'True loss for millions of people': Trump honours Dolly Parton after her death, orders US flags lowered for a week

President Donald Trump paid an emotional tribute to Dolly Parton following the country music legend's death on Wednesday, calling her a once-in-a-generation artist and announcing that American flags will be lowered across the United States for one week in her honour.

Trump's message came shortly after Parton's family announced her death at the age of 80, bringing an end to a career that stretched across more than six decades and made the Tennessee-born singer one of the most recognisable figures in American entertainment.

In a statement on Truth Social, Trump said Parton's death represented a loss felt by millions and praised her influence far beyond country music.


“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away,” Trump said.

He added that there had “never been anyone like her, and never will,” before announcing that he was ordering American flags to be lowered for seven days, beginning at 6 p.m.

“Rest in Peace, Dolly! The World loves you,” Trump wrote.

Trump orders flags lowered across the United States

The decision to lower the American flag for a week is a significant national tribute to an artist whose influence extended well beyond the recording industry.

Parton spent more than six decades as a singer, songwriter, actor, entrepreneur and philanthropist, building a career that crossed musical genres and generations.

From country classics such as Jolene and I Will Always Love You to the pop success of 9 to 5, she became one of the few artists capable of maintaining a fiercely loyal country audience while achieving global mainstream recognition.

Her death has prompted tributes from across the worlds of music, entertainment and politics, with Trump's message focusing on the scale of her cultural impact.

Dolly Parton's nephew delivers emotional family announcement

The Parton and Owens family announced her death in a message delivered by Brian Seaver, the son of Parton's sister Cassie Parton and a longtime member of her security team.

"Hey everyone, my name is Brian Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I'm representing the Parton and Owens family today, announcing the passing of my Aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton-Dean, sister, sis, aunt granny to one generation and Gigi to the next," he said.

"His video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven't truly felt it until now," he added.

Seaver described Parton not simply as an international star but as a central figure within a large family that had shared her life long before the rest of the world came to know her.

He said the announcement was something Parton had asked him to prepare for years earlier, although he admitted that he had never fully understood the emotional weight of the moment until it arrived.

Seaver recalled travelling with Parton as a child in the early 1980s and said she had created opportunities not only for him but for generations of musicians, songwriters and dreamers.

According to the family statement, Parton believed in opening doors for others and saw possibility where many people saw obstacles.

A final message that reflected Dolly Parton's humor

The family's announcement also included a deeply personal detail that reflected the humor and self-awareness that remained central to Parton's public image throughout her life.

Seaver said Parton had expressed a wish to rest in “a beautiful bed of plush cotton,” joking that after a lifetime spent wearing heavy rhinestones, she had finally earned the chance to be comfortable.

She became famous for her elaborate wigs, glittering outfits and larger-than-life stage persona, yet remained closely connected to the Appalachian upbringing that shaped her music and worldview.

Her nephew also compared her work to that of her father, describing him as someone who farmed the land while Parton, in her own way, “farmed songs and happiness.”

From a Tennessee childhood to global fame

Born in rural Tennessee, Parton rose from a childhood marked by poverty to become one of the most successful singer-songwriters in modern music.

Her catalogue produced enduring standards, while her voice and personality carried her into film, television and business. She also built Dollywood into a major tourism destination and created the Imagination Library, a literacy programme that has distributed books to children around the world.

Parton's music reached country fans, pop audiences and younger listeners who discovered her decades after her biggest hits were released. Her collaborations and friendships introduced her to new audiences, while her philanthropy helped make her one of the most widely admired figures in American public life.

‘She will always love you’

In his announcement, Seaver said his aunt had become an extended part of countless families through television, records, CDs and, later, digital music.

That connection was reflected in his closing tribute.

Parton, he said, had left behind a lifetime of memories not just for her family but for the millions of people who had followed her career.

Trump's decision to lower the American flag for a week now adds a formal national gesture to the wave of tributes following her death.

For a performer whose career took her from the mountains of Tennessee to concert stages, film sets and homes around the world, the reaction reflects the scale of the void she leaves behind.

As her family begins the task of preserving her legacy, Seaver ended the announcement with words that echoed one of Parton's most famous songs: “She will always love you.”