Dolly Parton, Music Star, Actor and Beloved Figure Dies at 80

UNITED STATES – Dolly Parton, the country music icon from Tennessee, died peacefully Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee.

She was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond, as her appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.

She wrote hundreds of songs, including classics like “Jolene,” “Coat Of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You,” that totaled more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams.

Parton was also a generous philanthropist and successful businesswoman whose projects included a theme park in the Smoky Mountain Foothills near her birthplace.

She also started her education nonprofit, imagination library, to send free books to children in Tennessee.

She was 80 years old.