Dolly Parton dies at 80 | Special Report

Dolly Parton, a celebrated country singer with over 100 million records sold and numerous awards, passed away earlier this week. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her death on Tuesday through a video shared on Parton's social media platforms. Seaver praised his aunt for opening doors for countless singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from around the world.

Parton, born on January 19, 1946, in Sevier County, Tennessee, grew up with 11 siblings in a humble household. At the age of 7, she started learning to play the guitar, and by age 10, she made her debut on television. She is reported to have an IQ of at least 140, possessing a keen intellect from a young age.

Her first country song, "Dumb Blonde," entered the US charts on January 21, 1967, and marked a bold beginning in her career dominated by male artists. Parton often defied stereotypes, acknowledging she wasn't blonde nor dumb, as she humorously addressed the common portrayal of her in the song.

Throughout her seven-decade career, Parton was known for her love of fashion, particularly hairstyles. However, her iconic platinum blonde hair was achieved through wigs rather than chemical treatments, with an estimated 350 different wigs in her collection. She also embraced cosmetic surgeries to alter her appearance, always maintaining her friendly superstar image.

Parton's fortune, valued at around $450 million by Forbes magazine, was reportedly used to support various causes. The Dollywood Foundation, established in 1995, has distributed over 300 million books through the Imagination Library program, aiming to provide a book to every child up to the age of 5. The foundation also awards five university scholarships in Parton's honor, supporting high school graduates from her hometown of Sevier County.

In recent years, Parton donated significant sums to various institutions, including the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which was working on a COVID-19 vaccine. She also invested the money from a Whitney Houston cover version of "I Will Always Love You" into an office complex in a Black neighborhood in Nashville, Tennessee. Despite being a contestant in a Dolly Parton drag queen lookalike contest, Parton once humorously admitted to overdoing her appearance to avoid recognition.