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Dolly Parton died on Aug. 25, 2026, at 80 years old.

The country music and pop culture icon has been revered as a maternal figure for her generosity and history of kindness, but the “I Will Always Love You” singer and her husband, Carl Dean (who died in March 2025 at age 82) never had children of their own throughout their six decades of marriage.

It was somewhat surprising to many casual fans of Parton, who came from a family of 12 herself.

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Just because she didn’t birth or raise a family of her own doesn’t mean Parton didn’t have children in her life, however: She is godmother to none other than Miley Cyrus, who she mentored throughout her Hannah Montana days and performed with often, including on The Voice, at the 2019 Grammys and in Cyrus’ 2022 New Year’s Eve special, to name a few.

Find out why Parton and Dean were child-free and why she thinks it was a gift.

Related: Dolly Parton Opens Up About the 1976 Song She Wrote to Fight Back Against the Tabloids

NBC / Getty Images

Parton said she and Dean, who met when she was 18 and married two years later in 1966, opted not to have kids in order to prioritize her career.

“Since I had no kids, and my husband was pretty independent, I had freedom,” Parton explained on The Oprah Conversation in November 2020. “So I think a big part of my whole success is the fact that I was free to work.”

She added, “I didn’t have children because I believed that God didn’t mean for me to have kids—so everybody’s kids could be mine, so I could do things like Imagination Library.” (For the uninitiated, Parton’s Imagination Library is her charitable initiative that provides free books for children in need. As of October 2025, her Imagination Library donated 300 million books and counting.)

“If I hadn’t had the freedom to work, I wouldn’t have done all the things I’ve done,” Parton emphasized. “I wouldn’t be in a position to do all of the things I’m doing now … I’ve made sacrifices, but I think, like I said, I believe what I know I’m supposed to do.”

Related: Dolly Parton Was Building Her Biggest Legacy Project Yet Before Her Death

She admitted to Billboard that she and Dean at one point regretted not becoming parents, but that those feelings soon subsided once she got to experience the joy of having nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

“Now that Carl and I are older, we often say, ‘Aren’t you glad we didn’t have kids? Now we don’t have kids to worry about,'” she said.

In a 2017 TODAY interview, Parton joked about the real reason she thinks kids were drawn to her, even though she didn’t have any of her own.

“I have that high-pitched voice, I look like Mother Goose or one of those over-exaggerated characters, and kids just relate to that … God has a plan for everything,” she said. “I think it probably was his plan for me not to have kids so everybody’s kids could be mine. And they are now.”

And honestly? We are all the better for it. Rest well, Mother.

Related: Dolly Parton’s Cause of Death Has Been Revealed

Dolly Parton spent her final Instagram post celebrating a piece of country music history she shared with an old friend.

Before news broke of the country legend’s death at age 80 on Tuesday, August 25, Parton’s final post looked back on the 43rd anniversary of “Islands in the Stream,” her beloved duet with the late Kenny Rogers.

The post, which was shared 10 days before her death, featured footage of Parton and Rogers performing the hit together, which originally aired on January 19, 1988. “43 years of ‘Islands In the Stream!’ 💖 @_kennyrogers,” Parton simply captioned the clip.

Released in 1983, “Islands in the Stream” became one of the defining songs of both singers’ careers. Written by the Bee Gees, the duet topped the Billboard Hot 100 and went down in history as one of country music’s most memorable pairings.

READ MORE: Eminem Shares Emotional Dolly Parton Tribute — and Reveals Her Unexpected Message That Had a Lasting Impact on Him

Rogers later recalled that Parton wasn’t initially part of the recording. After several days working on the song with Barry Gibb, Rogers felt something was missing. “And we had been singing this song in my studio in L.A. for four days. And I finally said, ‘Barry, I don’t even like this song anymore,” Rogers recalled to People back in 2017.

Gibb suggested adding Parton, who happened to be nearby, and her arrival transformed the track. “And Dolly, in her inimitable fashion, marched into the room and the song was never the same,” he revealed.

Rogers died of natural causes on March 20, 2020, at age 81 while under hospice care at his Georgia home.

Parton’s final post came amid concerns about her own health. Just four days before her death, she acknowledged that she had been dealing with health issues she previously put aside while caring for her husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025. Still, she emphasized that she remained focused on recovering and working, despite cancelling a few appearances.

News of Parton’s death was announced by her nephew Bryan Seaver on Tuesday in an emotional Instagram video, revealing that the country icon had actually prepared him for the responsibility years earlier. “This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” he said. He explained that he had served as Parton’s head of security for more than two decades, following in the footsteps of his father, Larry.

Earlier this year, Parton revealed that she was undergoing treatments for unspecified issues affecting her immune and digestive systems. While she said in May that she was “improving every day,” her recovery forced her to step away from some public appearances and performances.

Related: Dolly Parton’s Health: Country Icon Gives New Update After Recent Cancellation

In 1992, Whitney Houston covered a country legend’s song, “I Will Always Love You,” for The Bodyguard soundtrack, and it went on to break records as it topped Billboard charts for several weeks. Now, decades later, it is regarded as the No. 1 greatest Dolly Parton cover of all time.

“One way Parton has been honored is through covers. Artists from across genres have taken on Parton’s hits in homage and to reflect just how much influence the singer has had on their lives and careers,” Ranker shared of its lineup published in April 2025.

