# Dolly Parton Has Died at 80 > Her nephew Bryan Seaver shared the news in a video statement on behalf of the family, saying the country music legend had asked him years ago to make the announcement himself. - Source: Star Life - Canonical URL: https://starlife.channel/article/dolly-parton-dead-at-80-family-statement - Author: Star Life Staff - Section: Celebrity - Published: 2026-08-26T13:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-26T13:00:00.000Z - Tags: Dolly Parton, Obituaries, Country Music --- Dolly Parton, the country music legend, actress and ten time Grammy winner, has died at the age of 80. Her nephew Bryan Seaver, who has served as her head of security for more than two decades, shared the news in a video statement on behalf of the Parton and Owens family. He did not disclose a cause of death or say exactly when she passed. ## A message she asked him to deliver Seaver said Parton had asked him years ago to be the one to announce her passing, adding that he had imagined the moment for a long time but had not truly felt its weight until now. He described the loss as an honor mixed with pride and sadness, and said that sadness belonged to the people left behind rather than to Parton herself, whom he believes is now reunited with her late husband Carl, who died in March 2025, along with her parents. He credited her with opening doors, not only for her own family but for generations of singers, songwriters and musicians who followed her example. He closed by saying she had asked to be laid to rest somewhere soft and comfortable, after a career spent in heavy rhinestones, and that she would always love the people who loved her music. ## Health concerns in recent months Just four days before her death, Parton had spoken to People about health issues she said she had put off addressing while caring for Carl during his illness. She noted it was not the first time she had dealt with a serious health setback, recalling a stretch in the early 1980s when she was sidelined for months. She had continued to share updates with fans through video messages over the past year. --- Originally published by Star Life. Free to cite with attribution and a link to https://starlife.channel/article/dolly-parton-dead-at-80-family-statement.