See what members of the rock and metal community are saying about the death of Dolly Parton. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Day: August 25, 2026
Dolly Parton, one of the most believed figures in the history of Country music, has passed away. The devastating news broke on Tuesday, August 25 through a video message shared across Parton’s social media pages by her nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver.
The message began with Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, sharing that he is speaking on behalf of the Parton’s and Owens family to announce the passing of his Aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, “sister, sis, Aunt, Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next.” He explains that recording this video is something that the country music legend asked him to do years ago before he had “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 admits. “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.”
Seaver recalls first joining Dolly out on the road as a kid in the early 1980s and going on to see all the doors that she would open for her and the entire family throughout her career. But it wasn’t just her own family and loved ones that Dolly impacted, it was generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers across the world who looked up to her.
“By her example, we believed that anything was possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open and the door she opened made and changed history. My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you. She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD, and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family, whether you liked it or not. Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever.
He continued, “Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy. He farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest. Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly, aunt Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton and may God bless you all. She will always love you.”
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, the fourth of twelve children. Music was a constant in her early life as her mother had a love for both church songs and the traditional Elizabethan ballads of their ancestors, while her grandfather, a fiddle playing preacher, penned “Singing His Praise,” which was later recorded by Kitty Wells. Many of Dolly’s siblings also pursued music, and some performed in the family band.
Her uncle, Bill Owens, recognized her talent early and encouraged her musical ambitions, even gifting her a guitar. By age ten, she was appearing on a local television variety show in Knoxville, and just three years later, she made her Grand Ole Opry debut at 13 years old. Her early recording career included singles for a small Louisiana label and later for Mercury Records in Nashville in 1962.
After graduating high school in 1964, Dolly headed to Nashville to chase her dreams. Her first day in Music City, she met the man who would one day become her husband, Carl Dean. The pair connected in a laundromat and the rest was history.
Parton’s career took a major turn in 1967 when she joined The Porter Wagoner Show as the new duet partner. The pair quickly became audience favorites. She went on to build a remarkable career, appearing on television specials, talk shows, and in her own series in 1976, as well as starring in the 1980 film 9 to 5.
The song, “9 To 5” remained a signature track throughout her entire career and will forever be a part of country music history. Two years after founding her own record label, Dolly Records, in 2007, the 9 to 5musical debuted on Broadway. Parton wrote the production’s music and lyrics and was nominated for the Best Original Score Tony award for her work.
Fans got to celebrate her life and career with DOLLY: A True Original Musical, which premiered in opening on August 8, 2025 and featured classics “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “9 to 5,” alongside new songs.
With over 3,000 songs written and twenty-five No. 1 hits, the “Jolene” singer’s contributions to the music industry are unmatched. Over the years, Parton has racked up a slew of elite accomplishes in her music career, including earning a total of 27 RIAA-certified gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards. In 2014, the RIAA recognized her impact on recorded music with a plaque commemorating more than 100 million units sold worldwide.
She has racked up 11 Grammy Awards and 52 nominations, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, 10 Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year; five Academy of Country Music Awards, also including a nod for Entertainer of the Year; four People’s Choice Awards; and three American Music Awards.
In 2004, the Library of Congress presented Parton with the Living Legend Award for her contributions to the United States’ cultural landscape. The following year, she was honored with the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists by the U.S. government. She later received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors.
Parton was inducted as a member of the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, following the release of her historic project, Rockstar.
Her achievements extended beyond music. Being the savvy businesswoman and philanthropist that she was, Parton opened Dollywood in 1985, which became a major Southern tourist attraction. Through Dollywood and the Dollywood Foundation, Parton has offered major contributions to her home county’s economy and to scholarship programs for high school students in the area.
To date, her Imagination Library, which gives one free book a month to children from birth to age five, has donated over 325 million books to children across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia and the Republic of Ireland. The program currently gifts more than 3.5 million books each month.
She is also the author of several books, including the New York Times bestsellers Run, Rose, Run, alongside an accompanying album of the same name, and a trilogy called Behind The Seams: My Life in Rhinestones.
She has made many scarifies over the years, including missing out on time with family and friends and vacations so that she can be completely devoted to her career. But no matter how much she may have missed out on, it was all worth it to build the legacy she is leaving behind. Her dedication was celebrated with an exhibition in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum called Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker, in celebration of her six-decade long journey.