At the top of the list is Houston’s rendition of “I Will Always Love You.” Per the outlet, citing a New York Times feature, “Houston transforms a plaintive country ballad into a towering pop-gospel assertion of lasting devotion to a departing lover. Her voice breaking and tensing, she treats the song as a series of emotional bursts in a steady climb toward a final full-out declamation. Along the way, her virtuosic gospel embellishments enhance the emotion and never seem merely ornamental.”

The smash hit climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for 14 weeks. It is also certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America and earned Houston two Grammy awards in 1994 in the coveted Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female categories.

Meanwhile, The Bodyguard, starring Houston and Kevin Costner, didn’t just become one of the most beloved films ever made; the soundtrack also earned a new record, and it’s one that it still holds, 34 years later: No. 1 best-selling soundtrack of all time.

The project also included standout hits like “I Have Nothing,” “I’m Every Woman,” “Run to You,” and worship song, “Jesus Loves Me.” In total, the soundtrack sold over 45 million copies worldwide, spent 20 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and became the first album in the SoundScan era to sell over 1 million copies in a single week.

As for the country icon, she was floored when she heard Houston’s vocals on the track. “I couldn’t believe my little country sad song could even be done like that,” Parton admitted in 2023. “That was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

And the respect was always mutual between the two powerhouse artists. “I think Dolly Parton is a hell of a writer and a hell of a singer,” Houston said in a 1993 interview with Rolling Stone. “I was so concerned when I sang her song how she’d feel about it, in terms of the arrangement, my licks, my flavor. When she said she was floored, that meant so much to me.”

Whitney Houston died on Feb. 11, 2012, at the age of 48. News of Dolly Parton’s death at 80 was announced by her family on Aug. 25, 2026.

Next, 1969 Hit Ranked the No. 2 ‘Greatest Bob Dylan Cover’ of All Time

Dolly Parton died at the age of 80, her family announced on Tuesday, August 25.

The beloved country music icon has left Hollywood and fans alike in mourning. However, the “I Will Always Love You” artist previously revealed that she had a vault of pre-recorded music that would be available to be released following her death.

“I’ve got hundreds, hundreds, even thousands of songs — a big part of them have never even been recorded,” Parton said during an appearance on the Dolly Parton’s America podcast in 2020. “There’s enough stuff to go on forever with my music, to do compilation albums, to do new and original stuff. I am purposely trying to put songs down for that very purpose, to have a click track and my vocals where any arrangement could be done. So I think ahead.”

She added, “Anybody could produce that. Anyone, any producer in the world — a hot shot producer, when I’m gone, they could take my songs, just the click track of my vocal, and build a complete arrangement around that. So that will go on forever.”

Parton died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday, with her nephew announcing the devastating news via social media.

“My name is Brin 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 and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” he began. “This 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. It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.”

For most of her extraordinary career, Dolly Parton seemed unstoppable. But there was a time when the country music legend seriously considered walking away from the business.

The surprising part? She wasn’t tired of songwriting. She was struggling with the pressures and personal complications that came with her rapidly growing career.

One of the biggest turning points came during Parton’s years working with Porter Wagoner.

Parton joined The Porter Wagoner Show in 1967, and Wagoner became an important mentor as she established herself as a performer and songwriter. But after several years, Parton wanted to pursue a solo career, while Wagoner wanted her to remain on his show.

Their professional split became painful enough that Parton considered giving up.

Instead, she turned the experience into music.

In 1973, Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” as a farewell to Wagoner. Rather than ending their relationship with anger, she wanted to express gratitude for what he had done for her while making it clear that she needed to move forward.

The song became a No. 1 country hit for Parton.

Nearly two decades later, Whitney Houston’s version for The Bodyguard became a global phenomenon, spending 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The moment could have marked the end of Parton’s music career. Instead, it became part of the foundation for everything that followed.

Parton went on to become a country superstar, Hollywood actress, bestselling author, entrepreneur and philanthropist while continuing to write and record music.

She also built Dollywood and launched the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, turning her career into something much larger than a recording career.

Looking back, there’s something fitting about the fact that one of Parton’s most famous songs came from a moment when she was ready to move on.

She didn’t quit.

She wrote a song about saying goodbye, and then built an entirely new chapter of her life.

RELATED: Dolly Parton Once Revealed the Journey Classic She Wished She Had Written

The following 4 zodiac signs are most likely to change careers later in life: Aries, Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. But why?

Each star sign has its own unique soul mission to consider. While they might resist such a dramatic life shift at first, ultimately they know that they’re chasing purpose and alignment, even if it takes a few decades to find their truest calling.

For some people, the first career they pick is the one they stay in for good. For others, that first choice is just a placeholder, a reasonable answer to give in their early 20s or 30s that stops making sense as they mature into a wiser, more grounded version of themselves.

Check your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs.

Ruled by fast-moving Mars, Aries often jumps into a career early, often before fully knowing what they actually want long-term. That first job usually gets chosen for its excitement or its paycheck, not its staying power. After all, what fire sign doesn’t love the thrill of a passionate chase?

However, once the initial thrill fades and routine sets in, this restless star sign typically starts eyeing something new. A full career pivot later in life isn’t uncommon. While indecision is rarely their problem, stagnation most definitely makes their skin crawl. A career pivot is often just what Aries needs to stay engaged in their professional development.

Mercury-ruled Gemini gets bored faster than almost any other sign, which makes a single, static career path genuinely hard to sustain for decades. This intellectual Air sign’s mind craves variety and new information, and eventually, one industry simply stops supplying enough of it.

