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COUNTRY MUSIC ICON AND GLOBAL SUPERSTAR, DOLLY PARTON, PASSES AWAY AT 80
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Dolly Parton, one of the most iconic and beloved artists in Country Music history, has passed away today, August 25, 2026. She was 80.
Having revolutionized Country Music throughout her illustrious career spanning more than six decades, Parton earned nine CMA Awards in addition to being honored with CMA’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. A CMA Entertainer of the Year winner in 1978, Parton’s first CMA Award came during “The 2nd Annual CMA Awards” in 1968, when she and frequent duet partner Porter Waggoner won for CMA Vocal Group of the Year. The two went on to earn CMA Vocal Duo of the Year awards in 1970 and 1971. Parton earned back-to-back CMA Female Vocalist of the Year awards in 1975 and 1976, a CMA Vocal Event of the Year award alongside Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris for their collaborative album Trio in 1988, a second CMA Vocal Event of the Year award for her collaboration with Vince Gill on the classic “I Will Always Love You,” and most recently a CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year alongside Brad Paisley for “When I Get Where I’m Going.” Parton was a two-time CMA Awards host, having first hosted in 1988 and most recently joining Carrie Underwood and Reba McEntire in 2019 as the show celebrated the legacy of women in Country Music. Parton was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, and in 2021, she was awarded the CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award.
“At the end of the day, few artists define Country Music better than the one-word, Dolly. Over her decades-long career, I worked with her on a number of programs. She was always the most professional in every setting, often walking off the bus in heels and hair and makeup ready to go, before expected and before the cast and crew. However, along with the music, our biggest loss today is her work as a philanthropist and the genuine difference she has made in people’s lives throughout the world. There will only ever be one Dolly.” – Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association CEO
Dolly Parton
Photo Credit: CMA
