Dolly Parton was still dreaming about the future just four days before her death at the age of 80. The country music legend died peacefully in Nashville on Tuesday, August 25, following a brief battle with cancer, her team confirmed.
But in what would become her final interview, published by People on August 21, Dolly remained characteristically optimistic, speaking about the projects she still hoped to complete and insisting that, despite ongoing health struggles, she was “still working.”
The poignancy of her words is even greater in light of her death just four days later. “You know me, as I’ve often said, I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve,” she said, adding that she planned to keep working for as long as she could.
Dolly Parton’s final interview
Dolly had been candid about experiencing health problems in the months leading up to her death, which had forced her to cancel several appearances and ultimately abandon plans for a Las Vegas residency.
In her final interview, the Jolene singer revealed that some of those problems had been neglected while she devoted herself to caring for her beloved husband, Carl Dean, before his death in March 2025.
“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she told the publication.
See the announcement of Dolly’s death below…
Dolly acknowledged that it had been a difficult period, but typically refused to dwell on it. “It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” she said.
The singer also joked that speculation surrounding her condition had been amplified by the modern news cycle and social media, before making it clear she had no intention of quietly retiring. “Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’!” she said.
It was an outlook Dolly had maintained even as concern for her wellbeing intensified. In October 2025, following a public request for prayers from her sister Freida, she reassured worried fans in a video: “I don’t think God is through with me, and I ain’t done working.”
© Getty ImagesDolly’s plans for the future
Far from contemplating the end of her extraordinary seven-decade career, Dolly was still planning what came next.
She was working on the Life of Many Colors museum in Nashville, her SongTeller Hotel and her Broadway musical, Dolly: A True Original Musical, alongside a string of other ventures.
She also spoke excitedly about Cup of Ambition Coffee, a collaboration inspired by one of the most famous lyrics from her 1980 hit 9 to 5. The idea had been in the making for more than four decades, she revealed, adding that “some dreams take longer to come to life than others.”
Even performing remained in Dolly’s plans, although she admitted her days of traditional touring were behind her. “I definitely plan to do special performances in the future, but I won’t tour anymore like I used to,” she explained.
In typical Dolly fashion, she had even found a humorous solution, revealing that she was exploring the possibility of an avatar-based show in Nashville that could allow audiences to experience a Dolly Parton performance without requiring her to physically take to the stage. “I won’t have to show up in person, but I still get paid!” she joked. “Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.”
© InstagramDolly’s enduring love for husband Carl Dean
Behind Dolly’s determination to continue was an intensely difficult period in her personal life. Carl died in March 2025 at the age of 82, bringing to an end one of showbusiness’ longest and most famously private marriages.
The couple first met outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville in 1964, on the day an 18-year-old Dolly arrived in the city to pursue her dreams.
They married two years later and remained together for almost six decades, despite Carl largely choosing to stay away from the spotlight that surrounded his wife.
© InstagramAfter his death, Dolly paid tribute to the man who had quietly remained by her side throughout her extraordinary rise from rural Tennessee to global superstardom.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” she wrote. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years.” She added: “Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”
The loss had a profound effect on Dolly, who later admitted that learning how to live without her husband was a significant adjustment. Her final interview makes clear that caring for Carl had also taken precedence over her own health.
© InstagramDolly Parton’s death at 80
Dolly’s death was announced by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who also served as her longtime head of security. Her representatives subsequently confirmed that the music legend died following a “brief battle with cancer.” A small private service will be held for her immediate family, with fans encouraged to donate to her beloved Imagination Library in lieu of flowers.
In a statement, her team remembered the singer’s extraordinary life and the warmth that made her as beloved away from the stage as she was on it. “A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see,” the statement read, adding that Dolly would remain an inspiration through her music, songwriting, “wit, warmth and kindness.”
Her death came after a career spanning seven decades in which she became one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world, selling more than 100 million records and writing thousands of songs, including Jolene, Coat of Many Colors, 9 to 5 and I Will Always Love You.
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