Dolly Parton dies after ‘brief battle with cancer,’ her team confirms as funeral details revealed

Dolly Parton dies after ‘brief battle with cancer,’ her team confirms as funeral details revealed The music world is united in grief after it was announced that Dolly Parton - widely regarded as one of the greatest singer-songwriters in country music - has died. Dolly Parton died after being diagnosed with cancer, her team has confirmed. Tributes are tonight being paid to Dolly Parton, who has died at the age of 80. The death of the singer, behind hits including Jolene and I Will Always Love You, was revealed by her nephew, Bryan Seaver. Appearing in a video he said: "Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent. By her example, we believed that anything was possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history." Dolly's team said tonight that at her request "a small, private service will be held for immediate family" and that fans could make donations to her charitable Imagination Library in her memory. President Donald Trump has ordered flags to be lowered across the US in her memory saying: "There has never been anyone like her, and never will." Key Events Dolly Parton had one request of her theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee - when she died, they were to stay open. Dollywood has confirmed, following the announcement of her death, that they won't be closing their doors anytime soon, saying "the show must go on". A representative for the theme park has released a statement expressing all the employees deep sorrow at losing Dolly and their commitment to continuing her legacy as she wanted them to. In the near future, they will hold an official memorial for her, but for now, they are staying open. Many of Dolly Parton's songs reveal details of her life, whether that's through the lyrics themselves or the hidden true story behind them. Coat of Many Colours (1971) Dolly's single 'Coat of Many Colours' is an autobiographical song, about how her mother had made her a coat out of rags when she was younger. In the lyrics, Dolly recounted how her family struggled to afford clothes and her mother's ingenuity with a needle and thread left her daughter at the mercy of classmates' ridicule. She sang: “I know we had no money, but I was rich as I could be, in my coat of many colors my mama made for me.” My Tennessee Mountain Home (1973) Dolly really did grow up in a Tennessee Mountain Home. She spent her childhood in a two-room log cabin in Locust Ridge, with her parents and all her siblings. Though they didn't have electricity or running water, the lyrics point towards everything Dolly loved about her childhood home, including: "Sittin' on the front porch on a summer afternoon, in a straight back chair on two legs leaned against the wall, as I watch the kids a-playin' with their June bugs on a string and chase the glowin' fireflies when evenin' shadows fall." Jolene (1973) Jolene was a red-headed bank clerk who had flirted with Dolly's husband, Carl Dean, early in their marriage. Though Carl was deeply devoted to Dolly, she had feared losing him to the glamourous clerk and penned the song to get through her jealousy. I Will Always Love You (1974) Dolly's career kicked off when she formed a partnership with Porter Wagoner. But there came a point where she felt the need to move on and the only way she could explain it was through song. Thus, I Will Always Love You was born. The song, which is one of the most loved break-up tracks ever, was origianlly written to tell Porter that though Dolly would always love him, their time together was over. Strictly's Amber Davies, whose first West End role was as Judy Bernly in 9 To 5: The Musical, has shared a post in honour of Dolly Parton. The musical theatre star shared pictures she took with Dolly backstage after one of the performances of 9 To 5 and wrote in the caption: "Dolly, you gave me my first YES. One of the very first to believe in me. This will always be a highlight of my lifetime. The world will not be the same without you. From the entire world, Thank you." Amber starred in 9 To 5 in 2019. Her journey to become a West End star was documented in Amber & Dolly: 9 to 5. Piano Man Billy Joel has shared a tribute to Dolly Parton, posting pictures of him and his family on their trip to Dollywood: "Today we have lost a legend. "Dolly Parton has transcended time and become one of those iconic artists who is known for just being Dolly, beyond a specific song or moment in time. I was one of the lucky ones whose music she covered. "Our family visited Dollywood last year. Our children looked up to her and knew her music. The love for Dolly spanned generations. Her work in acknowledging endometriosis before most people knew what it was, and her philanthropic efforts have been inspirational to our family and our foundation. "We will miss her and her presence on this earth, but we will reap all the rewards of her life dedicated to making it a better place. Love, The Joel Family" To celebrate the life of Dolly Parton, the Empire State Building lit up pink last night. Taking to Instagram, the official page for the landmark said: "Tonight, the Empire State Building tower lights will turn to a pink sparkle at 9:25 to honor the late Dolly Parton. Dolly was a global cultural icon whose seven-decade career reached generations of fans. Beyond entertainment, Dolly leaves a significant philanthropic legacy through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, which has provided hundreds of millions of books to children worldwide. At Nine-Two-Five tonight, we celebrate Dolly and her legacy." The team at Good Morning Britain shared old interviews with Dolly, including one where she shared how she wanted to be remembered. "I think I'd just like to be remembered as a good person, who tried to do good things," she said. Tearing up, Richard Madeley shared his own favourite anecdote of meeting Dolly. He said he remarked that her feet were really small and she giggled and said "nothing grows in the shade, honey". Richard Arnold added that Dolly could have been the first billionaire in the world had she not given so much money away. After receiving her Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, Dolly