A later-in-life career change isn’t a crisis for Gemini. Typically, it’s the moment they finally feel intellectually alive again after years of coasting on autopilot. By allowing themselves permission to explore and experiment in their professional life, they unlock greater success. Their fulfillment doesn’t come from staying in monotonous, predictable fields. As an innovator, they’re made for living on the leading edge.

Libra spends their early life often trying to keep everyone happy, often landing in a career path that looks balanced and agreeable on paper rather than one that is ever truly their best choice. It takes years of quiet dissatisfaction before Libra finally prioritizes their own fulfillment over everyone else’s expectations.

When the shift finally happens, it’s usually because this peacekeeper got tired of being diplomatic about their own unhappiness. Ruled by Venus, they love to nurture others. However, the universe pushes them to learn to satisfy themselves later in their professional development. A career that reflects their favorite hobbies and pastimes can often be more healing than one that looks good to others but feels stifling inside.

Ruled by unconventional Uranus, Aquarius often starts out in a career that seems practical or expected, only to realize later that “practical” and “fulfilling” were never actually the same thing for them. After all, this Air sign knows how to be objective. Sometimes they forget that their feelings need to be part of the equation to keep things sustainable.

Aquarius’s real calling tends to be something a little more unusual, a little harder to explain at a dinner party. Embracing their own definition of success means rejecting the roles they’ve been conditioned to assume. A late-career pivot for Aquarius allows them to trust their own instincts over everyone else’s expectations.

UP NEXT:

Dancing with the Stars pro Jenna Johnson is sharing an update following her in-laws, and former DWTS pros, Maks Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd‘s cross-country move.

“I think that they are absolutely thriving, and they love it there,” Johnson, wife of Maks’ brother Val told Us Weekly in an interview shared on Tuesday. “And I’m so happy to see them happy.”

The update comes weeks after the couple announced they were moving from Los Angeles — where Johnson and Val live — to Florida.

“Are we heartbroken? Yes, because we literally lived in the same neighborhood for two years,” Johnson said. “You you forget how much you take advantage of that until they’re gone, and then you’re like, “What the heck are we doing?'”

Since the move, the parents of three have been documented their new life in the Sunshine State in the form of fun Instagrams.

“It just makes sense for their family, and it just fits them,” Johnson also said. “And Peta grew up in Australia. She loves that climate, that weather.”

Related: Former ‘DWTS’ Pros Maksim Chmerkovskiy And Peta Murgatroyd Share Major Family News: ‘Everything We Hoped For’

While the DWTS pro said “never say never” as to whether her and her husband will make a big move also, she shared that the families will make it a point to reunite for special occasions.

“I think for right now, we’re gonna be just like bicoastal family members and visit for holidays,” she said. “Those moments will be so much more present and important when we do get to share them, because we do miss them so much. But [we’re] so happy for them.

Maks and Murgatroyd announced their big move in a joint social media post in June.

“Leaving behind the place we’d called home for so many years wasn’t easy, but sometimes the biggest leaps lead you exactly where you’re meant to be,” they wrote. “The happiness, the slower pace, the sunshine, watching our boys love every second of it… it’s everything we hoped for and more.” 

While Johnson and Val are staying in Los Angeles, they also shared this summer that they bought a new house.

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Dolly Parton wrote thousands of songs during her extraordinary career, including “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You.” But even one of country music’s greatest songwriters has occasionally heard a song and thought, I wish I’d written that.

One of those songs was a classic from Journey.

While discussing her 2023 rock album, Rockstar, Parton revealed that she wished she had written “Open Arms,” the soaring power ballad originally recorded by Journey in 1982.

“I wish I had written it,” Parton said in an interview with The Music.

The song held an especially personal connection for Parton because of her late husband, Carl Dean.

“Open Arms” was written by Journey’s Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain and became one of the band’s signature ballads after appearing on the 1981 album Escape.

Parton had long admired the song. Dean did, too.

“My husband always loved it and always thought I should have recorded it with Kenny Rogers,” Parton explained.

Parton and Rogers had a celebrated musical friendship, recording together on songs including their 1983 hit “Islands in the Stream.” Dean apparently thought “Open Arms” could have been another memorable collaboration for the pair.

The opportunity never came.

Years later, Parton finally found a way to record the song herself.

When Parton began putting together Rockstar, her ambitious 2023 album of rock covers and original songs, “Open Arms” immediately came to mind.

There was one person she particularly wanted involved: Perry, who had originally sung the Journey version.

“So, when I started doing the rock album, I thought, well, I’m going to record ‘Open Arms,’ and then I’m going to ask Steve Perry to sing it with me,” Parton said.

Perry agreed, joining Parton for a new version of the song.

The collaboration gave Parton something she had never quite managed during Dean’s lifetime: the chance to record one of his favorite songs with the singer who made it famous.

It was also a fitting choice for an artist who had spent her own career proving that a great song could cross musical boundaries.

Parton had already written songs that became massive hits for other artists, most famously Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You.” But “Open Arms” represented the other side of songwriting, the rare song she heard and wished she could have claimed as her own.

Parton died at the age of 80. Her family shared the news on Aug. 25, 2026.

