Dolly Parton Dies at 80; Secret Song Sealed Until 2046

Dolly Parton, the beloved country music icon, has died at the age of 80, leaving behind a vast musical legacy that includes one final, unreleased song set to remain a secret for another two decades. The singer passed away on August 25, 2026, following a brief battle with cancer, according to a statement from her representatives.

Parton recorded a song titled "My Place in History" in 2015 and locked it inside a chestnut wood box on display at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. She left explicit instructions that the box not be opened until January 19, 2046, the day she would have turned 100. Dollywood confirmed this week that the plan remains unchanged, and the song will stay sealed until that date.

The recording was created as part of a time capsule for the resort's opening. The display includes the song on a CD, a CD player, handwritten lyrics, a letter to the future, and a piece of wood from the porch of Parton's childhood home. A plaque notes the song was written by Parton to be released as her last, and that only she knew its melody and content.

Parton herself expressed both pride and frustration over the arrangement. In her 2020 book, Songteller: My...