President Donald Trump has ordered flags to be lowered at half mast to honor country music icon Dolly Parton after her death aged 80.
Her death was announced by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, in an Instagram video posted Tuesday afternoon. Parton was widely regarded as the Queen of Country Music, known for her timeless hits including “9 to 5,” “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.”
Trump paid tribute to the singer after Tuesday’s announcement, writing on Truth Social that flags across the country will be lowered in her honor.
“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away,” he wrote. “This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will.”
He continued: “In her honor, I am lowering the American flag throughout the United States for a one week period beginning tonight at 6:00PM.”
open image in gallery“Rest in Peace, Dolly! The World loves you. President DONALD J. TRUMP,” he concluded.
Seaver said on behalf of the Parton family that the country legend had asked him to record the video announcement to be posted in the event of the death.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago,” Seaver said. He served as Parton’s head of security for more than two decades. “Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus,” he continued.
A cause of death was not revealed, however, Parton had been open about her declining health in recent months.
The singer had shared an update on her health August 21, acknowledging her recent decline after the March 2025 death of her husband, Carl Dean, telling People that she had been dealing with “health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.”
open image in gallery
open image in galleryMost recently, Parton pulled out of attending the opening night of a new attraction at Dollywood, her Tennessee theme park. The singer suffered dizziness and dehydration and her doctor advised her against traveling to the mid-August event.
Parton, from Sevierville, Tennessee, became one of the most beloved singer-songwriters of all time and sold more than 100 million records globally, earning her the nickname the “Queen of Country” over the course of her six-decade career.
She won 11 Grammy Awards, three Emmy Awards and received an honorary Oscar for her humanitarian work in 2025.
Parton was believed to be the world’s wealthiest country music star, with an estimated net worth of $500 million, and became a noted philanthropist.