RELATED: Dolly Parton Was Building Her Biggest Legacy Project Yet Before Her Death

The Hills alum and recent L.A. mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt isn’t holding back. But then again, when does he ever? The former reality show villain just compared Jimmy Kimmel to Harvey Weinstein, and here’s how the story unfolded.

Pratt recently shared a Page Six article about the late-night host and his wife, titled ‘Jimmy Kimmel’s Wife Recalls Moment She Knew Host ‘Wanted to F***’ Ahead of ‘Bad Idea’ Romance.’ The headline comes from an episode of Dax Shepherd’s ‘Armchair Expert’ podcast, in which Kimmel and his wife, Molly McNearney, talked about the start of their relationship. 

McNearney told Shepherd that Kimmel invited her over after work for dinner, and when the podcast host asked her if she “immediately registered that as, ‘Oh, he wants to f***,’ she responded, “Yes! It made me very excited and very nervous. I remember thinking, ‘Oh no. This is a bad idea.’ He was my boss.” 

Kimmel explained that he “didn’t have that thought at the time.” But his now-wife still said, “The person in power usually doesn’t, but I was very nervous about it. I thought it was a terrible idea…I was very skittish.” McNearney continued, “I just kept thinking statistically this is not going to work out and your life isn’t going to change, but mine does. And that’s what freaked me out. Because I had worked really, really hard.” 

Of course, it did work out for both of them. The pair kept dating, married in 2013, and now have two children together, 12-year-old Jane and nine-year-old Billy.

When Pratt reshared the Page Six story on X, he did more than just post the article. He added, “Isn’t this what Harvey Weinstein did?” 

Fans and critics flocked to the post, commenting on Pratt’s jaw-dropping statement with, “Ahhhh good one! Expose these ugly hypocrites!” and “How else would he get a date?” But the comments certainly didn’t end there. 

Isn’t this what Harvey Weinstein did? https://t.co/uyE67x201r

Plenty of Kimmel’s fans jumped in to give their support: “Big difference there, guy. Molly isn’t a victim. You’re not smart enough for this”, “This is a mutual relationship, described by the woman in it on her own podcast twenty years later. She married him. Consent isn’t a technicality you can wave off,” and “Yikes. Equating consensual dating between coworkers to Weinstein’s criminal predations shows you don’t know the difference between a professional office environment and a textbook predator. Scary that you don’t.”

This isn’t the first feud between Kimmel and Pratt. The late-night host mocked Pratt in June on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, renting him a U-Haul after his mayoral loss. Pratt fired back, posting a video of the rubble that used to be home before the Palisades Fires scorched it on X, along with, “Jimmy Kimmel I guess you missed the part of the story I don’t need a U-Haul…I have nothing left to pack.” 

As of now, Kimmel has yet to respond to Pratt’s recent post. 

Shadow King, the all-star rock band fronted by Lou Gramm, remained one of the most overlooked supergroups of its era.

With the quartet bringing together musical virtuosos like Dio, Whitesnake and later Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, drummer Kevin Valentine of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers, Gramm’s longtime songwriting partner Bruce Turgon on bass and the former Foreigner member on vocals, their short-lived run left a lasting mark on the music industry despite receiving far less recognition than their collective talent deserved.

In a feature published by Ultimate Classic Rock, the outlet named 68 forgotten rock supergroups over the years, with Shadow King among those featured.

Gramm founded the four-piece band as the next phase for his musical career after leaving the legendary classic rock band.

Rick Diamond/Getty Images

The powerhouse lineup released only one record, a self-titled album in 1991.

At the time, the iconic vocalist was positive about the band’s potential.

“We were ready to go on the road for the long haul, because we were so stoked about the material, attitude and imagery of the band,” he explains in a separate conversation with UCR. “Atlantic [Records] did not do us right.”

With 10 songs on their debut studio album, “I Want You” emerged as the standout track. It was not only considered a radio hit at the time but also reached No. 22 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

Other notable tracks included “Once Upon a Time” and “Don’t Even Know I’m Alive.”

Despite having an all-star lineup, an album and their first and last live performance, which took place at Astoria in London in December 1991, the band struggled to keep its momentum going.

With limited promotion and the departure of a key member, the band’s momentum quickly faded.

“We had no gigs, no promotion and the next thing that happened was that Vivian was asked to join Def Leppard. He gave his notice,” Gramm mentioned in an interview as cited by UCR.

Following the death of Clark in January 1991, this served as a major turning point for the lead singer and he admitted the frustration he felt being in bands.

“Obviously, that was a major decision for me. Because I had been in a lot of bands at that stage in my career and had just seen another one fail with Shadow King and Lou,”  Gramm told UCR in a previously unpublished interview from 2016. “I’d really invested heavily into going my own route and just thinking, ‘Okay, this whole band thing is never going to work out for me. I’m just going to make a record of my own.'”

In addition, the lack of recognition was also influenced by the commercial rise of grunge bands in the ‘90s.

Related: 1972 No. 1 Hit by America Ranked Among ‘Greatest Soft Rock Songs’ of All Time

Ted Danson has maintained a long and happy marriage to fellow actor Mary Steenburgen for over 30 years, the two having initially settled down together back in 1995.

For as many years as they’ve been together, the two actors have sporadically collaborated on a variety of movies and TV series together, including a lengthy stint on HBO’s comedy series, Curb Your Enthusiasm.

The brainchild of Seinfeld creator Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm saw Danson and Steenburgen playing fictionalized versions of themselves, notably appearing as recurring friends/bickering enemies to David in the show.

