Dolly Parton remained determined to keep working even as the country music titan battled mounting health problems in the final months of her life.
The “Jolene” singer died Tuesday at 80 following a brief battle with cancer, her representatives confirmed. Her death came just four days after she publicly insisted she had no intention of slowing down.
“I still have so many things I want to achieve,” Parton said in a statement to PEOPLE.
Parton had recently withdrawn from an appearance at her Dollywood theme park after her doctor advised her not to travel because of ongoing “health issues.”
The Tennessee icon explained that she had spent much of the previous several years caring for her longtime husband, Carl Thomas Dean, as his health declined. Dean died in March 2025 after nearly 60 years of marriage. Parton followed roughly 17 months later.
The loss took a toll as she confronted health troubles of her own, but Parton made clear she was still pressing forward.
“I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’.”
Parton also sought to calm the speculation surrounding her condition, noting that she had endured serious medical problems decades earlier. She recalled being “down for several months with female issues” during a difficult stretch in the early 1980s.
“But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago.”
Even as her health limited her ability to travel, Parton was exploring ways to bring her music back on the road. Before her death, she revealed she had been working with companies specializing in “avatar performances,” though the concept remained in its early stages.
The technology could have allowed a digital version of Parton to perform for audiences without requiring the aging superstar to endure the strain of a traditional tour.
Born in Pittman Center, Tennessee, in 1946, Parton began recording as a child and released her first full-length album, “Hello, I’m Dolly,” in 1967.
She went on to sell more than 100 million records worldwide, becoming one of the most successful and beloved country artists in history. Her decades-spanning catalog included classics such as “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” and “I Will Always Love You.”
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