Dolly Parton, the country music legend, has died at the age of 80 on Tuesday, August 25, following a brief battle with cancer. At the star's request, a small, private funeral service will be held for immediate family.
A song from 1945 chosen for her service
In a 2014 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Parton revealed the song she wanted played at her funeral—not one of her own hits. She selected "If We Never Meet Again (This Side Of Heaven)," written by Albert E Brumley in 1945 and later performed by Johnny Cash.
Parton told the outlet: "I'm sure they'll be playing I Will Always Love You when I die, just like they did with Whitney Houston. When they picked her coffin up and started in on that song, I started to cry, and I thought, 'oh my lord', that's when it hit me that she was really gone."
Her father's favourite hymn
She explained the significance of the gospel song: "But there's a song called If We Never Meet Again, it's an old country-gospel church song that talks about, 'if we never meet again this side of heaven, I will meet you on that beautiful shore, where the charming roses bloom forever and where separations come no more'. That was my daddy's favourite. We did sing it at his funeral, and I would like it to be sung at mine."
In the same interview, Parton spoke of her admiration for British singer Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam, and expressed a long-held wish to cover The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." She eventually recorded the track with P!nk and Brandi Carlile on her final album, Rockstar, released in 2023.
Tributes and donations
Following her death, fans and friends worldwide were encouraged to pay tribute to the "9 To 5" singer on social media by tagging @dollyparton. In lieu of flowers, Parton's family has requested donations to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library at imaginationlibrary.com.
Mourners have been leaving flowers and tributes in downtown Sevierville, Tennessee. The Empire State Building in New York was lit up in sparkled pink in memory of the star, and flags will be lowered across the US for a week.
