Dolly Parton, Country Icon and Philanthropist, Dies at 80
On Tuesday, the iconic country music star Dolly Parton passed away at the age of 80, leaving behind a remarkable philanthropic legacy. In 1988, she established the Dollywood Foundation to address school dropout issues, and her Imagination Library has distributed over 300 million books to children across the U.S. and beyond, with more than 40 million books shipped in 2025 alone. Motivated by her father's struggles with literacy, the initiative offers free monthly books to kids from birth to five years old. In 2020, she contributed $1 million to launch the Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund. Additionally, Parton supported the Buddy Program, created scholarships, and engaged in pediatric research, as well as raptor conservation through Dollywood and the My People Fund.
Key facts
- Dolly Parton died at age 80 on Tuesday.
- She founded the Dollywood Foundation in 1988 to combat school dropout in Sevier County, Tennessee.
- Imagination Library has donated over 300 million books globally, with 40 million shipped in 2025.
- In 2020, she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for COVID-19 research.
- Her donation supported the development of the test for Moderna's mRNA-1273 vaccine.
- The Buddy Program reduced high school dropout rates from 36% to 6%.
- She established five annual university scholarships of $15,000 each.
- The East Tennessee Children's Hospital was renamed Dolly Parton Children's Hospital in March 2026.
- The My People Fund assisted over 900 families affected by 2016 wildfires.
- Dollywood has sponsored the American Eagle Foundation since 1990.
Entities
Artists
- Dolly Parton
- Robert Lee Parton
- Miley Cyrus
- Lainey Wilson
- Queen Latifah
- Reba McEntire
- Hannah Dennison
Institutions
- Dollywood Foundation
- Imagination Library
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Moderna
- American Eagle Foundation
- East Tennessee Children's Hospital
- Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt
- Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund
- Buddy Program
- My People Fund
Locations
- Sevier County
- Tennessee
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- Ireland
- Gatlinburg
- Pigeon Forge
- Nashville