Legendary musician Dolly Parton dies at 80

breaking news coming into our newsroom, and we're shocked and we're really sad to bring this to you right now. Legendary country music icon Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80. Um, really just trying to get more information about this. TMZ reporting she died and the head of her security announced her death on instagram. Um, yeah, it is shocking. Her career, as you know, spanned more than six decades. I mean, her famous songs, of course, we know will live on. Jolene 9 to 5. I will always love you. Just a few. She won so many Grammy Awards, acted in movies. She's also known for her big heart, a generous philanthropist. That's probably one thing that everyone will have to say about her when they look back and remember who she was, not just her legacy and her skill and talent, but really just the big heart she had. And her husband did pass away. They were together for nearly 60 years. He passed away last March. She has had some health issues along the way recently, but still this is a shock. Incredible what she's done for kids, her literacy program, getting into schools, you know, that's just part of the foundation and the legacy she left behind. But not only that, the mark she left in the music world, right? She not only was a performer and had a bigger, larger than life presence, but all of the writing and the music she also created for other singers as well. And that led them to have historic and legendary careers as well. So just her talent will live on. She was always super charming, right? And open and honest with people. I have met her before. Yep. I've interviewed her a couple of times. We actually interviewed her not too too long ago on Good day. Um, I think it was, was it around the Super Bowl when she was in, she was in that glittery outfit. Oh, you're right. Yeah. You mentioned her literacy programs, her imagination library, giving a book until you turn 18, like you're throughout all of your childhood years, every single year, just someone who is, you know, a star in her own right, having this importance on every kid having access to books. I just thought that was beautiful. What a legacy. Absolutely. What a legacy. I'm reading some articles right now trying to get info. It says just four days after saying quote, I still have so many things I want to achieve a direct quote from her. Um, so four days in and we get this news. Amanda, I know you were in there and had to come out. I was just contribute to this. Yeah, I was in the vocal booth and I heard a gasp in the newsroom and someone said, Dolly Parton just died. Everyone's breath. We all grabbed our chests. But to know that this was a planned announcement with her nephew posting a video to Dolly Parton's official instagram page saying that his aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton asked him to make this announcement years ago. She wanted him to be the one to announce this on her page. She was a sister, she was an aunt. She was a legend to so many 80 years young. Obviously, you guys just mentioned, you know, that she recently lost her husband, Carl, who she was with for decades. So I have the quote here. It says, My name is Bryn Seaver son of Ryan's Cassie Parton and I'm representing the pardon and Owen family today announcing the passing of my aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean's sister, sis and granny to one generation and Gigi to the next. He goes on to say this video announcement is something that Dolly asked me for years to do before I fully absorbed it as a future reality as her head of security for more than two decades. A role my father Larry held before me and I have imagined the heaviness of this moment, but I haven't truly felt it all until now. Wow. Wow. This is one of those passings that has such a ripple effect through so many different communities. You have the music, the musicians, you have Tennessee, you have the entertainment industry. You know, Dolly also don't forget years ago, invested in the Moderna vaccine. And and that's right. She was a big investor in the Moderna vaccine during Covid. She came out with a perfume. She was an actress. She did holiday movies. There was really nothing. Dolly the Children's book. There was and she was suffering from, I guess, immune and digestive problems. I know her health wasn't issue that she canceled her residency in Las Vegas September of 2025. So last year, which was a real heartbreak for so many fans who still wanted to see her perform and see her live in person. Didn't she seem like one of those personalities you think would just last forever? Yes, I think that's why it's kind of like shocking, shocking. And I mean, I do remember she's talked about obviously growing up really, really poor in Tennessee. Um, she had 11 siblings. Um, and she said, she said, I never, we never actually starved, but sometimes we never had quite enough to eat. And that was at the age of six when she started playing guitar and singing at her grandfather's church. And she started writing songs back as a kid. She was always very determined. And I'm just thinking about people that are at Dollywood right now in Tennessee getting this news right now, their reactions. Of course, her family has sat with this for a little bit and then they decided to make this announcement again when we heard it in the newsroom just minutes ago, it was shocking. And um, when we saw that TMZ had it, we knew, oh no, you know, celebrities are human, right? It's the thing that happens. But how often have we had someone who has been in the entertainment industry for this many years and never really messed up. That's somebody who's just, I never really had that controversy. Yeah, you know what I mean? And everyone loves to help. Yeah, no, you're right. She was beloved by every generation to your parents, us, Gen Z kids. Everyone loved Dolly. And we do have that statement. If we could show the statement that are actually just read, I think it's a video, the nephew. Let's take a look at the video. Hey everyone, my name is Brian Seaver, son of Cassie Parton and I'm representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean sister, sis and granny to one generation and Gigi to the next. This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality as her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me. I have imagined the this moment but haven't truly felt it until now. It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus. Surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and long for her to meet them in the heavens. Dolly has lived in the light. Mhm. So sad. So the video released today, she passed today. Yeah, but I don't know if it was recorded today, right? He seems awfully put together. Yes. Maybe it was coming and the family wanted to get ahead of it and have it be delivered obviously in their own words the day that they decided to release it. So she wanted to have this prepared announcement. You know, people who live a really long life, they do this thing that feels morbid to those of us who are still around. But you may have seen it with grandparents or those older, but they want to prepare in a way that is so hard for us. So I can even imagine her asking him to do that, right? And him probably say, yeah, and shining it up. You're gonna be fine. It's important to her to have things laid out. And I think they do this because they're worried about the hard moments that are ahead for us, right? You know what I mean? For their families, they are worried about that. You know, I and the us for her is quite literally us. It's all of us who have been touched by her legacy in her and her music. I think why this is so shocking is that you had no indication of how serious her health issues were because of the fact that she did cancel her residency in Vegas last September. But all her quote, she was saying, Don't worry about me quitting the business because God hadn't said anything about stopping yet. But I believe he is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you. I love you and thank you for understanding. So she was so positive and she was so ready for the next thing. She was kind of like, okay, this is just a little hiccup. I'm gonna slow down a little. So you just never expected that this was gonna happen. Reminds me of a parent. If you think that they're struggling or if they've been through some health struggles like recently and you call and be like, Oh no, don't you worry, I'm gonna be fine. I'm doing just fine. Like that's kind of how she was. It's true. But also she's like such a larger than life figure. And there are people who are like celebrity status who you feel that way, where you feel like they should always just exist and just be around. Like you can't accept the fact that they won't be. I still haven't accepted Betty White. Yeah, that's a good example. That one hurt. You know, Dolly is right up or like Stan Lee. Stan Lee's working to the last second. Yes. And your presence is so alive. I feel like 80 is still young. It is. It is young. It is. It's really hard news to take. But anyone will tell you that has been married for decades to who they call the love of their life. There is a significant emptiness and a heaviness in their heart when they lose their soul mate. Oh, quite frankly, it actually works on your heart. That's why they call it broken heart syndrome. Exactly. It actually does something there. Like you lose a piece of your Yeah, that's how it feels. Right? Yeah. Wow. All right. We're trying to digest this news. We'll get more information as time goes on. I'm sure we'll take a break. We'll come back.