Dolly Parton's Funeral Plans Revealed: Legendary Country Singer's to Be Put to Rest in 'Small' Service After Her Death at 80

Dolly Parton's team has revealed the legendary country singer will be put to rest with only a few people in attendance, RadarOnline.com can report.

The 9 to 5 hitmaker's death was announced by her nephew Brian Seaver in a video message on Tuesday, August 25.

According to a statement from her team, Parton's immediate family will have "a small, private service." However, the singer's family and friends have been "encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media" by tagging her in posts or by leaving a message on her website.

Instead of flowers, Parton’s family has also asked for donations to be made to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. According to its website, "Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Republic of Ireland."

Parton, who launched the organization in 1995, had said of the library, "The seeds of these dreams are often found in books, and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”

In his announcement, Seaver, who worked as his aunt's head of security for over 20 years, noted, "... I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it til now."

Seaver admitted that the famous performer "opened doors not just for me but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn't even know was possible. Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent.

"By her example, we believed that anything is possible. She never saw a door she couldn't open, and the doors she opened made and changed history."

Seaver also said his famous aunt was a "farmer, just like her daddy; he farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest."

Just days before her death, Parton opened up about having many things left to do.

She told People at the time, "I'm still workin’! You know me – as I've often said – I've dreamed myself into a corner, and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life."

"Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I'm still workin'!" Parton had said. The entertainer had previously confessed to "dealing with some health issues," but put them aside to take care of her husband, Carl Thomas Dean. Dean died on March 3, 2025.

Parton explained, "Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it's not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health."

Earlier this month, Parton canceled an appearance to celebrate the opening of a new ride at Dollywood, telling her fans it was her health that kept her from being in attendance.