Country Music

DOLLY Parton has been laid to rest in a private funeral attended by her family.

The country music great was buried next to husband Carl Dean on Friday at the Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville, Tennessee.

Their shared memorial bears both names, an image of two interlocking wedding rings, and the inscription “Married May 30, 1966”.

The send-off was “very simple” and what “Dolly would have wanted”, sources said.

The Sun last week revealed that the country music star wanted to have her dad’s favourite song If We Never Meet Again (This Side of Heaven) played at the service.

Dolly’s great-niece, Lainey Mae Parton, gave an emotional tribute confirming the burial had taken place.

READ MORE ON DOLLY PARTON

ALWAYS LOVED YOU

Who Dolly Parton’s husband Carl Dean was – and when he died

GOLLY, DOLLY!

Dolly Parton on course to land her first ever UK number one single

The superstar’s family have not yet released an official statement.

Lainey, 20, wrote on Saturday: “I wanted to wait until after my granny was laid to rest yesterday before I tried to put any of this into words.”

She said she knew the star as “Aunt Granny”, a name that captured the central role Dolly played within her enormous family.

Lainey explained that although Dolly and Carl never had children, she made the younger members of the family feel like they belonged to her.

She added: “She loved us that way and I’ll forever be grateful for that.”

Lainey also said Dolly — who died last Tuesday aged 80 after a brief battle with cancer — helped pay for her beauty school education and encouraged her musical ambitions.

Full funeral details have not been publicly released.

Dolly’s husband of nearly 59 years, Carl, 82, died last year.

An obituary posted by Woodlawn Memorial Park remembered “her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family”.

DUST off those cowboy boots and grab your glitter as fans across the globe wave goodbye to country music sensation Dolly Parton.

The star passed away last week, aged 80, but her legend lives on in the US.

Sophie Swietochowski shares her top Dolly holidays in Nashville, the Great Smoky Mountains and beyond.

SEE WHAT’S NEW IN NASHVILLE

DOLLY got busy in her 80th year and Nashville was her focus, with the star launching a host of new attractions.

The 245-room SongTeller Hotel opens a week on|Monday.

Fans can raise a glass to the country hero in one of two live music venues, Parton’s Live and Jolene’s – try a Dirt Road Martini – Dolly’s favourite.

WAIL OF A TIME

I drove Irish Route 66 with deserted golden beaches and pirate-like islands

TEMPTED?

Tiny ‘Bali of Europe’ town with stunning beaches, €3 cocktails and £20 flights

On the third floor of the hotel, Dolly’s Life Of Many Colors Museum opens on September 29, with exhibits that explore her writing career and bold fashion choices.

Swing by Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, south of Nashville.

The roadside venue has classic Tennessee barbecue, trucker facilities and a live music venue.

GO: Bon Voyage has a five-night stay at SongTeller Hotel from £1,995pp with flights on September 14. See bon-voyage.co.uk or call 0800 316 0194.

TENNESSEE CHILDHOOD

THIS ticks off two of Dolly’s biggest loves – the great open road and Tennessee.

Start in Nashville, where she made a name for herself as a high school grad, before heading to Jackson and Memphis.

After a stop in Chattanooga, there’s the Great Smoky Mountains and Dolly’s hometown of Sevierville, which has the Pines Theatre where she performed aged ten.

A must is her theme park Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, which has a replica of her childhood home.

GO: A 14-night Tennessee Music Pathway trip costs from £1,995pp including flights and car hire. See americaasyoulikeit.com.

TEXAS MOVIE AND RODEO TRAIL

TENNESSEE may be the legend’s home state, but Texas is where Parton made her big early film hit.

Dolly was nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Globes for her performance as Mona Stangley in The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, above – shot in various locations throughout the Lone Star state.

Start in Austin, where the film premiered, then head to Hallettsville, a quaint Texan town that was used as a backdrop, and end in La Grange, which inspired the movie’s story.

She also performed some of her biggest gigs here, including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – a must-visit while you’re in town.

GO: A five-night holiday with BA flights to Austin, returning from Dallas plus car hire; three nights at the Hilton Garden Inn Austin and two nights at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Dallas is from £1,875pp. See americaasyoulikeit.com.

COUNTRY MUSIC AND MEMPHIS

THOSE keen to delve into the full musical story of America’s South should set their sights on this bucket-list Tennessee tour.

Alongside the must-visit Dolly destinations of Nashville and Pigeon Forge, you will explore Memphis, home to Elvis’s Graceland and Sun Studio, which has welcomed some of the most famous faces in American musical history.

Chattanooga and the equally legendary recording studio, Muscle Shoals, is also on the list, as is a stay at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa, a proper country-themed hotel with roaring fireplaces and guitars hanging from the wall.

