Dolly Parton, the beloved “Queen of Country,” died Aug. 25 at 80 after “bravely facing a brief battle with cancer,” her publicist said.
President Trump ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff through Sept. 1, while Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee instructed state flags to be lowered, as tributes poured in for one of America’s most admired cultural figures.
Parton’s funeral will be limited to immediate family, in accordance with her wishes, her family said. Elsewhere, plans are taking shape to commemorate her life and legacy more publicly. Parton has also put in place a series of re
Here’s what we know about plans to remember her.
What we know about her funeral
A date has not yet been confirmed for the funeral. The family statement announcing her death noted only that “a small, private service will be held for immediate family,” per her wishes. No public memorial has been announced.
Parton told Entertainment Weekly in 2014 that she expected Whitney Houston’s cover of her song “I Will Always Love You” to be played.
She also said she wanted the hymn “If We Never Meet Again” to be sung. Parton had long wanted the country-gospel hymn, previously recorded by Elvis Presley, to be part of her funeral, saying that it was her father’s favorite.
“It’s an old country-gospel church song that talks about, ‘If we never meet again this side of heaven, I will meet you on that beautiful shore,'” she said. “That was my daddy’s favorite. We did sing it at his funeral, and I would like it to be sung at mine.”
Parton will be buried beside her husband of 59 years, Carl Dean, at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville, Katie Couric Media reported. The cemetery is also the final resting place of Dean’s parents and several country music legends and friends of Parton, including collaborator Porter Wagoner.
In the Instagram post announcing her death, Parton’s nephew and longtime head of security, Bryan Seaver, detailed her request for a comfortable final resting spot. “Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton, because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest,” Seaver said.
She is, however, expected to wear her signature high heels, TMZreported.
While the funeral is set to be private, Parton’s official channels are inviting fans to tag @DollyParton on social media and share their memories, or leave a message on her website.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made toDolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the book-gifting program for children she founded in honor of her father.
What else is being planned?
Several other efforts are also underway to honor the Queen of Country’s legacy, including some arranged by Parton herself.
In 2015, Parton left behind a musical time capsule: an unreleased song titled “My Place in History,” sealed inside a chestnut “Dream Box” on display at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort.
The box is not scheduled to be opened until Jan. 19, 2046, on what would have been Parton’s 100th birthday. She spoke about it publicly over the years, joking to The Kelly Clarkson Show that the wait “bothered” her and that she wished she could dig it up early.
Alongside her musical legacy, Parton’s philanthropic projects that she built over many decades will outlive her. A spokesperson confirmed on the day of her death that her Imagination Library program, which has distributed more than 300 million books to children, will continue. “The work ahead has never felt more meaningful, and we will carry it forward as she lifts us all up,” the project said.
Dollywood temporarily closed Tuesday to mourn its founder, but plans to continue operating. In an Instagram statement, park president Eugene Naughton said it will carry forward her values of kindness and “dreaming big,” adding that her presence remains “alive and well” there.
In Parton’s home state of Tennessee, one lawmaker said he would float designating Sept. 25 as “9 to 5 Day,” a nod to the title of her hit song. Legislators had proposed erecting a statue of Parton in 2021, but she asked them to withdraw the measure, saying she didn’t feel comfortable being “put on a pedestal” while she was still alive, though she left open the possibility later on.
Apetition to rename Nashville International Airport after Dolly Parton has received more than 147,000 signatures, and Tennessee Rep. Todd Warner confirmed he would introduce legislation to make the change.
Parton’s manager, Danny Nozell, said that the singer also greenlit a number of projects before her death, including a biopic, a docuseries, a scripted series, an avatar show, a documentary about her upcoming Broadway musical and an animated series inspired by her children’s book Billy the Kid.
Parton’s goddaughter, Miley Cyrus, said she might turn to songwriting to process the loss. While the details of their closest moments would remain private, “Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong,” she said in a tribute on Instagram.
