Country Music Icon Dolly Parton Dies at 80

NASHVILLE, TN — Dolly Parton, a beloved country music singer and songwriter, has died at the age of 80, her family announced Tuesday.

Her nephew, Brian Seaver, revealed the news in an Instagram video.

Parton is the best-selling female country music artist of all time, having sold more than 160 million albums worldwide.

She released her debut album, “Hello, I’m Dolly,” in 1967 and went on to record such hits as “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.”

Born in Pittman Center, Tennessee, in 1946, Parton moved to Nashville after graduating from high school in 1964. She performed in clubs and wrote songs for other artists before country star Porter Wagoner hired her for “The Porter Wagoner Show.” Wagoner also helped her secure a record deal.

Parton earned her first No. 1 country hit with “Joshua” in 1971. “Coat of Many Colors” followed that year, reaching No. 4 on the country chart. “Jolene,” released in 1973, became another No. 1 country hit and also reached the Billboard Hot 100.

Parton left Wagoner’s television show in 1974 and wrote “I Will Always Love You” as a farewell to him. The song topped the country chart twice before Whitney Houston’s 1992 recording for the film “The Bodyguard” became an international hit.

Parton also built a successful acting career, making her film debut in the 1980 comedy “9 to 5” alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. She later appeared in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” “Rhinestone,” “Steel Magnolias” and “Joyful Noise.”

In 1987, Parton joined Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris for the acclaimed album “Trio.” The group reunited for “Trio II” in 1999.

Throughout her career, Parton won 11 Grammy Awards, 10 Country Music Association Awards, seven Academy of Country Music Awards, three American Music Awards and an Emmy. She received two Academy Award nominations and an honorary Oscar.

Parton was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. At the ceremony, she performed “Coat of Many Colors,” while her friend and “Islands in the Stream” duet partner Kenny Rogers presided over her induction.

In a 2012 interview with PEOPLE, Parton reflected on the role of music in her life, saying, “My songs got me out of the mountains and took me everywhere I’ve wanted to go.”