The iconic singer/songwriter and cultural icon died at the age of 80 on Aug. 25.
Dolly Parton performs onstage with an acoustic guitar circa 1974.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Dolly Parton has lived a truly remarkable life, from growing up as one of 12 kids in a tiny house in the Smoky Mountains to becoming one of the most revered singers, songwriters, performers and philanthropists in the world.
In honor of the legendary star — who died at the age of 80 on Tuesday (Aug. 25) in Nashville — Billboard is looking back at her incomparable life and career in photos. Born almost 30 years before the digital camera was invented, the earliest photographs of Parton capture her world-famous smile at a time when her singular voice was heard only by her family and the beautiful Appalachian nature surrounding her beloved home in Locust Ridge, Tennessee. That would soon change as she began traveling to Nashville to pursue a career in music, signing her first record deal in 1965 shortly after moving to Music City — where she also famously met her husband of nearly 60 years, the late Carl Dean.
What followed was an unforgettable run of musical excellence, starting with debut album Hello, I’m Dolly — a project that propelled her to a spot on The Porter Wagoner Show, from which sprang her seven-year musical partnership with Porter Wagoner. After their professional split in 1974, Parton fortified her career as a soloist with enduring hits such as “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” winning 10 Grammys and 22 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 in the process. Parton will also forever be remembered outside of music for everything from her signature look to her kindness, activism, generosity and industrialism, founding her flagship Dollywood amusement park in 1986 and her Imagination Library program in 1995.
As the world grieves the loss of a great, check out Parton’s life in photos below.
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Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Dolly Parton poses for a portrait circa 1955 in Tennessee at approximately 9 years old.
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Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Dolly Parton poses for a portrait in 1965 in Nashville.
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Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner perform in 1967.
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Image Credit: Harry Langdon/Getty Images Dolly Parton poses for a portrait session in 1978 in Los Angeles.
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Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Dolly Parton in the 1980 movie ‘Nine to Five.’
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Image Credit: 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images Dolly Parton in a publicity portrait for the film ‘Rhinestone,’ circa 1984.
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Image Credit: Beth Gwinn/Getty Images Dolly Parton backstage at the CMA Awards in Nashville on Feb. 10, 1988, the year she became the first woman to host the show solo.
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Image Credit: Gary Gershoff/Getty Images Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers perform at Brendan Byrne Arena (later Meadowlands Arena) in East Rutherford, N.J., on Oct. 20, 1988.
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Image Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images Dolly Parton performs on Oprah Winfrey’s show in Chicago on Feb. 11, 1992.
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Image Credit: Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Dolly Parton at Dollywood’s season grand opening weekend in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., circa 1993.
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Image Credit: Ron Davis/Getty Images Dolly Parton circa 1995 at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
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Image Credit: Christopher Polk Dolly Parton performs at the Academy of Country Music Awards on March 7, 2022, at Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas.
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Image Credit: Vijat Mohindra/NBC via Getty Images Dolly Parton joins Miley Cyrus for ‘Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party’ in 2022.
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Image Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images Dolly Parton attends the opening of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s ‘Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker’ exhibit on May 19, 2025, in Nashville.
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Image Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images Dolly Parton attends ‘Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs In Symphony’ world premiere at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on March 20, 2025, in Nashville.
