American country music star Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, her family announced on Tuesday, prompting tributes from across the United States including President Donald Trump.

Trump ordered flags at federal buildings to be lowered to half-mast, calling Parton’s death “a loss for millions of Americans who grew up with her music.”

“Dolly Parton was more than a singer, she was an American treasure who brought joy to families across our great nation,” Trump said in a statement.

Parton’s nephew confirmed the news in a video posted to social media, saying the singer had “lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus.”

The family did not provide a cause of death, but Parton had recently spoken publicly about health issues. Her husband Carl Dean died last year.

In May this year, Parton cancelled a series of Las Vegas concerts due to ongoing health concerns. In social media posts at the time, she said treatment for an unspecified illness was going well but she was not ready to perform.

Parton grew up in poverty in Tennessee and became one of the most recognisable voices in country music. Her career spanned six decades, during which she wrote around 3 000 songs.

She released 49 studio albums and more than 100 compilation and collaboration albums. Her hits included “Jolene”, “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You”, which later became a global success when covered by Whitney Houston.

“By her example, we believed that anything was possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history,” her nephew Bryan Seaver said in the video.

Parton was widely regarded as the queen of country music and was known for opening doors for generations of artists across multiple genres.

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