Dolly Parton, singer and actress, dies at 80

(NBC, KYMA) - Dolly Parton, who rose from a loving if impoverished upbringing in the mountains of East Tennessee to become the Queen of Country music, a Hollywood star, and a beloved American icon, has died, her family announced on social media Tuesday.

On the radio, on the screen, and even in the baking aisle, Parton did it all: Singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, businesswoman.

In her lifetime, Parton wrote and performed over 3,000 songs, 25 of them number one hits.

Parton's road to super-stardom began in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains in 1946. The fourth of 12 children, Parton described herself as dirt poor.

Those modest roots, and her actual childhood coat, inspired hit songs like "Coat of Many Colors."

She started performing at church and by 13, Parton appeared at the Grand Ole Opry.

After high school, she moved to Nashville. Three years later, she'd scored her first hit single and was on her way.

Amazingly, Parton penned two of her most famous songs in one burst of creativity.

"We were looking through my files to get all the old cassettes and put them on the hard drives...'Jolene' and 'I Will Always Love You' were on the same cassette. So that must've been a really good night," Parton shared with Willie Geist back in 2020.

While Parton sang a version of "I Will Always Love You" that reached number one on country charts, it was Whitney Houston's version of her song that made history. With over 24 million copies sold, it remains one of the bestselling singles of all time.

In 1980, Parton made her foray into films co-starring in "9 to 5," at the suggestion of Jane Fonda.

More films followed, including 1984's "Rhinestone" with Sylvester Stallone and "Steel Magnolias," co-starring with Sally Field and Julia Roberts, in 1989.

In her hometown of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, she opened Dollywood, a successful theme park, and she launched a childhood literacy program, providing free books to children mailing up to two million books globally every month.

Though she was long famous for her blonde wigs, in the end, Parton was best known for her body of work and the legions she inspired.

"I just wanna be able to touch people and lift people up. If can do something. I wanna put joy out there," Parton also shared with Geist back in 2016.

Parton was 80-years-old.