Dolly Parton, the iconic figure of country music who transformed her humble beginnings in a Tennessee cabin into a vast legacy of music and entertainment, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80.
Team Dolly, her public relations team, confirmed her death, stating that she passed away at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, surrounded by family, after a brief but courageous struggle with cancer.
The announcement was made by her nephew Bryan Seaver in a video shared on her official Instagram, mentioning that this was a task his aunt had entrusted to him years prior.
Born on January 19, 1946, near Sevierville, Tennessee, Dolly was the fourth of twelve siblings. Throughout her illustrious career, she won 11 Grammy Awards and sold over 100 million records, solidifying her status as one of the best-selling artists ever.
Parton created Dollywood, brought the film “9 to 5” to life, and famously penned her own farewell song, “I Will Always Love You.” This emotional piece, written in 1973 as a tribute to her mentor Porter Wagoner, became a chart-topping hit after Whitney Houston’s rendition in 1992 for “The Bodyguard,” despite her earlier choice to turn down Elvis Presley for the song.
Her philanthropic efforts were as notable as her music. Since launching the Imagination Library in 1995, she has gifted nearly 308 million free books to children in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia.
The front page of Wednesday’s New York Post features her image accompanied by her heartfelt message to the world: “We will always love you.”
This tribute, immortalized in bold print, is part of the complete print edition, showcasing not just the front page but also a retrospective on her extraordinary career, along with columns and photographs.
This issue serves as a poignant keepsake of the day New York bid farewell to a beloved figure who felt like home to many beyond her Tennessee roots.
