Dolly Parton Had a Catskills Connection That Goes Back to Woodstock Weekend

Dolly Parton, the country music legend whose career spanned more than six decades, has died. She was 80.

The artist’s death was confirmed in a statement from her representatives, as well as in a video posted to social media from her nephew Bryan Seaver.

“A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family,” reads the statement, which notes that Parton “died peacefully” in Nashville, Tenn., on Aug. 25, 2026.

Known for her curvy physique, massive blonde wigs and skin-tight outfits that served her self-deprecating wit, she was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond — the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.

Parton’s connection to the Catskills region goes back to a summer weekend when music history was unfolding just down the road.

On Aug. 15, 1969, Parton performed with Porter Wagoner and his band at the Delaware County Fair in Walton, N.Y.

The concert came on the same weekend as the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, which was taking place about 40 miles south in Bethel, in Sullivan County.

Parton was 23 years old at the time and still early in her partnership with Wagoner. She had joined The Porter Wagoner Show in 1967, shortly after the release of her debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly. The partnership helped establish Parton as a major country performer before she eventually embarked on a hugely successful solo career.

She wrote hundreds of songs, including classics like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You,” that totaled more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams. Parton, who plucked bejeweled banjos, guitar and dulcimers with her long fingernails during performances, was a generous philanthropist and successful businesswoman whose projects included a theme park in the Smoky Mountain foothills near her birthplace.

Dolly Parton also performed at Sullivan County Community College in August 1975, the same year she won her first Country Music Association female vocalist of the year award.

With 55 Grammy nominations and 10 wins, Parton is the third-most nominated woman in Grammy history, only behind Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.

Image: Dolly Parton in August 1975 at the Sullivan County Community College. (Hurleyville Fire Department via Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project’s Facebook page)