Country music legend Dolly Parton, who passed away at the age of 80, made an emotional final request to her family: to be laid to rest in a "beautiful bed of plush cotton."
Her nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, announced her passing on Tuesday, sharing that Parton's wish stemmed from a desire for comfort after a lifetime of embracing her signature glamorous style. "After a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest," Seaver said in an Instagram video.
Seaver expressed a mixture of pride and sadness in announcing her death, noting that Parton was "surely met" by her late husband, Carl Dean, her parents, and other loved ones in the heavens. He emphasized that the sadness is for those left behind, not for Parton herself.
He also lauded Parton's enduring legacy, stating that she "opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life, and across every continent." Seaver pledged to uphold her spirit, concluding his message with "Rest in peace Aunt Dolly, Aunt Granny, Gigi. May God Bless Dolly Parton and may got bless you all. She will always love you."
Parton's representatives confirmed her death, describing her life as "rhinestone" and her legacy as an inspiration through her music, songwriting, wit, warmth, and kindness. They stated, "Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family."
According to reports, Parton had been hospitalized with "kidney and autoimmune issues" at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville shortly before her death. This hospitalization followed a health update she gave, where she mentioned not paying attention to her "issues" while caring for her husband, who died in March 2025 at age 82.
Parton had been experiencing ongoing health concerns since September 2025, when she withdrew from an event at her theme park, Dollywood, due to an infection. She later postponed her Las Vegas residency for "a few procedures," ultimately canceling it in May 2026, though she reassured fans she was "doing really well" and that her conditions were treatable.
Her last public appearance was in late June at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop. She had been scheduled to appear at Dollywood on August 14 but was advised by a doctor not to travel due to dizziness and dehydration.