Country music legend Dolly Parton dies at 80 of cancer

Country music legend Dolly Parton dies at age 80 after a short battle with cancer.

Her achievements span the realms of music, film and philanthropy and has been the bedrock of American pop culture for six decades.

US flags were lowered to half-staff for a week at the White House in her honour.

Dolly Parton has long been the face and the voice of her home state of Tennessee. Singing one of her signature songs, Jolene.

Performing another one of her early hit, Dumb Blonde, at the Country Music Hall of Fame, in which Parton was inducted in 1999.

Known for her glamorous style and distinctive voice, Parton rose from humble beginnings in rural Tennessee. Her grandfather was a preacher, and the church became one of her earliest stages.

She was performing on local radio by the age of 13. Over the next six decades, Parton became a singer, songwriter and actress, winning 11 Grammy Awards, including a lifetime Achievement Award.

Parton wrote around 3,000 songs during her career. Among them was I Will Always Love You, released in 1974 and later covered by Whitney Houston, who turned the tune into a chart-topping international hit.

Parton also starred in the 1980 film 9 to 5 alongside Jane Fonda, for which she also wrote the theme song Working Girl.

DOLLY PARTON: “I don’t think about my life in terms of ‘superstar.’ I’m just a working girl. I always say, and it’s the truth, that I am a workhorse that looks like a show horse. But I gotta keep it all up and I enjoy all of it.”

Beyond entertainment, Parton devoted decades to charity, supporting causes from education and disaster relief. Her Imagination Library, founded in 1995, has given away more than 200 million books to children in need.

She also founded Dollywood, a theme park in her home town that combines thrill rides with a celebration of Appalachian music.

Parton had struggled with health problems in recent years. In May, she cancelled her Las Vagas residency, saying she needed more time to recover.

Her publicist says she died Tuesday after a short battle with cancer.

Fans gather in Tennessee to mourn the loss of the country music icon.

Dolly Parton fan LAUREN GOODNER: “I’m from Tennessee originally. When I would be homesick I would just sing at the top of my lungs in my Tennessee Mountain Home and so she’s just been home for me.”

US flags are lowered to half-staff at the White House in her honour.