NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) —
It's with a heavy heart that we bring you this information. Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80.
Parton wasn't just a singer or a songwriter, she was an actress, a businesswoman and philanthropist.
She was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022 in part for her work with the Dollywood Foundation, which she founded in 1988, to inspire the children of her home county and achieve educational success and decrease high school dropout rates.
Parton also created the Imagination Library in honor of her father, who was illiterate, to make sure that all children had books in their home from the beginning.
Her philanthropic work didn't stop there, she made countless donations to Vanderbilt University to fund pediatric infectious disease research, support for the development of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, supported hundreds of families who lost their homes during the 2016 wildfires in Sevier County, as well as provide scholarships to local high school students to help further their education at any accredited university.
As a musician, she sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
She composed more than 3,000 songs, including "I Will Always Love You", which became not only a two-time U.S. country chart-topper, but an international hit for Whitney Houston, "Jolene", "Coat of Many Colors" and "9 to 5".
As an actress, she starred in several films, including 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone, Steel Magnolias, Straight Talk, and Joyful Noise.
She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986, the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York in 2001, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Not only has she won eight Grammy Awards, nine Country Music Association awards, nine Academy of Country Music awards, she has been awarded the National Medal of Arts, a Kennedy Center Honor and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award AND three Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony.
She's referred to as the Queen of Country, one of the most-honored female country performers of all time and a Tennessean we will greatly miss.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at kelly.broderick@newschannel5.com.
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