Parton said: "I just give from my heart. I never know what I'm going to do or why I'm gonna do it. I just see a need and if I can fill it, then I will." Speaking about her Imagination Library initiative, which sends a free book every month to children under five if their parents request them, she added: "This actually started because my father could not read and write and I saw how crippling that could be. "My dad was a very smart man. And I often wondered what he could have done had he been able to read and write. So that's the inspiration." Anne Hathaway has shared a tribute to Dolly Parton. The actress shared a video of Dolly, talking about she "works hard to be happy", along with plenty of pictures. In the caption, she wrote: "Dolly. Aw heck… Heaven just got one of its own back. "Alright my loves, I know this is hard but just think: she left us so much to work with. She shared with us so many melodies, so many lyrics, so many stories, so many jokes, so much laughter, so many iconic performances but most of all, so many shining examples of how to be a treasure of humanity. She more than deserves her rest, and now it’s up to us to do our best follow in her brilliant, adorable, one-of-a-kind, bedazzled footsteps so that we still feel that magic in our world. "Dolly, you have always been one of my angels. I will always love you xx" Following the tragic death of Dolly Parton's husband Carl Dean, The Mirror's Associate Editor (Showbiz) Tom Bryant reflected on the marriage of 60 years. Recalling his numerous interviews with the country legend, our man shares his vivid memories in a poignant first-person piece for The Mirror... "I remember meeting her at 6am on a bitterly cold, pitch-black Nashville morning at her manager’s office a few years ago because she was such an early riser. I wrote at the time how she swept into the room like a wisecracking whirlwind of big hair, thick make-up and a laugh that should have come with a health warning. "'Where's my Tom?' she hollered, before giving me a bear-hug and kicking off her stilletos. You can see why men fell for her. I was certainly smitten." Taylor Swift has become the latest artist to pay tribute to Dolly Parton. In a statement to People, the pop singger said: "A world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real, or right. But because of the eternally generous way she spent her time on this earth and the countless lives she changed for the better, her legacy will be an everlasting one." “Dolly gave us someone to look up to while encouraging us to be who we are as individuals. She managed to give the world the ultimate mystery and fantasy in some corners of her life, but to give full transparency in the ways that counted. Somehow she was true grace and true grit, all in one dazzling person. She possessed the softest heart when it came to the struggles of others, and a backbone of steel to defend her own self worth as an artist." Taylor added: "Along with her other fans, I am so grateful for all of it. For the melodies and lyrics she wrote that thawed even the coldest hearts. For the millions of books she provided children all over the world so that they might fall in love with stories the way she did. For the tightropes she walked so that young girls like me could grow up dreaming of joining the circus too. Dolly, I’ll think of you each step of the way." Dolly Parton brought her star quality to both the stage and silver screen, sharing the spotlight with Hollywood stars including Jane Fonda, Burt Reynolds and Queen Latifah. Tributes have been pouring in from fans, artists across the music industry and actors and directors who have previously worked with Dolly on set. Here we take a look at Dolly Parton's most iconic film and TV roles from 9 to 5 to Hannah Montana... Read the full story here. Singer Beyonce has described Dolly Parton as the "barometer" and the "north star" for the music industry. In a statement on her website, Beyonce says she is grateful for Dolly's "art, heart, generosity, humour and entrepreneurship", adding that she was "honoured" to work with the country icon. The two worked on Beyonce's Cowboy Carter album, where they recorded a reworked cover of Jolene. It also featured two cameos from Parton. Beyonce concluded her tribute by calling Dolly an "angel who has made this world a happier place because of your joyful art" and "truly one of one". Karla Tracey, who plays Parton’s character Doralee, broke the news to the audience at the Pavilion Theatre in Worthing, West Sussex before paying tribute to the singer. “Tonight, we will perform the piece as she intended with great respect and affection for the woman whose vision brought it to life,” Tracey said. “As we begin, we dedicate tonight’s performance to Dolly Parton, with our deepest thanks for the music, laughter and joy she gave us.” Paul Jepson, Landmark Theatres chief executive and the musical’s director, said: “We would like to take a moment to remember the remarkable Dolly Parton. “Our thoughts are with Dolly’s family, friends and all those around the world who loved and admired her. “It has been an honour for all of us to work on this show, originally written and produced by Dolly, whose extraordinary talent, creativity and spirit are woven into every part.” The country music legend grew up as one of 12 children of Robert Lee (who went by Lee) and Avie Lee Parton in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Over the years, Dolly found ways to pay tribute to her parents, Lee and Avie Lee, who died in 2000 and 2003, respectively. In fact, Lee inspired Dolly’s nonprofit Imagination Library, which has given more than 200 million books to children all over the world. Read the full story here. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, the international book gifting program for children from birth to age five, has shared a touching tribute following Dolly's death. Dolly Parton's legacy extends far beyond music and entertainment. When the Coronavirus pandemic swept around the world in 2020, she created the Dolly Parton Covid-19 Research Fund at Vanderbilt University, in her home state of Tennessee, which provided seed money for research that led to the Moderna vaccine against the disease. Read the full story here.