25 AUG 2026.
Dolly Parton, the legendary singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist who rose from poverty in rural Tennessee to become one of America’s most beloved entertainers, has died at 80. Her death was announced Tuesday, August 25, 2026. (Reuters)
Born January 19, 1946, in Sevier County, Tennessee, Parton was one of 12 children raised in a poor Appalachian family. Music became her escape and her calling. She sang in church, performed on local television as a child and moved to Nashville immediately after graduating from high school in 1964.
Her breakthrough came through her partnership with Porter Wagoner, but Parton soon established herself as a formidable solo artist and songwriter. Her extraordinary catalogue included “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” later turned into a worldwide phenomenon by Whitney Houston. Parton wrote thousands of songs and sold more than 100 million records. (Reuters)
She successfully crossed from country into pop music, movies and television, starring in films including 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Steel Magnolias. She also became an exceptionally shrewd entrepreneur, helping build Dollywood into one of Tennessee’s major attractions.
Yet her philanthropy may ultimately rival her entertainment legacy. Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, hundreds of millions of books have been distributed to young children. She supported education, disaster relief and medical research while rarely making her generosity about herself. (The Guardian)
Her husband of nearly six decades, Carl Dean, died in 2025.
Dolly Parton was something increasingly rare: genuinely famous, unmistakably American and almost universally loved. Behind the rhinestones, enormous hair and self-deprecating jokes was a brilliant songwriter, disciplined businesswoman and remarkably durable cultural figure. She never forgot where she came from, never apologized for who she was and somehow belonged to generations that disagreed about nearly everything else. (Reuters)
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Randy Travis’s Storms of Life captures the moment country music rediscovered its backbone. In this TNN New Country performance, Travis delivers songs from his landmark 1986 debut with that unmistakable baritone, restraint and old-school conviction. “On the Other Hand,” “1982,” “Diggin’ Up Bones” and the title track sound timeless because they never chase fashion. Travis helped lead country away from glossy crossover excess and back toward heartbreak, storytelling and traditional roots. This is country music before image conquered substance entirely.
TNN New Country – Randy Travis: Storms of Life
Randy performs The Storms of Life, Send My Body, 1982, On the Other Hand, Diggin’ Up Bones, and My Cracked Heart from his 1986 album.
