Dolly Parton's cousin, Richie Owens, has shared intimate details about the late country music singer's burial, emphasizing that it was a private affair intended to be kept quiet, as per Parton's wishes.
"She wanted to keep it very quiet," Owens said Thursday on the "Today" show. He clarified that while the event is being referred to as a funeral, it was in fact a burial for Parton to be laid to rest beside her husband, Carl Thomas Dean.
Owens stated that "a few" loved ones were present for the burial, with others who might have wished to attend being occupied with other matters. He described the ceremony as "very quiet, very quickly done," and stressed that this was simply "what she wanted."
Parton was laid to rest in Nashville on August 28, beside her husband, who passed away in March 2025. Approximately a dozen loved ones gathered at the Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum for the burial. Parton's nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, who announced her passing on behalf of the family, was reportedly in charge of coordinating the burial with security personnel.
Details emerged that Parton was believed to have been buried in a cotton dress, fulfilling her expressed desire for comfort after a life of wearing elaborate attire. "Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because, after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest," Seaver had stated upon announcing her death.
Owens also addressed Parton's private battle with cancer before her death. He explained that while Parton had publicly acknowledged health issues, the full extent was not widely known, even to him. "She always kept things private because she always wanted to keep everybody being positive around her and put that out there in the world," Owens said, adding that her sentiment was, "Don’t worry about me, I’m going to be fine."
Before her death, Parton had canceled several appearances at Dollywood due to health concerns. She had reportedly not paid close attention to her health while caring for Dean prior to his passing. The Grammy Award winner died after a brief battle with an unspecified form of cancer.