In the final months of her life, Parton continued working despite revealing some health challenges. Her previously planned six show run at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Dolly: Live in Las Vegas, had already been postponed from December 2025 to 2026 due to health issues and then was later canceled all together. However, she continued to move forward with other projects.
In June, she made her final public appearance at the grand opening of her Tennessean travel stop in Cornersville, Tennessee. Shortly after, she missed the dedication of Dollywood’s NightFlight Expedition after doctors advised her not to travel because of dehydration and dizziness.
Just days before her death, Parton accepted the 2026 ACM Poet’s Award virtually on Aug. 19, reflecting on songwriting as a form of therapy and saying she was still working on her Broadway musical, museum and other ventures.
In an interview with PEOPLE published August 21, she acknowledged that she had been dealing with “hard times with my health,” explaining that she had put off addressing some health issues while caring for her late husband, Carl Dean. Despite her struggles, she insisted she was still working and looking ahead, including plans for the forthcoming Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville and the SongTeller Hotel, which is scheduled to welcome guests in September.
This news comes more than a year after the death of her husband, Carl Dean. Dolly and Carl Dean were married for nearly 60 years before he passed away in early March of 2025 at 82 years old. . With a love that truly stood the test of time, it’s no surprise that the grieving process is still ongoing.
Carl Dean remained out of the spotlight during the nearly six decades they were married. Following his death, Parton released a heartfelt new song, “If You Hadn’t Been There,” in his honor.
Dolly Parton is preceded in death by her mother, Avie Lee Caroline Owens, and her father, Robert Lee Parton, Sr. Earlier this year, Parton’s brother, Coy “Denver” Parton, died at the age of 82. He was the fifth of Parton’s siblings to have died, following brothers Larry, David, Randy, and Floyd.
Dolly’s cause of death has not been announced. At Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family. Dolly’s fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com.
In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com.
The post Dolly Parton, Country Music Legend, Dies at 80 appeared first on Country Now.
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The post SCORM in WordPress: What It Is, Who Needs It, and Your Options appeared first on Themeisle Blog.
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Reviewed unveiled its 2026 Readers Choice Awards for various food-related chains. In the sandwich category, this famous sub joint came out on top.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
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Jenelle Evans has a long history of hurling insults at members of her own family in public forums.
But her latest comments might be her cruelest yet.
As we previously reported, criminal charges against Jenelle’s ex-husband David Eason were dismissed this week.
David had been accused of assaulting Jenelle’s eldest son, 17-year-old Jace.
The case was dropped when the plaintiffs failed to cooperate with prosecutors.
On Tuesday, Jenelle publicly commented on the controversial court decision for the first time.
“Idc about anything to do with that court case because it was drama for attention from all parts. Keep me away from all of it [shrug emoji] I’m minding my own business,” she posted on X (formerly Twitter) in response to a fan’s query about the situation, adding:
“I have 2 other kids that need my attention.”
Jenelle seemed quite dismissive about her son’s very serious allegations.
And not surprisingly, her remark was not well received:
“This might actually be one of the coldest things you’ve ever said. I’m like… actually in a bit of shock,” wrote one user, adding:
“I know you say things like this for drama and the engagement, but this really made me sad instead of angry,
“You are the drama. You are the attention seeker,” another commented.
“What your two other kids need is attention from someone who isn’t a deadbeat disgusting c–t of a mother. Your attention just brings heartache for them.
“Wait, who used the case originally for attention and sympathy on social media?” a third chimed in.
“I forget… You’re only ‘famous’ for being a selfish teen sl-t who chose d–k and drugs over your kids and NOW you don’t want attention and drama? Gtfo. I hope you’re spayed.”
Jace Evans was recently released from a mental health facility after several months of inpatient treatment.
His present whereabouts have not been disclosed, but it’s believed that Jace is living with Jenelle’s mother, Barbara Evans, who had custody of the boy for most of his upbringing.
Jace moved to Las Vegas with Jenelle last year before returning to North Carolina following a short stint with his father in Florida.
Insiders say Jace became distraught after learning that his mother had reconciled with Eason. The former couple has since separated again.
Needless to say, it’s been quite a chaotic year for Jace.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
Jenelle Evans ‘Doesn’t Care’ About Son’s Abuse Allegations: … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
The reaction to a procedural ruling by the Supreme Court on Aug. 24, 2026, was immediate and sharp.
