Dolly Parton, the country music icon, died Tuesday at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer, her representatives confirmed. Her nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, first announced the news in a video posted to her social media accounts. Streams of her catalog surged immediately.
On U.S. Spotify, they jumped 2,320% the day she died compared with her average over the prior week; globally, they rose 1,260%.
- “Jolene” climbed 1,225% in the United States and 630% worldwide.
- “9 to 5” rose 1,030% in the U.S. and 630% globally.
She also swept digital charts. On Apple Music in the United States, “Jolene” hit No. 1, followed by “9 to 5” at No. 2, “Islands in the Stream” at No. 4 and “I Will Always Love You” at No. 5.
On iTunes, her original “I Will Always Love You” led the songs chart, the rest of the top 10 were hers as well, and 11 of the top 12 albums were Parton titles (a Post Malone album sat at No. 8).
Days before her death, Parton told People she was facing “hard times with my health,” saying she had neglected her own issues while caring for her husband, Carl Dean, who died last year. She postponed Las Vegas shows last year, citing “health challenges,” and said in May that her immune and digestive systems had been “out of whack” for three years.
Tributes poured in from celebrities and politicians. Goddaughter Miley Cyrus wrote on Instagram that losing her “Aunt Dolly” felt beyond what she could share publicly, adding that their “most sacred moments were private and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour & between our hearts.”