Dolly Parton wanted the world to know her story while she was alive. However, unfortunately, while she was working towards making it happen, the big debut will still take place after her death. For those who don’t know, the country singer passed away on August 25, 2026 (ET), following a brief battle with cancer.
Dolly Parton wanted everyone to know her story from “dark ages to the new age”
Dolly Parton was reflecting on her legacy a year before her death. The country music legend sat down for a conversation with PEOPLE in 2025 and reflected on her trailblazing career. She opened up about why she wanted the world to know her story and to do so while she was still alive. The I Will Always Love You singer spoke at length about the inspiration behind her musical, Dolly: A True Original Musical, and revealed that it was based on her many career and philanthropic ventures.
Dolly Parton had been in the entertainment industry for decades, and it was important to her that the world knew her journey. The musical, which began with a four-week 2025 limited engagement in Nashville before coming to Broadway in New York City in 2026 winter, was just that. Talking to the publication, Dolly asserted that whenever she imagined her story being told, she always thought it “would be better as a musical than a biopic.”
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