Dolly Parton’s funeral plans revealed as family shares how fans can pay tribute

Parton died on Tuesday 25 August following what her representatives described as a brief battle with cancer.

Her team has now confirmed that, in accordance with her wishes, her funeral will remain a private family occasion.

“At Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family,” a statement said.

The ceremony is expected to take place in Nashville, where Parton spent much of her life and career.

Fans invited to pay tribute

Although the service will not be open to the public, Parton’s family has encouraged her millions of fans to celebrate her life in other ways.

Messages can be shared on social media by tagging her official account, while tributes can also be left through Dolly Parton’s website.

The family has asked people not to send flowers, instead encouraging donations to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the book-gifting programme she founded in 1995.

The initiative, created in honour of her father Robert Lee Parton, provides free books to young children and has grown from a programme in her home county in Tennessee to an international project reaching millions of children.

A final wish for her funeral

Parton had previously spoken publicly about some of her wishes for her funeral.

In a 2014 interview, she revealed that she wanted the traditional country-gospel song “If We Never Meet Again” to be performed.

It had been her father’s favourite song and was also sung at his funeral following his death in 2000.

According to reports, Parton is expected to be laid to rest at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville alongside her husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 after nearly 60 years of marriage.

Parton leaves behind a seven-decade career spanning music, film and television, as well as a major philanthropic legacy.