Dolly Parton saved the main points of her well being struggles non-public from even some members of her household within the months main as much as her loss of life, based on her first cousin and longtime musical collaborator Richie Owens.The nation music legend and actor died on August 25 on the age of 80 following what a household spokesperson described as a “temporary battle with most cancers.” Whereas Parton had acknowledged publicly that she was experiencing well being points, she by no means revealed that she had been identified with most cancers.Owens, who additionally serves as a Parton household historian, spoke concerning the singer’s closing months and her legacy throughout an look on TODAY on September 3.“She in fact posted herself that she had been going via well being issues, however nobody actually knew what loads of that was, together with myself,” Owens mentioned.
Dolly Parton needed everybody to remain optimistic
In keeping with Owens, Parton intentionally selected to maintain her well being struggles non-public as a result of she needed the individuals round her to stay hopeful.“She at all times saved issues non-public as a result of she at all times needed to maintain all people being optimistic round her and put that on the market on the earth,” he mentioned.Owens recalled Parton reassuring these near her with a easy message: “Don’t fear about me, I’m going to be superb.”The singer’s method, he mentioned, mirrored her need to give attention to love and positivity quite than her sickness.
Parton’s closing farewell was intentionally saved small
Owens additionally addressed experiences surrounding Parton’s funeral, clarifying that the household didn’t maintain a standard formal funeral.Parton was buried on August 28 in Nashville, alongside her husband of 59 years, Carl Dean, who died on the age of 82 in 2025. In keeping with Owens, the non-public burial was precisely what Parton needed.“She needed to maintain it very quiet,” he mentioned, explaining that the phrase “funeral” didn’t precisely describe the gathering.“It was a burial, to be buried beside her husband,” Owens added.Solely a small variety of members of the family attended the non-public ceremony. Owens mentioned others who could have needed to be there have been unable to attend as a result of they had been elsewhere.“It was very quiet, in a short time accomplished, and never for any unhealthy causes in anyway, it’s simply that’s what she needed. She needed to maintain it very, very non-public,” he mentioned.
Dolly needed flowers to assist others as an alternative
Parton’s lifelong dedication to philanthropy was additionally mirrored within the needs she had expressed about how individuals ought to bear in mind her.Owens mentioned the singer would quite see cash that individuals may spend on flowers after her loss of life donated to charity, notably her Creativeness Library, the literacy programme she based.“That’s precisely what she mentioned … when that occurs to her, when she passes, she would a lot quite see individuals take that $50 you need to spend on flowers and provides it to her Creativeness Library,” Owens mentioned.“She’s mentioned that many, many occasions. She actually cared about her charities,” he added.
Household shares emotional tribute to the nation icon
Information of Parton’s loss of life was initially introduced via a video message from her nephew Bryan Seaver, posted on her Instagram account.Seaver revealed that Parton had requested him years earlier to make the announcement when the time got here.“This video announcement is one thing Dolly requested of me years in the past earlier than I absolutely absorbed it as a future actuality,” he mentioned, describing the duty as an “honor” blended with “absolute pleasure and nice disappointment.”An obituary shared on Parton’s Fb account celebrated greater than her extraordinary music profession, highlighting the heat and kindness that made her beloved throughout generations.“A rhinestone life that shone shiny sufficient for the world to see,” the tribute learn, remembering Parton as an inspiration via her music and songwriting, in addition to her “wit, heat, and kindness that made us all really feel like household.”
