Country music star Dolly Parton has been laid to rest in Nashville following a private funeral service on Friday, August 28, her family has confirmed. The singer and actress died on August 25 at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer.
Parton was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park cemetery beside Carl Thomas, her husband of 60 years. According to People magazine, the service was conducted in a close family circle.
Rather than sending flowers, her family requested that donations be made to her charity, the Imagination Library, an organization dedicated to promoting children's literacy. Prior to her death, a plaque bearing Parton's name had already been installed in the cemetery mausoleum next to her husband's, featuring a relief depiction of her childhood home in Sevier County, Tennessee.
Velvet ropes and books of condolence have been placed at the burial site for visiting fans, according to social media posts by journalist Amelia Young of Nashville news station NewsChannel 5.
Burial site and country music legacy
Woodlawn Memorial Park is the largest cemetery in Nashville, the state capital of Tennessee and the traditional center of the American country music industry, according to the Los Angeles Times. The cemetery serves as the final resting place for numerous legendary figures in country music, including George Jones, Tammy Wynette and Eddy Arnold.
Also buried at Woodlawn is Porter Wagoner, Parton's longtime mentor. Parton dedicated her iconic song I Will Always Love You to Wagoner when she launched her solo music career in 1973.
On Monday, managers of the singer's estate announced DollyFest, a major festival scheduled to take place across two weekends in Nashville and London in 2027, according to The Guardian. The event was originally planned for January near Parton's 80th birthday, with the performer herself set to host, news agency APE-MPE reported. Organisers confirmed the festival will now take place as a celebration dedicated to her extensive artistic legacy.
Posthumous releases and upcoming projects
Representatives managing Parton's legacy also confirmed that creative projects she was preparing before her death will proceed as planned. Among these is the Broadway musical DOLLY: A True Original Musical, which is expected to premiere in New York on December 7.
Parton's manager, Danny Nozell, said the performer worked until the day she died, adding that several of her plans currently at various stages of development would be realized over the coming years. Among these upcoming developments are the SongTeller hotel and the Life of Many Colors museum, both of which are expected to open in Nashville in October.
