Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed comments from WKAR’s Scott Pohl to Dolly Parton’s nephew. It also incorrectly stated that Parton’s Imagination Library operates through a local affiliate in Jackson. The story has been corrected.
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Mid-Michigan residents are mourning the death of country music icon Dolly Parton, announced Tuesday afternoon. Family members say Parton died peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones. No specific cause of death has been released.
Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her passing in a video posted on social media.
WKAR Inside the Arts reporter Scott Pohl reflected on Parton’s influence across the music industry.
“Dolly Parton was respected and beloved in all genres of music, not just country and not just as a singer, of course; as a songwriter too,” Pohl said. “Legend has it that she wrote ‘Jolene’ and ‘I Will Always Love You’ on the same day. Quite a woman.”
Parton rose from rural Tennessee poverty to become one of America’s most beloved entertainers, known for hits like “Jolene” and “9 to 5.” Over six decades, she built a career blending chart-topping music, business ventures and nationally recognized philanthropy.
Parton’s influence has also been strong in mid-Michigan. Here are some highlights:
- Dolly Parton visited the MSU Breslin events center in 1990, shortly after its opening. She signed the celebrity signature wall in the floor-level tunnel, leaving her mark on East Lansing.
- In 2025, the MSU Department of Theatre put on a production of “9 to 5: The Musical”, featuring music and lyrics by Parton.
Parton’s Imagination Library, a book-gifting program for children from birth to age five, has long operated through local affiliates across the state including Ingham County. Around 2,000 Lansing area children receive a book a month from the Imagination Library.
Kelly Haynie, Director of Program Innovations at Child and Family Charities, a community partner for the Imagination Library in specific Lansing neighborhoods, told WKAR News Tuesday Parton’s influence extended far beyond her music.
“Her impact definitely went beyond the songs and the music and the entertainment that she provided in her life,” Haynie said.
“This is a critical program for Child and Family Charities because we believe that early childhood literacy is preventative to child abuse and neglect, so her impact we have seen much beyond, you know, kind of her singing and acting career,” she said.
Parton’s music also left an impression on a younger generation.
WKAR News also spoke with Michigan State University music student Caitlyn Falbe.
“I do think that it'll definitely affect the country,” Falbe said. “I think she's a very iconic figure and a positive figure for a lot of people.”
Michigan is lowering U.S. and state flags at the Capitol and on public buildings statewide to half-staff beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Parton’s honor, under an order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.