Music icon and American legend Dolly Parton has passed away at age 80.
Her passing was announced on her Instagram account on Tuesday in a video by her nephew, Brian Seaver, on behalf of the Parton family.
“My name is Brian Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” Seaver began. “This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.”
Seaver continued, “It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.”
WATCH:
On Friday, Parton had announced that she had been dealing with her own health issues after the passing of her husband, Carl Dean, last year.
“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl. You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” Parton told PEOPLE Magazine.
Parton continued, “But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago. I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’! You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”
Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in a one-room cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains of Pittman Center, Tennessee. She was the fourth of twelve children in a poor farming family. She began performing as a child, singing on local radio and television, and moved to Nashville the day after high school graduation to pursue a music career.
In the 1970s Parton became one of country music’s biggest stars with hits such as “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “I Will Always Love You.”
She crossed over into acting with roles in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Steel Magnolias.
Over her career she has released dozens of albums, sold more than 100 million records, and earned numerous awards, including multiple Grammys and inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Beyond music and acting, Parton is known for her extensive philanthropy, most notably the Imagination Library, which has distributed millions of free books to children.
Parton also built a successful business empire that includes the Dollywood theme park.
The post BREAKING: American Legend Dolly Parton Has Passed Away at 80 (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
