Dolly Parton passed away at 80 on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, after a short battle with cancer, according to her publicist. Stella Parton, her sister, broke her silence on Thursday, Aug. 27, offering a rare and personal look into the final days of the country music legend and her unwavering generosity until the end.

A Morning Tradition That Began at Sunrise

Stella Parton shared a cherished weekly ritual that Dolly had maintained for years, as every Tuesday, just before sunrise, the sisters would call each other to catch up on the latest news, share stories, and make plans. “Like the good country girls we are, we’ve always been early risers,” Stella wrote in a heartfelt tribute, while “Dolly used to say we did more work before the sun came up than most people in a whole day.”

It was symbolic that Dolly passed away on a Tuesday—on the same day she had shared a morning coffee call with Stella just days before. Stella said that even in her final days, Dolly remained committed to her goals and dreams, telling friends only four days before her death that she was recovering and still working toward her aspirations.

A Final Act of Selflessness

Stella also revealed a deeply personal decision Dolly made about her treatment. If doctors reached a point where they had little hope of saving her, Dolly wanted to allow her medical team to try experimental drugs in the hope of helping others. “My sister was always thinking of others,” Stella said. “If you want to honor her legacy, show more kindness, lift others up, and give more of your time and resources, as she continued to do to the very end.”

Dolly’s representatives said she passed peacefully at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, surrounded by loved ones; they described her as a woman who brought “joy, laughter, hope and integrity” to everything she touched. Her legacy includes the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which has donated millions of books to children in need, and her continued support for medical research.

A Lasting Impact Through Generosity and Grit

Stella painted a picture of a woman who was not only a music icon but also a deeply compassionate and generous person; “She left the world a better place by being in it,” Stella said. According to reports, Dolly had admitted to health challenges over the past year but never let on that any were serious, while Stella noted that Dolly’s kindness and thoughtfulness were not just public personas but true to her nature.

Stella also shared that Dolly was known to her siblings as a person who never stopped dreaming and striving, but “She had always said she was going to keep working as long as she could,” Stella said. “That’s who she was.”