ORLANDO, Fla. – Dolly Parton, the iconic songwriter, singer and actor, has died.
A statement from her publicist says she died peacefully Tuesday at the age of 80 in Nashville, Tennessee. Parton wrote and sang hundreds of songs, including classics like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You,” that totaled more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams.
Tributes are pouring in for Parton, who was among the most beloved personalities in music — the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.
News 6 anchor Martie Salt discussed her own humorous encounter with Dolly Parton decades ago when she interviewed the star singer.
“She had a TV variety show at the time, so it was part of my assignment to go and interview Dolly,” Salt said. “She was just as natural... as she is on the stage and just personable. And of course, I asked her her measurements because I’m a reporter; you ask those things. She’s not required to answer, and she didn’t. She said, ‘No, I’m not going to tell ya.’”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
