Her mother stored it preciously in a shoebox.
Dolly Parton was around six when she wrote her first song: “Little Tiny Tasseltop,” an ode to her corncob doll with corn-silk hair.
The irrepressible country music singer, songwriter and actress whose charisma, heartfelt lyrics and business acumen captured the public’s imagination for nearly six decades died on Tuesday (August 25, 2026) aged 80, her family said in a statement. After graduating from high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue a music career and began a famous partnership with country music singer Porter Wagoner, which would include a years-long stint on his TV show and 14 top-ten duets. Parton received her first Grammy Award in 1978 for her song “Here You Come Again. In 1988, she won the People’s Choice Award for favorite all-around female entertainer.
Her music gained a following not only among the public but also among fellow singers who widely covered her songs — perhaps most famously Whitney Houston’s rendition of “I Will Always Love You. Some of Parton’s most beloved covers and duets were with her goddaughter, American pop star Miley Cyrus, and Cyrus’ father, country music star Billy Ray Cyrus.
“I loved that little doll,” Parton wrote decades later. “I expressed myself and my feelings through writing — I’m sure what I was thinking was, ‘Well, Tasseltop has to have a song about her.’” Parton never stopped making music after that. She penned her hit song “I Will Always Love You” as a farewell to Wagoner when she decided to pursue a solo career. Parton made her movie debut in the 1980s in “9 to 5,” starring alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, with the title tune earning Parton an Oscar nomination for songwriting. She got another Oscar songwriting nomination in 2006 for “Travelin’ Thru,” written for the film “Transamerica.
“She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history. But Parton and her husband, Carl Dean, never had children of their own. She won 11 Grammy awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. Country music icon said ‘it wasn’t meant to be’ Country music legend Dolly Parton died at 80, leaving behind a huge family, millions of fans and a lasting legacy. Earlier reporting noted: Parton was married to her husband, Carl Dean, from 1966 until his death in 2025, but the couple never had children. Speaking to Oprah Winfrey on a 2020 episode of Apple TV+’s The Oprah Conversation, Parton said not being a mother gave her the independence her career needed, as per People.
No cause of death was disclosed, but Parton’s publicist said she died peacefully in Nashville. People magazine reported the star fought a “brief battle with cancer,” citing her representatives. Days earlier, Parton told the magazine she was dealing with unspecified health issues but planned to keep working. “By her example, we believed anything was possible,” her nephew, Bryan Seaver, said in a video message. With classic songs including “Coat of Many Colours,” “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” Parton became one of the best-selling female artists of all time, with over 100 million records sold. She said she believed it was part of God’s plan and that not having children gave her the freedom to build her career and help other children through her philanthropy.
Earlier reporting noted: Why did Dolly Parton never have kids with husband Carl Dean? Earlier reporting noted: Parton often spoke openly about why she did not become a mother.
