NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dolly Parton, the Tennessee-born country music giant whose unmistakable voice, fierce work ethic, Christian faith and generosity made her one of America's most enduring cultural figures, died Tuesday at 80 after what her representatives described as a brief battle with cancer. Parton's representatives confirmed that she died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville surrounded by loved ones. The specific form of cancer has not been publicly disclosed. The disclosure...

For more than five decades, Frank Beard sat behind the drum kit and supplied the unmistakable rhythm that powered ZZ Top’s Texas sound. On Monday, Aug. 17, that beat came to an end. Beard, the longtime drummer for the legendary rock trio, died at age 77 at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, while receiving hospice care and surrounded by family members. His cause of death has not been publicly disclosed. “His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top,” guitarist Billy Gibbons said in a...