Dolly Parton Dead at 80

12:52 PM PT -- Dolly Parton's death came as a sudden and unexpected shock.

11:34 AM PT -- TMZ has learned Dolly was admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville on early Friday morning with kidney and autoimmune issues.

We're told Dolly died in the hospital this morning.

Dolly Parton -- the country music icon behind some of the biggest songs ever recorded -- has died.

Her head of security announced her death Tuesday on Instagram.

We're told Dolly died in the last couple of hours in Nashville.

The cause of death is unclear, but Dolly told PEOPLE on Friday that she was "dealing with some health issues."

Dolly told the outlet last week ... "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," referring to her husband's March 2025 death.

She noted she's "been through hard times" with her health before ... and said she was still working plenty while "healin'."

The legendary singer, songwriter and actress leaves behind a career spanning more than six decades ... with hits including "Jolene," "9 to 5" and "I Will Always Love You."

Dolly became one of the most beloved figures in entertainment ... earning countless awards while building an empire that stretched far beyond music.

Dolly had been dealing with health issues in recent months ... canceling her September Las Vegas residency earlier this year -- which she had previously pushed back in 2025.

As we reported ... she also abruptly canceled a Dollywood appearance earlier this month after her doctor advised her not to travel while she dealt with dehydration and occasional dizziness.

She'd mentioned immune system and digestive issues, plus kidney stones and complications from her medications.

Her sister, Freida Parton, had also asked fans to pray for Dolly last October ... saying she hadn't been feeling her best.

It came during an already difficult stretch for Dolly, who lost her longtime husband, Carl Dean, in March 2025.

The two were married for 58 years and never had children.

Dolly sold more than 100 million records worldwide during her legendary career ... cementing herself as one of the best-selling artists of all time.

She also made a major mark in Hollywood, starring in films including "9 to 5" and "Steel Magnolias" ... and earned an Oscar nomination for the title song from "9 to 5."

The last time we got Dolly was in August 2018, when our photog got her leaving dinner in Los Angeles and asked her about winning the internet with her Jolene meme.

Her impact went far beyond entertainment, too ... with her Imagination Library giving millions of books to children around the world.

From growing up dirt poor in Tennessee to becoming one of the biggest stars on the planet ... Dolly's story was truly one of a kind.

She was 80.