While they initially appeared as a couple on the show, Danson and Steenburgen’s on-screen relationship in Curb comes to an end when Danson divorces Steenburgen and pursues a romance with David’s in-show ex-wife, Cheryl Hines.

Hilariously, Danson revealed on a 2024 episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers that some of his and Steenburgen’s real-life friends truly believed the couple was divorced based off the storyline in Curb Your Enthusiasm, mistaking it for reality.

In point of fact, the confusion only worsened the emotions Danson and Steenburgen were feeling as they played out the fictional divorce, something the Cheers actor said felt was “too soon.”

“I’m an actor. I know I’m just pretending. I get that, I get that. But it didn’t feel that way!” Danson said of the show’s plotline. “I think we had been campaigning for Hillary, and she did not win, and it was a very tender time and moments. And then I go to work, and he said ‘Oh, by the way, you divorced Mary, and you’re dating Cheryl,’ and it was like — it was too soon!”

“People who we knew, who knew us well, would call after they saw the show, they’d go ‘Oh my god.’ And Mary would go ‘Yeah, right! We decided to announce it on a sitcom,’” Danson continued with a laugh.

Tai Babilonia is mourning the death of ice skating legend Cathy Steele Bietak. Born Cathy Stiedl in Garmisch, Germany, Steele Bietak began her professional career as a teenager before eventually partnering with Phil Romayne. Together, the pair became one of the most celebrated Ice Capades teams of the 1950s and ’60s and are regarded among the best adagio performers of all time. Steele Bietak died this week at the age of 90. Babilonia was one of the first to share the news on social media, writing:

“My heart hurts 💔😔 Rest In Power to the GOAT of Adagio pair skating Ms. Cathy Steele Bietak. You were an Icon of the skating world, your grace, elegance & strength on and off the ice will always be an inspiration to me. Cathy Steele Bietak was a true force of nature, her brilliance on ice was untouchable~ 🙏🏽💪🏽👑⭐️❤️⛸️🩰🐐🕊️ I watched & learned from the best! My condolences to @willybietak @willybietakproductions”

One of the great stars of professional ice shows, Cathy Steele was known for her dramatic and acrobatic style of adagio pair skating. Partnering with Phil Romayne, the skating duo weren’t competitive skaters on an Olympic path. Their specialty was adagio skating, a theatrical form of pair skating showcasing dramatic lifts, acrobatics, strength and showmanship.

Steele and Romayne’s performances were extravagant and showed just how spectacular skating could be outside of the competitive arena.

One of the most popular pairs of the golden age of professional ice skating shows, the duo were known as crowd-pleasers and regarded as one of the best adagio pairs in the world. Steele, along with Romayne, would go on to mentor younger generations of skaters, serving as an inspiration for generations of performers, including Tai Babilonia.

Related: Brian Boitano, 62, Is Still ‘As Beautiful As Ever’ as He Spins on the Ice

Babilonia and her partner, Randy Gardner, became stars of the skating-show circuit following the end of their competitive careers. Babilonia and Gardner became five-time U.S. champions and 1979 world champions before turning professional, where they toured extensively and became major attractions, including performing in productions such as the Ice Capades.

It was a world that Steele had helped establish, making her part of the generation of professional performers who showed younger skaters what could be possible beyond competitive skating.

For Babilonia, Steele was more than a legend from another era. She was someone she watched, admired and learned from.

Cathy Steele’s skating career eventually led to a second act behind the scenes. Following her years with the Ice Capades, she performed with her husband and skating partner, Willy Bietak, and later worked as a choreographer for Knott’s Berry Farm ice shows and Royal Caribbean cruise productions.

Her career helped bring theatricality, athleticism and personality to audiences who might never have watched a competitive skating event.

Cathy Steele wasn’t just a part of skating history. She was part of a generation of performers who showed skaters what was possible once they stepped beyond the competitive ice.

Related: Olympic Skating Legend, 62, Who Created Magic at the 1988 Winter Games, Can Still Make the Ice Sing

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Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80.

Her nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, revealed the news in a video shared to her official Instagram account on Monday, Aug. 25.

“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” Seaver said. “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.”

“It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly,” he added. “Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.”

Following news of Parton’s death, reps confirmed to People that she died after a “brief battle with cancer.” The type of cancer was not revealed.

Concerns about Parton’s health began last year when she postponed, and later canceled, a Las Vegas residency. At that time, speculation grew to a point where she declared, “I ain’t dead yet” in a viral video posted to her social media accounts.

This May, she said her immune and digestive systems “got all out of whack” over the past three years, but that she had responded well to treatment.

Despite her comments reassuring the public, fears about Parton’s health persisted as she missed several public appearances in the year leading up to her passing. Most recently, Parton missed the opening of an attraction at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, last week.

On Friday, Aug. 21, the country music legend was hospitalized for unknown reasons, according to People. The publication later reported that Parton had been dealing with kidney and autoimmune issues before her death.

Also on Friday, the singer shared one last health update to the outlet, acknowledging her health had declined after the death of her husband, Carl Dean, in March 2025.

“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” Parton said. “You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health.”

“But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago,” she added. “I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’! You know me—as I’ve often said—I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”

RELATED: Dolly Parton Just Hit a Heartwarming Milestone With Her Imagination Library

“You’ve had such a huge impact on so many people all over the world, Dolly Parton,” George Strait said in a message posted to his social media accounts. “We will all miss you. May God bless the Parton family.”