The conservative justices’ decision in the 6-3 ruling to lift a block on implementation of President Donald Trump’s March 2026 executive order imposing restrictions on mail voting had voting rights advocates and many state officials angry and alarmed. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented in the ruling, saying it would spark a “Kafkaesque nightmare” that “needlessly injects chaos and uncertainty into the upcoming midterm elections.”
The Conversation’s politics and legal affairs editor Naomi Schalit talked with Quinnipiac University election law scholar John J. Martin about the ruling and what it signals may be ahead.
What’s the background to the Supreme Court’s ruling on Aug. 24?
Back in March, President Trump issued an executive order that was meant to, in his words, maintain “public confidence in election outcomes” and “enhance election integrity” in mail and absentee voting in federal elections. There are a few provisions that were included in that executive order.
The first would require the Department of Homeland Security to maintain a state citizenship list of residents in those states who are U.S. citizens, above the age of 18, and therefore eligible to vote in federal elections. The Department of Homeland Security would share these lists with each state at least 60 days prior to each federal election.
The next provision orders the U.S. attorney general to prioritize the investigation and the prosecution of state and local election officials who issue federal ballots to ineligible voters, such as noncitizens.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Next, Trump ordered the U.S. Postal Service to devise rules that could substantially alter the ability for states to use mail and absentee ballots in federal elections. What this could look like is, for example, a requirement that a mail ballot being used in a federal election has to look a particular way.
The executive order also gives states the option to provide the Postal Service at least 60 days before a federal election a list of voters entitled to vote by mail or by absentee ballot. But that deadline conflicts with a federal rule that states must give voters the opportunity to register to vote at least 30 days prior to an election. So states might not even know 60 days prior to an election who was entitled to use an absentee or mail ballot.
Finally, the big one is that the executive order directs the U.S. Postal Service to not transmit any mail or absentee ballots from voters in federal elections who do not appear on a mail-in or absentee voter list compiled by the service, presumably based on the list being provided to it by the states, although the executive order isn’t fully clear on this.
So, if a voter isn’t on that list, the Postal Service can just ditch that person’s ballot?
The executive order tells the Postal Service that it should not transmit that ballot over mail.
But the Supreme Court did not rule on the legality of the executive order, did it?
No. A number of states sued the Trump administration pretty quickly after this executive order was issued, arguing that the president simply doesn’t have the authority to implement these policies. The states specifically asked for a preliminary injunction in federal court, which allows the court to pause the government’s actions before the case is fully resolved. The lower court ultimately issued the preliminary injunction, temporarily blocking the implementation of the executive order.
The Trump administration argued the states lacked something called standing, which requires a plaintiff to suffer an actual or imminent injury in order to bring a case in federal court. Accordingly, the preliminary injunction should not have been issued.
The Supreme Court ultimately agreed with the Trump administration and contended that because a lot of the executive order either required the states to do nothing, or had yet to be fully realized, the states’ case here was premature. They had yet to suffer an injury.
But it’s not permanent that the states do not have standing. It’s that they did not have standing at this moment until the rules to come out of this executive order had been put into effect. Is that correct?
That’s correct. So, theoretically, if the Postal Service were to propose a rule that would forbid the transmission of ballots that don’t meet their standards, and then that rule is ultimately adopted, then the states would have standing to bring this case.
The Constitution gives the states the power to administer elections. What power is the president asserting here that would legitimately allow him, or the executive, to demand these changes?
The U.S. Constitution certainly makes states the default administrators of elections, and that includes federal, state and local elections. The federal government plays some roles in regulating elections, with the Constitution allowing Congress the ability to override states’ regulations of the procedural aspects of congressional elections.
The Supreme Court has also found that Congress has some authority to regulate certain aspects of presidential elections, such as in the area of campaign finance. And under the 14th and 15th amendments, Congress has the ability to implement laws that fulfill the equal protection clause or the 15th Amendment’s prohibition against racial discrimination in elections. That’s how we get something like the Voting Rights Act. And that can apply to federal, state and local elections.
But states still remain the predominant administrator of elections.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
And the president’s role in elections?
It’s hard to find any constitutional source that backs up the idea that the president has unilateral authority to decide how elections are run, even federal elections.
