a magnificent singer, with an aching soprano trill that never left her, and a virtuosic songwriter whose work was adopted by artists from Whitney Houston (“I Will Always Love You”) to the White Stripes (“Jolene”).