“If there are truly angels on earth, then we have just lost one,” Sally Field wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the pair filming 1987’s Steel Magnolias. “There will never be another. I adored her with all my heart and will always cherish our time together. Forever. Rest in peace beautiful Dolly.”

“Dolly. 💔 This really really hurts,” Kacey Musgraves wrote on X. “The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden.”

Along with her music career, Parton was the founder of Dolly’s Imagination Library, a literacy program which has gifted more than 300 million books to children around the world since 1995.

Parton founded the Imagination Library in her hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee, after being inspired by her own father’s illiteracy. 

“Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me because I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy,” Parton said in a YouTube video posted in 2023. “He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams.”

Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” remains one of the band’s biggest and most lasting songs 50 years after its 1976 release, even though Stevie Nicks strongly disliked one of its most personal lyrics.

Written and sung by Lindsey Buckingham, the rock song was released in the United States on Dec. 20, 1976, as the first single from Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. The album followed in February 1977.

“Go Your Own Way” became Fleetwood Mac’s first Top 10 hit in the United States, reaching No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1977. The song has since become one of the band’s signature recordings and continues to attract listeners decades after its original release.

Photo by Richard McCaffrey/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Its lasting success is notable because the song was born from a painful breakup between Buckingham and Nicks, who were both members of Fleetwood Mac at the time.

Buckingham wrote “Go Your Own Way” after his romantic relationship with Nicks ended. The two had been together before joining Fleetwood Mac, but their breakup happened while they still had to work together in the band.

That made the recording of Rumours difficult. The album was filled with songs about relationships falling apart, and Buckingham and Nicks often had to face each other in the studio while turning those feelings into music.

The tension was especially clear in “Go Your Own Way,” because one lyric became a major source of anger for Nicks: “Packing up, shacking up is all you want to do.”

Nicks rejected the suggestion behind the line. In an interview with Classic Rock Stories, she explained, “I want you to know, that line about ‘shacking up’? I never shacked up with anybody while I was with him. I was the one who broke up with him. All he wanted to do was to fall asleep with his guitar.”

Nicks said the lyric upset her so much that she wanted Buckingham to remove it. He kept it in the song.

She also recalled the tension during performances. “Every time those words would come onstage, I wanted to go over and kill him. He knew it, so he really pushed my buttons through that.”

Buckingham, however, stood by the songwriting. He described the lyric as a blunt observation of what he was feeling at the time. But the conflict did not stop the song from becoming a major success.

“Go Your Own Way” was more than a breakup song. Its powerful guitars, strong drums, memorable chorus and emotional vocal helped make it one of Fleetwood Mac’s most recognizable recordings.

Seven years ago, music producer and educator Rick Beato discussed why the song works so well. He pointed to its unusual musical details, including its guitar parts, rhythm and arrangement. The song begins with muted guitars before moving into its vocal and fuller rock sound.

The recording itself took months to complete. The band worked at several studios, and many of the instruments were recorded separately and combined through overdubbing.

The production helped create the full sound that became a key part of “Go Your Own Way.” Mick Fleetwood’s drumming, John McVie’s bass, Christine McVie’s Hammond organ and backing vocals, Buckingham’s guitars and the backing vocals all became important parts of the final recording.

Nicks also contributed backing vocals to the song despite the personal nature of its lyrics.

The story behind “Go Your Own Way” is also connected to another major Rumours song: Nicks’ “Dreams.” The two songs came from the same breakup but presented different points of view.

Nicks explained to BBC Radio 2 the difference clearly: “Lindsey writes ‘Go Your Own Way’ and I write ‘Dreams’! I write philosophically, he writes angry!”

She also described the two songs as different sides of the same experience. “We’re coming at it from different angles, but we were really saying exactly the same thing.”

The song has appeared on numerous Fleetwood Mac compilation albums and has been performed on the band’s tours for decades. It also remained part of the group’s live performances after Buckingham left Fleetwood Mac in 1987.

“Go Your Own Way” has also received major recognition from music publications. Rolling Stone placed “Go Your Own Way” on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time and later ranked it among Fleetwood Mac’s greatest songs.

The track also appears on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s list of 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.

Nicks herself has acknowledged the role of personal pain in songwriting. She said, “So I could never say to him, you know, back off!… Stop writing songs about me,” because the experience was part of his life and his songwriting.

Related: 1975 Led Zeppelin Song, Lasting 11 Minutes, Is Still an Emotional Hit 55 Years Later

Beloved country music icon Dolly Parton died at the age of 80, her family announced on Tuesday, August 25.

“My name is Brin 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 and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” her nephew said in a video shared to Dolly’s Instagram. “This 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, “It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.”

The “9 to 5″ artist had been going through some “hard times with [her] health” in the months leading up to her passing.

“I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she told People, referring to her late husband Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025. “But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago.”

Decades prior, Parton was forced to cancel a tour due to severe abdominal pain and heavy bleeding, New York Post reported. She was later diagnosed with endometriosis and underwent surgery.

She later opened up about her mental health struggles, writing her in 2017 memoir that she “went through a dark time, until I made myself snap out of it.”

Her depression got so bad that she was preparing a suicide note when she was saved.

““I just said things like, ‘Look this is ridiculous, I am not happy,’ [and] arguing about why when they say you shouldn’t commit suicide because that’s a sin you can’t get forgiven for,” Parton recalled during a 2019 episode of the podcast “Dolly Parton’s America.”