Maybe the strongest argument you can make in this case is that the president has authority over officers in the executive branch of the federal government. So the president could certainly direct executive officers, such as the postmaster general, to do things or not do things. But it doesn’t mean that the president can tell these officers to just do whatever the president wants in violation of the Constitution.
This is a very long way to say that the president really doesn’t seem to have authority to be doing what he’s doing right now.
So this was a procedural decision by the Supreme Court; there’s also a similar case brought by voting rights groups that they may consider. In the end, is everybody just playing a waiting game for the substance of this executive order to get to the Supreme Court to have the Supreme Court say sorry, President Trump, you can’t do it, case closed?
The Supreme Court cannot avoid deciding this on the merits of the case.
Regardless of how and when this all proceeds, will it have an effect on upcoming midterms?
Election officials need to know how they’re supposed to manage their elections, and they need to know this months in advance. They want to know: Are we actually able to implement mail voting, or absentee voting, the way that we’ve always done it? Or is this executive order going to completely throw a monkey wrench into the process, and now we have to rethink everything, and we have to wait until we receive a list from the U.S. Postal Service confirming that the voters that we believe are entitled to these ballots are, in fact, entitled to these ballots?
And voters might be fearful that if they try to vote by mail it won’t be counted. That could discourage people from voting through a process that has made it easier and more straightforward to vote for certain segments of the population – and really everyone.
John J. Martin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Politics + Society – The Conversation
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When McKenna West went rogue and fled to another state, she did more than break her contract.
By giving birth in Texas, the renegade gestational carrier signed the child up for a series of invasive procedures.
The baby, whose name is Rumi, underwent only the first of the open-heart surgeries.
Now, the newborn’s health is declining. The baby is in critical condition.
Rumi ‘is in critical condition’ after his first major surgery
TMZ obtained court documents pertaining to baby Rumi’s health.
Rumi’s parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, are currently battling with McKenna West over custody of their child.
At present, they have custody over their newborn.
McKenna has continued to fight, but there is a temporary restraining order against her. They have custody until a future hearing.
Unfortunately, it is in the context of this recent filing that we learn about Rumi’s sad health update.
Rumi underwent the Norwood Procedure, the first of three open-heart surgeries that could give him a chance — but not a guarantee — at reaching adulthood.
In the past 24 hours, his health has taken a dire turn.
“Serious medical developments have arisen that impact the health and safety of the child,” the parents’ filing reports.
The legal filing adds: “The child is in critical condition and being closely monitored at the hospital.”
Things are sounding grim.
Rumi’s ‘condition declined significantly’
According to the filing by Rumi’s parents, their newborn is “suffering from potential complications from the Norwood.”
The court documents reported: “Last night, the child’s condition declined significantly.”
Apparently, Rumi’s decline was so severe that doctors determined that he was “requiring re-intubation.”
Intubation is when a hose is placed through the mouth or nose to facilitate breathing, because a person is not getting enough oxygen on their own. There can be numerous causes.
In baby Rumi’s case, it seems to be a side-effect of having undergone a catastrophically traumatic open-heart surgery just days after being born. But that is when the Norwood Procedure must happen — if it happens at all.
Remember, McKenna West was a hired gestational carrier (colloquially referred to as a surrogate) for Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed.
When they learned that the fetus would be born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Simply put, it is a malformed heart that would lead to death without a series of drastic surgical interventions.
When the parents chose to terminate, West went rogue, violating he contract and leaving for another state to give birth. (No state could “force” her to abide by the contract, but she hoped that Texas law might award her custody.)
(Side note, but some outlets are referring to Rumi as “Gabriel,” which is a little confusing. That is not his name. West called him that, but she is not his parent. If Rumi lives long enough, he can call himself whatever he likes, but Rumi is his name until that time.)
This filing in court is to ask the court to postpone the scheduled hearing. Simply put, their family is suffering in a way that they never intended, and they’re preoccupied with their newborn’s health and would like to hold off having to go to court with the woman who put them all in this predicament.
Baby Rumi’s Health Declining ‘Significantly’ 2 Weeks After McKenna West … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
Trader Joe’s is a reliable source for premade delights and snacks, but don’t overlook it when it comes to seafood. The chain boasts a wide array of options.
Food Republic – Restaurants, Reviews, Recipes, Cooking Tips