ust days before her death at age 80, Dolly Parton shared an emotional message with fans.

On August 19, Parton accepted the Academy of Country Music’s Poet’s Award through a prerecorded video. Speaking about her lifelong love of songwriting, she reflected on how music had shaped her life and allowed her to connect with people through her words.

Just two days later, she also opened up about going through “hard times” with her health, while saying she still had many things she wanted to accomplish.

Dolly died on August 25 after a brief battle with cancer. Her final public messages are now being remembered by fans around the world. 💔