Dolly Parton, American Icon, Dead at 80
The queen of country and a force for good is gone.
Dolly Parton died Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80.
It's hard to overstate what we lost. Parton wasn't just a country legend—she was one of the last celebrities who actually united people across the political and cultural lines that keep tearing this country apart. That's rare. That matters.
Yes, everyone knows "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You." But Parton's reach went way beyond music. She funded the COVID vaccine development. She produced Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She ran a foundation that mattered. She built an empire on her own terms and used it to lift people up—not tear them down for clout.
She was funny, sharp, unapologetic, and genuinely kind in a way that didn't feel like a brand. That combination is extinct in celebrity now.
Read the full piece for more on the woman who showed us what grace and impact actually looks like.
Read the full story at Variety → https://variety.com/lists/dolly-parton-5-facts-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-imagination-library-covid-vaccine-lgbt-rights/
Independent artist? Get your own feature.
Get Featured →
New 'Dancing With the Stars' Spinoff Looking to Crown the Next Generation of Pros
ABC is spinning off the ballroom competition formula to find fresh talent for the main show.
Jennifer Garner On The Real Cost Of Starting Over
The actress opened up about what came after—and it wasn't as smooth as it looked from the outside.
Megyn Kelly Got Thoughts on Kim and Ye's Parenting — and She Ain't Holding Back
The podcaster went on record with some harsh takes about how the Kardashian-West family is raising North.
Join the conversation