Dolly Parton's approach to aging was simple: Keep working, loving, and looking ahead

Dolly Parton stayed active in her career, including live performances, well into her 70s.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images Country superstar Dolly Parton died at age 80.

She kept working until nearly the end of her life.

Parton credited her career longevity to an early bedtime, her longtime husband, and her faith.

Her lifestyle habits are supported by extensive research on how purpose and community can boost health.

Country music legend Dolly Parton has died at age 80, and she remained active in her work in music, culture, and philanthropy until the end.

"I still have so many things I want to achieve," she told People four days prior to her death.

Parton had no fear of aging and said she preferred to stay focused on her work rather than worry about a number.

"The way I live, the way I work, the way I feel, I'm going to make every moment count," she told Business Insider's Anneta Konstantinides in a 2023 interview.

"I may live to be 100, or I may die tomorrow, but whenever that is, I will know I died trying, and I will know I've done everything I could to make the most of everything." Parton kept simple habits.

She wasn't known for a punishing fitness routine or an optimized diet.

And some of her habits — including getting relatively little sleep — run counter to conventional health advice.

But the way she talked about her philosophy on life reflected several qualities researchers have linked to healthy aging: maintaining close relationships, having a sense of purpose, and staying engaged with life.

Parton always had something she wanted to do Parton was vocal about her drive to keep working and her enthusiasm for art and philanthropy.