A2 Elementary · 176 words · 2 min read

Dolly Parton, Country Music Legend, Dies Aged 80

The singer and songwriter from Tennessee wrote more than 3,000 songs in a career of over 60 years.

Dolly Parton, one of the most famous country singers in the world, has died at the age of 80. Her team announced the news on social media.

Parton was born in 1946 in Tennessee, in the south of the United States. She was the fourth of 12 children in a poor farming family, and they lived in a cabin with one bedroom.

She began singing in her local church at the age of six and was performing on local television as a teenager. When she was 13, she sang at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, the most famous stage in country music.

In a career of more than 60 years, Parton wrote over 3,000 songs, sold more than 100 million records and won 10 Grammy awards. Her best-known songs include Jolene, I Will Always Love You and Coat of Many Colors.

Parton always said she was a songwriter first. "It's my way of expressing myself," she said. "It's my therapy." She was also known for her bright, colourful style and her quick sense of humour.

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