GO: The 14-night trip costs from £3,409pp including flights in November, accommodation and intermediate car hire with insurance.

Free airport lounge pass also included. See northamericatravelservice.com or call 0333 323 9033.

WHERE SINGER USED TO HOLIDAY

WANT to add some sunshine and guaranteed R&R to your break?

Head to Panama City Beach in Florida, a place Dolly said she “always loved” for its white sand and emerald water.

When you’re not kicking back on a sun lounger, try the Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show – founded by Parton herself.

There are sister sites in Pigeon Forge and Myrtle Beach.

The show was co-written by Dolly, too, and it’s a laugh.

The arena has a lagoon and two pirate ships, as well as acrobats performing aerial stunts.

During the show, you gorge on four courses of classic Southern grub.

GO: Seven nights’ room-only at the Holiday Inn Resort Panama City Beach is from £1,089pp, based on four sharing.

Price includes Heathrow return flights, car hire and tickets for Pirates Voyage dinner show. See purelytravel.co.uk or call 0844 80 444 80.

DOLLY Parton’s cause of death has been revealed as the country music superstar died following a “brief battle with cancer”, aged 80.

The Queen of Country passed away on Tuesday after suffering from a number of health issues in recent months.

It has now been revealed that Dolly died “surrounded by loved ones” in Nashville after a “brief battle” with cancer, reports People.

Representatives revealed the news in a statement to the outlet which did not reveal the type of cancer Dolly had been battling.

The statement read: “Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched.

“Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.

BITTERSWEET GOODBYE

Dolly Parton’s funeral plans revealed after family announces her death

‘A TRUE LOSS’

American flags to be lowered for a week to honor Dolly Parton, Trump says

It comes as:

“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.

“After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”

Dolly’s nephew Bryan Seaver announced her death in a heartbreaking statement on her official Instagram page Tuesday afternoon, shocking her fans worldwide.

Dolly had been struggling with her health for some time before her passing and was forced to bow out of numerous gigs.

She told PEOPLE on Friday: “I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.”

Her beloved husband of 60 years, Carl Thomas Dean, died last March after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2019. He was 82 years old.

After cancelling a slew of shows in December, the Tennessee native admitted she needed to go through “a few procedures”.

Last October, Dolly’s sister Frieda had pleaded with her fans to pray for her sibling due to fears around her health.

It was only earlier this month that she shared an update with fans on social media saying she had a “few little health issues”.

She added that “sometimes I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated”, saying her doctors had banned her from traveling to the opening of Dollywood’s latest ride.

But during her last public appearance, Dolly appeared upbeat at the unveiling of her new Nashville truck stop.

And just one week before her death, she shared about her excitement to open a new museum in her very last post.

Dolly has no children but leaves behind her legacy in music.

Across her illustrious career, Dolly became one of the most-honored female country performers of all time.

Dolly Parton’s Career Highlights

Dolly Parton is one of the most well-known country stars in the business, and her career has continued to flourish. Here’s a look at the highlights of the music legend’s decades-long career.

• Dolly wrote and released her first single, Puppy Love, including the B-track Girl Left Alone, on Goldband Records when she was 11 years old.
• Although her single wasn’t a big hit, she ended up performing at Nashville, Tennessee’s Grand Ole Opry for the first time at 13 years old and was introduced by Johnny Cash.
• Dolly made the Billboard country charts in January 1967 with two singles from Monument Records: Dumb Blonde and Something Fishy.
• The singer earned her first number-one hit in 1971 with her single Joshua.
• In 1974, Dolly’s arguably most well-known song, Jolene, reached number one on the country charts.
• Her music continued to succeed, and she was awarded the Female Vocalist of the Year award at the CMAs in 1975.
• Dolly’s track, Here You Come Again, achieved platinum status in 1978, and the album earned her a Grammy award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
• In 1980, Dolly starred in her first film, 9 to 5, alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda and released her hit song of the same name.
• The star opened her famed amusement park, Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in 1986.
• Later that year, she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
• At 75 years old, Dolly recreated her 1978 Playboy Cover for her husband Carl Dean’s birthday.
• In May 2022, it was announced that Dolly would officially be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, alongside Eminem, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Eurythmics, Duran Duran, and Pat Benatar.

A total of 25 of her singles or albums became Gold, Platinum or Multi-Platinum records. 

She had 26 songs reach number one on the Billboard country charts – a record for a female artist – and 42 career top 10 country albums.

As of 2012, she had written more than 3,000 songs and sold more than 100 million records.

She also boasts a whole host of awards including 11 Grammy Awards alongside 55 nominations.

Dolly is also in several halls of fame across the US including the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In 2023, she was even ranked at number 27 on Rolling Stone‘s 2023 list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.