What Was Dolly Parton’s Last Wish? When Is Her Funeral? Country Music Legend Will be Laid to Rest Next to Her Husband Carl Dean

Dolly Parton’s funeral will be a “small, private service for immediate family” following her death at 80. Her publicity team confirmed to Page Six on Tuesday that the arrangements are being made at Parton’s request. TMZ reported that the intimate ceremony is expected to take place in Nashville, Tennessee, in the coming days, with only her family and loved ones attending.

The outlet also reported that Parton will be buried next to her late husband, Carl Dean, at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum, wearing her signature high heels. While announcing her death, Parton’s nephew and longtime head of security, Bryan Seaver, revealed that the music icon had requested to be laid to rest in a “beautiful bed of plush cotton.”

Simple Demands, Simple Plans

“After a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest,” Seaver added. He also explained that the emotional video announcement was “something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.”

Just days before her death, Parton told People that she had been “dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to” while caring for her husband, Dean, who died at 82 in March 2025.

She added, “It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health.”

Over the past year, Parton had also missed several appearances at Dollywood because of health problems, including kidney stones.

She was also still grieving the loss of Thomas and the devastating impact of his death.

“Of course I miss him. I’m having to really go through a lot trying to figure out how to be without him because I was with him for so long,” Parton told Entertainment Tonight in May 2025, two months after losing her longtime partner following an unspecified prolonged illness.

The Grammy Award winner added, “He did suffer a lot for the last few years, and there’s a part of me that’s happy he’s at peace and at rest.”

Succumbing to Cancer

This came as it was revealed that the country music legend had been secretly battling cancer before her death at the age of 80. People close to the singer said she had become more reclusive lately and increasingly private about her health.

Parton’s representatives revealed that the “Jolene” singer died after a “brief battle with cancer,” according to a statement shared with People. They didn’t provide further details about the type of cancer she had.

“After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” her reps confirmed in a statement to Page Six Tuesday, though they didn’t elaborate on what kind of cancer she was battling.

“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched,” they also shared. “Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.”

They concluded, “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.”

Parton was reportedly admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, five days before her death due to “kidney and autoimmune issues.”