The country music legend built an extraordinary career on her own terms—while using her platform and songs to champion working women, children, and LGBTQ people. She died July 25 in Nashville.

This story was originally reported by Sara Luterman of The 19th, and republished through Rewire News Group‘s partnership with the 19th News Network.

Dolly Parton, who used her stardom to not only embrace all listeners but also nurture marginalized communities through literacy and financial development, died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 25, 2026, according to her family. She was 80. 

One of the best-selling musical artists of all time, Parton had 25 singles top the Billboard country music charts. She starred in blockbuster movies and beloved Christmas specials. Her theme park, Dollywood, is one of the most popular in the United States. 

Parton has been seen by many as a feminist icon, though she historically declined to use the word to describe herself. When podcaster Jad Abumrad asked the songwriter in 2019 if she thinks of herself as a feminist, she responded, “No, I do not. I think of myself as a woman in business.”

Parton presented herself as a woman from a humble Appalachian beginning who pulled herself out of poverty through talent and hard work. She was one of 12 children and lived in a home that did not have electricity when........

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