Country music icon Dolly Parton dies at 80 in Nashville

NASHVILLE, United States — Country music legend Dolly Parton died at age 80 in Nashville, Tennessee. Known for her soft voice, emotionally resonant songs and glittering stage outfits, she rose from a poor upbringing in Appalachia to become one of the genre's most recognizable international stars. Her hits included "Jolene," "Coat of Many Colors" and "I Will Always Love You," the last later popularized worldwide by Whitney Houston. She sold more than 100 million records and accumulated over a billion streams on digital platforms. She was also recognized for her banjo, guitar and fingerpicked dulcimer playing. Parton founded the Imagination Library, a nonprofit that mails free books to children in Tennessee, after seeing her father struggle with reading because he left school to work on the family farm. She learned guitar at age 10, performed on local television and appeared on the Grand Ole Opry at 13 after being introduced by Johnny Cash. Her film work included the 1980 comedy "9 to 5" with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, for which she wrote the Oscar-nominated title song and won two Grammys. With 55 Grammy nominations and 10 wins, Parton ranked as the third most-nominated female artist in Grammy history, behind Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.