Dolly Parton meticulously planned out everything that would take place after her passing, even her final resting place, where loved ones gathered to say goodbye to the country music legend three days after she died, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
About a dozen of Parton’s nearest and dearest gathered at Nashville’s Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum on Friday, August 28, to say farewell to the iconic entertainer, who passed away at the age of 80 after a secret and brief battle with cancer.
Parton’s loved ones were seen arriving in photos obtained by Page Six, while the outlet was told that the Jolene singer’s gravesite was already “crawling with cops” before the memorial and that “the family is en route.”
Seen in the pictures was Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, who served as her head of security for the past two decades, a position his father, John, held before him.
It was Seaver who delivered the shocking and devastating news that the rhinestone queen had died in a video posted to Parton’s social media pages shortly after she took her last breath in Nashville’s Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
It was unclear if there would be a bigger memorial to come in honor of the national treasure, whose death was mourned by fans worldwide. President Donald Trump even ordered flags across the nation to fly at half-staff for the week following her passing.
A source told Page Six that Parton requested the “small and private service” for “immediate family,” that took place on Friday.
Parton’s beloved late husband, Carl Dean, is already interred at Woodlawn, as are a number of prominent country artists, including George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Porter Wagoner, and Johnny Paycheck.
The crypt appeared to have been purchased quite some time ago, as the couple who lay above Dean and Parton died in 1999 and 2002 respectively.
Fans were already aware of Parton’s final resting place, as her name had been in place ever since she laid Dean to rest following his death in March 2025,
One person took a snapshot while visiting other famous gravesites at Woodlawn in March, showing the bronze crypt marker with the family name “Dean” at the top center.
Underneath on the right read, “Carl Thomas”” followed by the dates of his birth and death, July 20, 1942 and March 3, 2025.
Parton’s name appeared on the left but showed only her birthdate reading “Jan. 19, 1946,” since she was still alive at the time.
At the bottom center were intertwined wedding rings and the inscription “Married May 30, 1966,” while the plaque featured a sweeping mountain landscape flanked by a rustic cabin and weathered barn, in a tribute to the couple’s humble Tennessee roots.
Parton had recently admitted to dealing with health issues ever since her husband became ill.
“I’ve got some problems, as I mentioned. Back when my husband Carl was very sick, that was for a long time, and then when he passed, I didn’t take care of myself, so I let a lot of things go that I should’ve been taking care of,” the 11-time Grammy winner told People in an interview published on August 21.
Unbeknownst to fans, Parton was hospitalized that same day with various ailments including kidney and autoimmune issues, four days before she passed.
Her family revealed hours after her death announcement that Parton had been “bravely facing a brief battle with cancer,” and that “Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”