President Donald Trump ordered American flags lowered nationwide for one week after Dolly Parton died at 80, honoring the country superstar whose songs, movies, theme park and book-giving program made her a rare figure mourned from Washington to Hollywood.
The order began Tuesday at 6 p.m., with Trump using Truth Social to call Parton’s death “a true loss for millions of people.”
“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away,” Trump wrote. “This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will.”
The president said flags would be lowered “throughout the United States” for one week in Parton’s honor.
Global icon and humanitarian, Dolly Parton, known to the world as a beloved singer, songwriter, philanthropist, actress, playwright, and author died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old.
Dolly is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years… pic.twitter.com/sBdu2Ssof9
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) August 25, 2026
“Rest in Peace, Dolly! The World loves you,” Trump wrote.
Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, confirmed her death in an Instagram video and pointed grieving fans toward the faith that had long shaped her public image.
“But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly,” Seaver said. “Dolly has lived in the light, and is in the arms of Jesus.”
DOLLY PARTON HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF 80 RIP 🙏 pic.twitter.com/2PoTxys4oI
— JOHN BOLARIS (@JohnBolaris) August 25, 2026
A spokesperson told People Magazine that Parton died after “a brief battle with cancer.” The statement did not identify the type of cancer.
Parton died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville after being hospitalized Friday, according to the statement given to People. Loved ones were with her when she died.
The most successful female country artist of all time.
Rest well, Dolly Parton. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/xhjT4k1aAb
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) August 25, 2026
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched,” the statement said.
The statement also credited her generosity beyond the stage, including books donated through Imagination Library and research funding connected to a lifesaving vaccine.
Parton had discussed her health with People four days before her death, saying she had put some of her own care aside while looking after her late husband, Carl Dean.
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“I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” Parton told the outlet.
Her health had worried fans months earlier when she delayed a six-night Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace in September 2025.
Parton handled that announcement with a joke about needing a “100,000-mile check-up” and made clear the appointment did not involve her plastic surgeon.
The national flag order capped a life that began far from celebrity, in a one-room cabin on Locust Ridge.
Parton recorded “Puppy Love” at 13 and left for Nashville the morning after graduating high school in 1964, carrying her belongings in paper grocery bags.
Rep. Tim Burchett said Parton’s rise never erased her East Tennessee identity.
“She was an incredible East Tennessean who served as an inspiration to little girls everywhere,” Burchett wrote. “Dolly never changed her accent or forgot where she came from.”
That childhood also became the emotional center of “Coat of Many Colors,” the autobiographical song about a jacket her mother stitched together from fabric scraps.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn said Tennessee would continue to claim Parton as part of the state’s music, culture and history.
“Dolly’s life and career are forever woven into Tennessee’s music, culture, and history,” Blackburn said. “Her extraordinary talent, generosity, and love for the Volunteer State touched hearts around the world and will continue to inspire generations to come.”
“Tennessee will forever be grateful for Dolly,” Blackburn added.
Parton’s career stretched well beyond the mountain-girl story that made fans feel they knew her.
She wrote more than 3,000 songs and once joked on Facebook that unused lyrics could surface anywhere.
“I started playing guitar when I was seven years old, and I’ve been writing serious songs ever since,” Parton said. “I’ve got songs stuck everywhere. I pull out a drawer to get some panties … I’ll find a song in there.”
“I Will Always Love You” reached No. 1 on the country charts twice for Parton before Whitney Houston’s 1992 version became the defining song of “The Bodyguard.”
Parton also became a movie star through “9 to 5,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and “Steel Magnolias.”
Her awards included 11 Grammys, 10 Country Music Awards and four American Music Awards, along with induction into the Country Music, Rock and Roll, and Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty remembered Parton as both an entertainer and a business force.
“Dolly was talented beyond compare, and an entrepreneurial juggernaut who played an integral role in transforming our state,” Hagerty said. “She brought laughter and joy to so many through her musical and philanthropic endeavors. She will be deeply, deeply missed.”
Dollywood created thousands of jobs and helped make the Pigeon Forge area of East Tennessee a tourism draw.
Parton also spent decades sending books to children through the Dollywood Foundation and her global Imagination Library.
“Her legacy will live on in the classrooms and communities she uplifted and the beautiful music she created,” Sen. Susan Collins commented.
Some of the most personal tributes came from the performers who shared sets and friendships with her.
Reba McEntire thanked God for Parton and said her longtime friend would have “a blast in heaven” singing with family and friends who had died before her.
“I’ll never forget the first time I met you, and I’ll never forget our last conversation,” McEntire stated. “I hold it with love in my heart.”
Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side.
Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth.
Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart.
There will never ever be another you.
We… pic.twitter.com/qpbvKUNbiM— Reba McEntire (@reba) August 25, 2026
Lily Tomlin, who starred with Parton in “9 to 5,” first responded with “No words,” then remembered her as a friend, songwriter and “Great Harmonizer of Humanity.”
Jane Fonda shared a black-and-white image of herself and Parton laughing on the set of the 1980 workplace comedy.
“I never knew anyone like her,” Fonda said.
Fonda described Parton as playful, soulful, loyal, mischievous and impossible to reduce to one talent.
Sally Field answered the news on Instagram with a tribute that matched the spiritual tone of Seaver’s family message.
“If there are truly angels on earth, then we have just lost one,” Field wrote.
At Parton’s request, a small private service will be held for immediate family, and relatives asked that donations be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library instead of flowers.
Page Six reported that Parton will be buried beside Carl Dean at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum, dressed in her signature high heels.