Country Music Legend Dolly Parton Dies at 80

Country music has lost one of its brightest stars.

Dolly Parton, the legendary singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist whose music became part of the soundtrack of American life, has died at the age of 80. Her death was announced Tuesday, August 25.

For country music fans, it is difficult to imagine the genre without Dolly.

And for listeners of KXXX 790, her voice is certainly a familiar one. Dolly Parton has long been a staple of the classic country heard on KXXX, with songs that have remained just as recognizable decades after they were first released.

From the Tennessee Mountains to Nashville

Dolly Rebecca Parton was born January 19, 1946, and grew up as one of 12 children in a poor family in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.

Music came early. She sang as a child, wrote songs and performed on local radio and television before eventually heading to Nashville following high school. Her career took a major step forward when she joined Porter Wagoner and became a regular on "The Porter Wagoner Show."

But Dolly was never destined to simply be someone else's singing partner.

She became one of country music's biggest solo stars and one of the most successful songwriters the genre has ever produced.

Her catalog includes classics such as "Jolene," "Coat of Many Colors," "9 to 5," "Here You Come Again," "I Will Always Love You," "Two Doors Down" and her famous Kenny Rogers duet "Islands in the Stream."

"I Will Always Love You" was originally written as Dolly prepared to leave her professional partnership with Wagoner. Nearly two decades later, Whitney Houston turned Dolly's song into one of the biggest recordings in pop music history.

Just days before her death, Dolly's official website announced that her catalog had received another 82 global sales certifications across 14 countries, another reminder that her music continued reaching new generations.

More Than a Country Singer

Dolly's personality proved every bit as big as her music.

She crossed into pop music, television and Hollywood, starring alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the 1980 movie "9 to 5." She later appeared in films including "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and "Steel Magnolias."

Her career brought an incredible collection of honors, including Grammy Awards, CMA and ACM honors, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Kennedy Center Honors and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Then there was Dollywood.

What became one of America's best-known theme parks also helped bring tourism, jobs and economic activity to the same East Tennessee region Dolly called home.

Dolly's Legacy Went Beyond Music

For all the records, awards and rhinestones, one of Dolly Parton's greatest accomplishments may have had nothing to do with a recording studio.

She launched Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in 1995, inspired in part by her father's inability to read and write. The program began by providing free books to young children in her home county in Tennessee and eventually expanded internationally.

More than 270 million free books have been mailed through the program.

She also became known for stepping forward when people needed help, including supporting families affected by the devastating 2016 wildfires in the Smoky Mountains.

That combination of talent, humor, generosity and an ability to never take herself too seriously made Dolly something increasingly rare: a celebrity who seemed to belong to everyone.

A Voice That Isn't Going Away

Dolly Parton's passing is a tremendous loss for country music, but her music isn't going anywhere. And you will hear it even a little more with her passing on KXXX 790 in honor of her memory.

After annoucing the news, KXXX played several of her songs and talked about her life. Addison Stoddard will do the same on her KXXX 790 show from 7 to 9 on Wednesday morning.

For more than six decades, she wrote and sang songs about love, heartbreak, family, poverty, dreams, determination and where she came from. She could make you laugh, break your heart and then make you sing along a few minutes later.

Her songs influenced generations of country artists, crossed musical boundaries and became standards that will continue to be played for generations.

Here in northwest Kansas, that includes KXXX 790.

Dolly Parton has been a staple of the music heard on KXXX, and while Tuesday brings the sad news that one of country's greatest voices is gone, you'll continue hearing that unmistakable Dolly sound on the radio.

The rhinestones may have stopped sparkling on stage, but the songs certainly haven't.

Country music lost a legend.

Thankfully, Dolly Parton left us one incredible soundtrack.