'Dolly Parton, "Queen of Country," Dies at 80'

Dolly Parton, the ‘Queen of Country’ and a symbol of American country music, has passed away at the age of 80.

On the 25th (local time), records and flowers left by mourners were placed in front of Dolly Parton's office in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Nashville, USA = Photo by AP The Yonhap News Agency

On the 25th (local time), Parton's public relations agency, True Public Relations, announced in a statement that she died in Nashville, Tennessee. The cause of death was not disclosed.

In May this year, Parton canceled her scheduled long-term residency in Las Vegas due to health concerns. At the time, she explained that she was experiencing symptoms of dizziness.

Parton was born in 1946 in Sevier County, Tennessee, as the fourth of twelve children in a poor family. Her father, an illiterate day laborer and farmer, could neither read nor write. Despite experiencing severe poverty during her childhood, she began her music career and became one of America's most renowned singer-songwriters.

She was widely beloved for her glamorous image and distinctive sense of humor. She is highly regarded for breaking down barriers in the traditionally male-dominated country music industry. After signing her first record deal in her teenage years in 1962, she not only wrote, composed, and performed her own songs but also took control over her music business, establishing an independent career path.

Her representative songs include ‘9 to 5’, ‘I Will Always Love You’, and ‘Jolene’. ‘Jolene’ was ranked among the greatest country songs of all time by Rolling Stone. In her seven-decade-long career, she was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She also received the Kennedy Center Honors for her lifetime artistic achievements.

Particularly noteworthy is that she wrote and composed over 3,000 songs throughout her life. Her music was covered by numerous artists, including Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Norah Jones, The White Stripes, Merle Haggard, Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé, and Olivia Newton-John.

Parton was also known for her active philanthropy. To honor her father, Robert Lee Parton, who could not read, she founded the ‘Imagination Library’, donating more than 200 million books to children worldwide. In 2020, she donated 1 million dollars to support virus research at Vanderbilt University, which contributed to the development of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the American flag to be flown at half-mast for a week in memory of Parton. President Trump also posted a tribute on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating, “There has never been anyone like her, and there never will be again.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.