“I just said things like, ‘Look this is ridiculous, I am not happy,’ [and] arguing about why when they say you shouldn’t commit suicide because that’s a sin you can’t get forgiven for,” Parton recalled during a 2019 episode of the podcast “Dolly Parton’s America.”Everything was just confusing to me and I was just angry and I was hurt, and I was unhappy, and so I just said ‘You’re going to have to get me some answers or I’m getting out of here.’”

Less than one year before her death, Parton was forced to step back from the spotlight after suffering from kidney stones.

“Turns out there was an infection, and the doctor said, ‘You don’t need to be traveling around this minute, so you need a few days to get better,'” Parton said in a video in September 2025 after missing a Dollywood event.

Days before her passing, Dolly was reportedly hospitalized for kidney stones and “autoimmune issues.”

According to TMZ, she was admitted Friday morning.

It was later revealed that Parton died after a “brief battle with cancer.”

“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand,” a statement shared with People read. “Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”

Her family has not disclosed what form of cancer the singer battled.

Legendary country singer Dolly Patrton has tragically died at the age of 80.

Her nephew shared the heartbreaking news in an Instagram video on Aug. 25.

“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” her nephew said. “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.

“It is an honor. An honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.”

Parton was best known for her hit songs, including “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” and “I Will Always Love You,” with her career having spanned six decades.

This news come after Parton shared a health update on Friday, Aug. 21.

“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl. You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” Parton told PEOPLE. “But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago. I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’! You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”

This story will continue to be updated.

For more than six decades, Dolly Parton turned her life story into songs, movies, businesses and charitable causes that reached millions of people around the world.

Shortly before her death at 80 on Aug. 25, the country music legend was preparing to open one of the most personal pieces of her legacy: Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum, a massive Nashville exhibition devoted to her life and career.

The museum spans more than 20,000 square feet inside the new SongTeller Hotel in downtown Nashville and was billed as the largest exhibition dedicated to Parton to date. It features personal stories, artifacts and multimedia exhibits chronicling her journey from a childhood in the Smoky Mountains to country superstardom.

The project now takes on an especially poignant meaning.

Parton wasn’t simply creating a collection of costumes and awards. The museum was designed to explore the experiences behind some of her most famous songs, including “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene” and “9 to 5.”

The museum is part of the 245-room SongTeller Hotel, which also includes two live-music venues, Parton’s Live and Jolene’s. The project was intended as a celebration of Parton’s deep connection to Nashville.

And the museum wasn’t the only major project Parton was working on.

Her Broadway musical, DOLLY: A True Original Musical, is scheduled to begin previews in December, with opening night planned for January 2027. The production will feature her classic songs alongside new music.

Parton had spent years thinking about how her work would continue after her lifetime. In recent interviews, she spoke about wanting to create projects that could be carried on and enjoyed by future generations.

Now, the museum may become one of the clearest expressions of that goal.

RELATED: Sean Connery Birthday: Remembering the ‘James Bond’ Legend

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It may still be 100 degrees outside in much of the country, and as unlikely as it feels right now, fall will eventually make its presence known with cooler weather, followed by winter’s bitter cold. To prepare for the seasonal shifts without forking over hundreds of dollars for a new coat, Macy’s has a stellar deal right now that’ll keep you warm but won’t drain your bank account. 

Normally retailing for $285, this classic Calvin Klein Collar Hooded Puffer Coat is on sale for just $40 for a limited time at Macy’s. That’s a massive 86% savings on a cold-weather essential you can wear for years to come.

And if this coat doesn’t quite check all the boxes for you, or your size is already sold out, Macy’s has a ton of other Calvin Klein coats on sale right now, with many starting at just $40. Shorter styles, packable puffers, raincoats, hoodless designs, multiple color choices, and some faux fur-lined options are all significantly discounted. 

Courtesy of Macy's

Equal parts chic and cozy, this puffer coat features a faux fur-lined stand collar and hood with a flattering quilted design that locks in the heat all the way to your mid-thighs. Lightweight but incredibly warm, it’s an easy layer that’ll keep you covered even on winter’s coldest days. 

Two zippered pockets are perfect for stashing essentials like your phone, lip gloss, or keys, and they can also keep your hands warm. The coat itself has a two-way zipper, so you can unzip it from the bottom, which is especially convenient when you’re driving or sitting down and want some extra room to stretch your legs. It’s also machine washable for easy care.

Reviewers called this long puffer a “gorgeous” find, noting that the classic style was “soft, warm, and cozy,” even on the coldest days. “I bought this coat at the end of the season for a great price,” one Macy’s shopper raved. They said it “covers my butt, has zippered pockets, a hood, and it’s lightweight,” adding that “black goes with everything,” so it’s “pretty perfect!”

• Calvin Klein Anorak Quilted Jacket, $40 (was $140) at Macy’s
• Steve Madden Belted Single-Breasted Jacket, $40 (was $170) at Macy’s
• Nautica Fleece-Lined Hooded Softshell Coat, $40 (was $150) at Macy’s

Did you know that Macy’s offers free shipping on orders of $49 or more and free store pickup on select items? Even better, Star Rewards members earn free shipping on orders of $39 or more (this coat counts!) plus free returns on eligible items. Best of all, it’s absolutely free to sign up.

Related: Nike’s ‘Very Cool’ Cropped Jacket Looks Like a Retro ’90s Windbreaker With ‘Nice Slouch and Deep Pockets’

Winter is coming (eventually), and with the Calvin Klein Collar Hooded Puffer Coat you’ll be ready. Snag it now for just $40 at Macy’s while this incredible deal is still available.

Don’t miss future deals! Sign up for Parade Picks to receive our commerce team’s curated selection of discounts and sales, twice a week.

Mike Farrell and his family revealed on Aug. 24 that they are mourning the death of actor and singer Shelley Fabares, with the M*A*S*H star having spoken about how they met 42 years ago.

While the actor was known for the role of B.J. Hunnicutt on the acclaimed war comedy series, Fabares was known for her hit roles on The Donna Reed Show and Coach. It just so happens that their careers as actors are what led them to cross paths and fall in love. In April, Farrell appeared on an episode of the Still Here Hollywood Podcast where he went back to the moment a CBS dinner sparked their decades-long romance.

The actor explains that he and Fabares had run into each other on various occasions due to the nature of the business, and they were both working for Universal at the time. He recalls returning from speaking to refugees in El Salvador and attending a CBS dinner in San Fracnsisco that sparked a conversation with the Coach actor.

“I was just blitzed from having had this experience,” he said. “… I looked across the room, and there was this face I recognized, and I walked over to her and said, ‘Excuse me. I just would like you to know that every time I see you, I feel really good, and I feel a little calmer than I had been prior to that.’ And she said, ‘Mike, that’s very sweet, very nice of you.’”

While outside, a cable car had stopped in front of them, with Farrell asking the actor if she wanted to take a ride. He recalls Fabares telling him she couldn’t because she was “involved” with someone. As Fabares turned to walk away, “she turned back and she said, ‘Sure, why not?’”

The two actors went to Fisherman’s Wharf and walked along the coast as the M*A*S*H actor told Fabares about his recent experience in South America. He recalls her having been “patient and very sweet and very supportive.”

The two would meet again months later when he called Fabares to invite her to a talk he was giving about his experience in El Salvador. He had previously invited her and her partner to another talk, but this time Fabares called him back and said, “Is it OK if I bring my sister?” After the presentation, they went out for coffee and Fabares willingly revealed she had broken up with her boyfriend.

“I said, ‘Did you ever get that problem resolved?’” Farrell recalled. “I was going to say with her writers, and she said, ‘Oh, we’re not seeing each other anymore.’ And I said, ‘Oh. Well, that’s nice. So that was the beginning of now 42 years of marriage.”

Farrell and Fabares married on Dec. 31, 1984.

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In 1972, Janis Ian recorded a quietly devastating song about waiting for someone who may never come home.

Written entirely by Ian, “Jesse” appeared on her album Stars, capturing longing and loneliness through intimate images of an empty house and preparations for a hoped-for reunion.

“I was 14 or 15 when I started that song,” Ian told Songfacts. “Originally Jesse was going to be about a Vietnam War vet coming home. But then that was limiting.”

The song would soon take on a life beyond Ian’s own recording when Roberta Flack delivered a celebrated interpretation that brought it to a much larger audience.

Ian was already an accomplished songwriter by then.

She had first attracted national attention as a teenager with “Society’s Child,” her controversial 1960s song about an interracial relationship. By the early ’70s, her songwriting had become increasingly introspective, and “Jesse” offered an early glimpse of the deeply personal style that would later produce her career-defining hit “At Seventeen.”

“I usually let the song dictate what it becomes,” Ian told Guitar Noise. “I’m a big believer in the marriage of talent and craft; Stella Adler always said ‘Trust your talent.’ and I do, infinitely. But I also trust my craft to see me through the rough spots.”

Flack recognized something special in “Jesse.”

The singer recorded the song for her 1973 album Killing Me Softly, which arrived during an extraordinary period in her career. Rather than radically reinvent Ian’s composition, Flack leaned into its emotional core, allowing her expressive vocal to bring new weight to the narrator’s plea for Jesse to return.

Her rendition found a receptive audience.

Released as a single in 1973, Flack’s “Jesse” reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and climbed into the Top 20 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart. It arrived the same year that “Killing Me Softly With His Song” became one of Flack’s signature recordings, placing Ian’s composition on an album that would reach millions of listeners.

The connection between the two artists proved especially fitting.

Both Ian and Flack built careers around songs that favored emotional nuance over spectacle, and “Jesse” gave them an unusual shared entry in their catalogs. Ian continued performing the composition herself, ensuring that her intimate original remained closely tied to her own body of work even as Flack’s version introduced it to a broader audience.

“In the great scheme of everything comes full circle, when my wife and I met, she was telling me how much she loved this artist Roberta Flack, especially a song called ‘Jesse,'” Ian told OutSFL years later. “I said, ‘Oh, I wrote that.’ Pat immediately said, ‘No you didn’t. Roberta Flack wrote it. I said, ‘No, I wrote it, really wrote it,’ and we argued. I had to actually find a copy of the album, which was in storage, and show her the writer’s credit.”

Fifty-four years after Ian first recorded “Jesse,” its sense of yearning has lost little of its force. The 1972 ballad began as one songwriter’s understated portrait of absence, but Roberta Flack’s interpretation helped demonstrate just how universal that longing could become.

Related: 1966 Folk Song, Covered by Rod Stewart, Is Still a Powerful Hit 60 Years Later